Florida Gators: UCLA Bruins
John Saunder gives his take on Texas, Alabama, LSU, Florida, Florida State and other schools offering eighth-grader Dylan Moses a scholarship.
Heading into the spring, it was difficult to imagine any duo in the West region stealing the recruiting spotlight from Gardena (Calif.) Serra's Adoree' Jackson and Dwight Williams. And while the five-star cornerback and four-star linebacker still rank as two of the more highly-recruited players in the country, some of the buzz has shifted to another set of teammates in Southern California. You won't hear much complaining from Jackson and Williams, however, as they share a locker room with the new dynamic duo.
Outside linebacker John Houston and defensive end Rasheem Green -- stars of the 2015 recruiting class -- didn't step into the recruiting process this spring; they dove in. For both, it was outstanding performances at the Los Angeles Nike Camp that catapulted them onto the radars of college coaches. UCLA offered both shortly after the event and they have been on a roll since then.
Outside linebacker John Houston and defensive end Rasheem Green -- stars of the 2015 recruiting class -- didn't step into the recruiting process this spring; they dove in. For both, it was outstanding performances at the Los Angeles Nike Camp that catapulted them onto the radars of college coaches. UCLA offered both shortly after the event and they have been on a roll since then.
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Now that spring ball has started, ESPN 150 defensive tackle Gerald Willis III has been inundated with interest from college recruiters visiting New Orleans Edna Karr High School. He expected that.
That’s why, even if he’s comfortable with naming his top four schools, his list remains a fluid one. New schools are working hard to get in the mix, and Willis is ready to hit the road for more visits this summer.
That’s why, even if he’s comfortable with naming his top four schools, his list remains a fluid one. New schools are working hard to get in the mix, and Willis is ready to hit the road for more visits this summer.
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Holding more than 40 offers, running back Joe Mixon (Oakley, Calif./Freedom) is arguably the most sought-after recruit in the West region. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound, four-star back is the top running back in the West and the No. 135 player in the country. His offer sheet has seemingly grown by the minute this spring, but he isn't in any hurry to narrow it down.
Despite tweeting out a list of 16 programs several weeks ago, Mixon said Sunday that he only did that to highlight the schools recruiting him the hardest, not anything to be taken as a group of finalists.
"I'm still talking to a lot of people," Mixon said. "The recruiting thing has been crazy the past couple of weeks. I've pretty much been taking it well. I talk to them before school, during lunch and after school. I'm not to the stressful part yet, but the hard part has been staying in contact with everybody."
Despite tweeting out a list of 16 programs several weeks ago, Mixon said Sunday that he only did that to highlight the schools recruiting him the hardest, not anything to be taken as a group of finalists.
"I'm still talking to a lot of people," Mixon said. "The recruiting thing has been crazy the past couple of weeks. I've pretty much been taking it well. I talk to them before school, during lunch and after school. I'm not to the stressful part yet, but the hard part has been staying in contact with everybody."
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RecruitingNation: Building for the future
April, 28, 2013
Apr 28
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By ESPN.com staff | ESPN.com
Tom Luginbill breaks down what some of the top teams in the country have done this spring in recruiting.
#BlueChipBattles: ESPN 150 release edition
April, 19, 2013
Apr 19
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By RecruitingNation | ESPN.com
Student Sports, ESPN, ESPNSpeedy Noil, Adoree Jackson and Da'Shawn Hand are three of the most coveted recruits in the Class of 2014.
: RecruitingNation summoned its writers from around the country to outline the recruiting battles for the ESPN 150's top 10 prospects.
Plus, rank the battles in SportsNation.
#TopFBMixtapes: Athlete mixtapes are all the rage in this highlight-crazed era of sports. We reached out to our Twitter followers to find out which 2014 football stars had the best highlight reels on YouTube, then had our staff rank and comment on the top submissions.
Tom Luginbill writes
: After talking to many coaches across the country and hearing their frustrations, here are their five biggest complaints about homemade highlight videos.SEC has Watch List linebacker's attention 
April, 12, 2013
Apr 12
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By
Jared Shanker | ESPN.com
When the SEC comes calling, recruits tend to listen. It is no different with ESPN Watch List linebacker Clifton Garrett (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield South).
Garrett will visit Alabama and LSU on consecutive days next weekend, checking out the Crimson Tide on Friday before going to Baton Rouge for the LSU spring game Saturday.
Garrett will visit Alabama and LSU on consecutive days next weekend, checking out the Crimson Tide on Friday before going to Baton Rouge for the LSU spring game Saturday.
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When he got off the phone with Florida head coach Will Muschamp, 2015 offensive lineman Kyonta Stallworth (St. Clair Shores, Mich./South Lake) couldn't believe he just received an offer from the Gators.
It was the same feeling he got when UCLA extended an offer, and Stallworth is now realizing that he is slowly becoming a top prospect in his class.
It was the same feeling he got when UCLA extended an offer, and Stallworth is now realizing that he is slowly becoming a top prospect in his class.
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- The Gators hosted a handful of visitors for spring practice Saturday morning.
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Watch List safety picks up Georgia offer
March, 21, 2013
Mar 21
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By
Radi Nabulsi | ESPN.com
ATHENS, Ga. -- For most high school players, the end of practice means they get a break from the incessant nagging and ceaseless instruction of their coaches. They go home, eat dinner, study and enjoy the respite until the whistles start blowing next time. For ESPN Watch List safety Quincy Wilson (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./University School), that is not the case.
Wilson’s father is the defensive coordinator and the defensive backs coach at the University School, so Wilson jokes that he gets no respite.
“Oh no, there’s no break, there’s no break,” Wilson said. “Monday through Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Yeah, I get it at practice, before practice, after practice, in the car, at the dinner table ...”
The talented junior laughed about the nonstop instruction but he also credited his father with making him the player he is today -- one of the most coveted safeties in Florida.
Wilson’s father is the defensive coordinator and the defensive backs coach at the University School, so Wilson jokes that he gets no respite.
“Oh no, there’s no break, there’s no break,” Wilson said. “Monday through Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Yeah, I get it at practice, before practice, after practice, in the car, at the dinner table ...”
The talented junior laughed about the nonstop instruction but he also credited his father with making him the player he is today -- one of the most coveted safeties in Florida.
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MIAMI – At the end of the Miami NFTC, Richard Yeargin III (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./University School of Nova South) had succeeded in what he had set out to do, which was competing and showing he was worthy of his offer list. The 6-foot-4, 225--pound athlete took home linebacker MVP honors, and was also rewarded for his performance with an invite to The Opening.
“I was able to turn up my intensity, learn my pass coverages better, come off the edge and I will take home some moves that the coaches taught me,” Yeargin said.
Yeargin said he has well over 20 offers to date, and has forgotten more of them than he can remember.
“I was able to turn up my intensity, learn my pass coverages better, come off the edge and I will take home some moves that the coaches taught me,” Yeargin said.
Yeargin said he has well over 20 offers to date, and has forgotten more of them than he can remember.
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Gator D gets early test in NCAA tournament
March, 17, 2013
Mar 17
7:18
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By
Michael DiRocco | ESPN.com
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida’s defense is going to be tested immediately in the NCAA tournament.
The Gators earned a No. 3 seed in the South region and will play its tournament opener against No. 14 seed Northwestern State, which entered the weekend as the nation’s top-scoring team. The game will be played Friday in Austin, Texas.
The Gators (26-7), who won the regular-season Southeastern Conference title but fell to Ole Miss in the SEC tournament, entered the weekend third nationally in scoring defense (53.2 points per game allowed). UF has allowed just one opponent to score more than 66 points since a 67-61 loss to Kansas State on Dec. 22, 2012.
Northwestern State (23-8) won the Southland Conference tournament. The Demons entered the weekend averaging 82.4 points per game, but that number dropped to 81.0 per game after the conference tournament.
The Demons have four players averaging in double figures in scoring, led by 6-foot-7 forward DeQuan Hicks (14.1 ppg). Northwestern also is pretty deep. They have 10 players averaging at least 15.5 minutes per game.
Should the Gators get by Northwestern State they face a potential third-round matchup with No. 6 seed UCLA (25-9), which plays No. 11 seed Minnesota. UF has won all three of its meetings against the Bruins, and all have come in the NCAA tournament. The Gators beat UCLA in the 2006 national championship game, in the 2007 national semifinals and in a third-round game in 2011.
If the Gators do advance to the Sweet 16, they could potentially face No. 2 seed Georgetown (25-6). That would be a rematch of the Navy-Marine Corps Classic aboard the USS Bataan at Mayport (Fla.) Naval Station that was never finished because of condensation on the court.
The Gators earned a No. 3 seed in the South region and will play its tournament opener against No. 14 seed Northwestern State, which entered the weekend as the nation’s top-scoring team. The game will be played Friday in Austin, Texas.
The Gators (26-7), who won the regular-season Southeastern Conference title but fell to Ole Miss in the SEC tournament, entered the weekend third nationally in scoring defense (53.2 points per game allowed). UF has allowed just one opponent to score more than 66 points since a 67-61 loss to Kansas State on Dec. 22, 2012.
Northwestern State (23-8) won the Southland Conference tournament. The Demons entered the weekend averaging 82.4 points per game, but that number dropped to 81.0 per game after the conference tournament.
The Demons have four players averaging in double figures in scoring, led by 6-foot-7 forward DeQuan Hicks (14.1 ppg). Northwestern also is pretty deep. They have 10 players averaging at least 15.5 minutes per game.
Should the Gators get by Northwestern State they face a potential third-round matchup with No. 6 seed UCLA (25-9), which plays No. 11 seed Minnesota. UF has won all three of its meetings against the Bruins, and all have come in the NCAA tournament. The Gators beat UCLA in the 2006 national championship game, in the 2007 national semifinals and in a third-round game in 2011.
If the Gators do advance to the Sweet 16, they could potentially face No. 2 seed Georgetown (25-6). That would be a rematch of the Navy-Marine Corps Classic aboard the USS Bataan at Mayport (Fla.) Naval Station that was never finished because of condensation on the court.
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Former Michigan offensive lineman commit Denzel Ward (Bradenton, Fla./IMG Academies) was one of the standout linemen at Saturday's Orlando NFTC.
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The 2013 class of defensive backs in Southern California was the best it has been in years, and the 2014 class appears to be following up with another crop of terrific talent. While the 2015 class hasn't quite come into focus, there's a good bet that, with Iman Marshall (Long Beach, Calif./Poly) leading the way, it's going to be another good one.
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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- For a lot of recruits, it’s all about the process. They like to take all of their visits, add new scholarship offers and take their time when it comes to making a decision. It’s almost turned into a countdown to national signing day to see where they’re going to go.
That’s not the case with Shaun Dion Hamilton.
The ESPN Watch List linebacker has a good idea of where he wants to go, and he’s ready to make that decision so he can focus on winning a state championship at Montgomery (Ala.) Carver High School.
That’s not the case with Shaun Dion Hamilton.
The ESPN Watch List linebacker has a good idea of where he wants to go, and he’s ready to make that decision so he can focus on winning a state championship at Montgomery (Ala.) Carver High School.
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ABOUT GATOR NATION
Michael DiRocco
Michael DiRocco came to ESPN.com in 2011 after spending 10 and a half years covering UF for the Florida Times-Union. He lives in Middleburg, Fla., with his wife and two sons. Email him at espndirocco@gmail.com.
Derek Tyson
Derek Tyson joined ESPN.com in 2011. He worked as a football and recruiting analyst for GatorCountry.com before joining ESPN. He currently resides in Gainesville, Fla. Email him at derektysonespn@gmail.com.