Florida Gators: Derrick Henry
ESPN 150 LB Williams recaps spring visits 
April, 21, 2013
Apr 21
8:17
PM ET
By
Greg Ostendorf | ESPN.com
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- ESPN 150 linebacker Tre Williams (Mobile, Ala./St. Paul’s) is one of the top players in the state, so it’s no surprise that the defending national champions have made him a priority for the 2014 class.
Williams visited the University of Alabama for the their spring game this weekend.
Williams visited the University of Alabama for the their spring game this weekend.
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ESPN RecruitingNation has signing day covered. Follow ESPNU’s coverage, chat with analysts and get breaking news on our Signing Day Live page beginning at 7:30 a.m. ET through 7 p.m. ET. For more on what to expect on signing day, check out the SEC conference breakdown 
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Bold Prediction for the SEC:
Ole Miss' class will eventually be ranked in the top five nationally with the addition of No. 1 overall prospect Robert Nkemdiche from Loganville (Ga.) Grayson and possibly ESPN 150 prospects Chris Jones from Houston (Miss.) High and Antonio Conner from Batesville (Miss.) South Panola.
SEC East
Florida
Biggest need: Florida wants immediate help at defensive tackle. Jarran Reed from Scooba (Miss.) East should be able to provide that if he decides to sign with the Gators on national signing day.
Biggest recruit: The Gators have two five-star commitments: cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III from Tampa (Fla.) Wharton and running back Kelvin Taylor from Belle Glade (Fla.) Glades. No other school in the country can say that.
Georgia
Biggest need: The Bulldogs would like to pick up another top offensive lineman. They looked destined to land Laremy Tunsil from Lake City (Fla.), but the competition has heated up for him lately.
Biggest recruit: With 12 ESPN 300 commitments, Georgia has plenty of star power. However, it's impossible to overvalue the commitment of Brice Ramsey from Kingsland (Ga.) Camden, a quarterback the Bulldogs can build around.
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Bold Prediction for the SEC:
Ole Miss' class will eventually be ranked in the top five nationally with the addition of No. 1 overall prospect Robert Nkemdiche from Loganville (Ga.) Grayson and possibly ESPN 150 prospects Chris Jones from Houston (Miss.) High and Antonio Conner from Batesville (Miss.) South Panola.
SEC East
Florida
Biggest need: Florida wants immediate help at defensive tackle. Jarran Reed from Scooba (Miss.) East should be able to provide that if he decides to sign with the Gators on national signing day.
Biggest recruit: The Gators have two five-star commitments: cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III from Tampa (Fla.) Wharton and running back Kelvin Taylor from Belle Glade (Fla.) Glades. No other school in the country can say that.
Georgia
Biggest need: The Bulldogs would like to pick up another top offensive lineman. They looked destined to land Laremy Tunsil from Lake City (Fla.), but the competition has heated up for him lately.
Biggest recruit: With 12 ESPN 300 commitments, Georgia has plenty of star power. However, it's impossible to overvalue the commitment of Brice Ramsey from Kingsland (Ga.) Camden, a quarterback the Bulldogs can build around.
Army Bowl: Wednesday notebook
January, 2, 2013
Jan 2
3:08
PM ET
By
Damon Sayles and
William Wilkerson | ESPN.com
SAN ANTONIO -- Wednesday was a day off for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl teams. Instead of working out and participating in drills, the players took in visits around the city -- including a stop at the Alamodome for photo opportunities and to see their game apparel -- and used the day to recover from two days of practice.
The teams will return to the fields on Thursday in arguably the most important practice of the week. Here are five things to keep an eye on for Thursday’s practice:
The teams will return to the fields on Thursday in arguably the most important practice of the week. Here are five things to keep an eye on for Thursday’s practice:
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- It’s time to dip into the GatorNation recruiting mailbag and answer your questions. Because of the amount of questions we’ve received, we won’t be able to get to all of them today -- but we encourage you to post your questions on our Insider fan forum, The Chompions Club.
eastorwestgatorsarethebest: With Montravius Adams visiting UF this weekend, what are our chances of securing this talented DT?
A: Florida still has a long way to go with the four-star defensive tackle, but this unofficial visit is certainly a good start. There are still several months before signing day, and if Florida can convince him to take an official visit later in the year then the Gators are right in the mix for him. I still believe Auburn is the team to beat here, but if the Tigers continue to struggle this year the Gators could sneak in and make a play for the No. 11-ranked player in the country.
eastorwestgatorsarethebest: With Montravius Adams visiting UF this weekend, what are our chances of securing this talented DT?
A: Florida still has a long way to go with the four-star defensive tackle, but this unofficial visit is certainly a good start. There are still several months before signing day, and if Florida can convince him to take an official visit later in the year then the Gators are right in the mix for him. I still believe Auburn is the team to beat here, but if the Tigers continue to struggle this year the Gators could sneak in and make a play for the No. 11-ranked player in the country.
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YULEE, Fla. -- The state of Florida's top two all-time leading rushers, Kelvin Taylor (Belle Glades, Fla./Glades Day) and Derrick Henry (Yulee, Fla./Yulee) squared off Friday night on ESPNU. The two four-star running backs didn't disappoint with their performance. Henry, an Alabama commit and Taylor, a Florida commit, accounted for 585 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on the night.
Taylor, who finished with 223 rushing yards and a touchdown on 35 carries, says he hopes he will have more opportunities to face off against Henry on the next level.
"It was a great game out there and a crazy atmosphere," Taylor said. "It was great and humbling to play in front of that crowd and we just came up short but we will fix that in practice on Monday. Derrick is a hell of a running back, hats off to him. We're both going to D-1 colleges and hopefully will have a few more games like we did tonight."
Taylor, who finished with 223 rushing yards and a touchdown on 35 carries, says he hopes he will have more opportunities to face off against Henry on the next level.
"It was a great game out there and a crazy atmosphere," Taylor said. "It was great and humbling to play in front of that crowd and we just came up short but we will fix that in practice on Monday. Derrick is a hell of a running back, hats off to him. We're both going to D-1 colleges and hopefully will have a few more games like we did tonight."
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New Bama commit Henry has big night
September, 29, 2012
9/29/12
8:00
AM ET
By
Derek Tyson | ESPN.com
YULEE, Fla. -- After committing to the Alabama Crimson Tide earlier in the day, four-star running back Derrick Henry capped off his exciting day by helping his Yulee (Fla.) team defeat Kelvin Taylor and his Belle Glade (Fla.) Glades Day team 42-6 on Friday night. The 6-foot-3, 243-pound Henry rushed for 362 yards and six touchdowns on 35 carries.
Henry has amassed 864 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns over the last two weeks and now has 1,753 yards and 24 rushing touchdowns in only five games this season. He has totaled 9,617 rushing yards in his career and is on pace to break Ken Hall's (Sugarland, Texas) national career rushing record of 11,232 yards. If he continues his current pace, Henry will finish the regular season wih 3,506 rushing yards and 48 touchdowns.
In addition to the career rushing record, Henry has his sights set on yet another rushing record. Former NFL player Travis Henry (Frostproof, Fla./Frostproof) holds the single-season rushing record in Florida with 4,087 yards in 14 games. If Yulee (4-1) makes a playoff run, Derrick Henry has a good chance at breaking Travis Henry's record.
Henry has amassed 864 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns over the last two weeks and now has 1,753 yards and 24 rushing touchdowns in only five games this season. He has totaled 9,617 rushing yards in his career and is on pace to break Ken Hall's (Sugarland, Texas) national career rushing record of 11,232 yards. If he continues his current pace, Henry will finish the regular season wih 3,506 rushing yards and 48 touchdowns.
In addition to the career rushing record, Henry has his sights set on yet another rushing record. Former NFL player Travis Henry (Frostproof, Fla./Frostproof) holds the single-season rushing record in Florida with 4,087 yards in 14 games. If Yulee (4-1) makes a playoff run, Derrick Henry has a good chance at breaking Travis Henry's record.
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- On a record-breaking night, ESPN 150 athlete Derrick Henry (Yulee, Fla./Yulee) has set his announcement date to choose between Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia.
In a 51-28 loss to Gainesville High School Thursday night, Henry rushed for 336 yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries. Henry broke former Jacksonville (Fla.) University Christian star Willie McClendon's streak of 33 consecutive 100-yard rushing games from 1985-87. Henry has still never rushed for under the century mark in his high school career.
At 8,200 career rushing yards, Henry moves in to third place on the state of Florida's all-time career rushing list, trailing only Emmitt Smith and Florida running back commit Kelvin Taylor (Belle Glades, Fla./Glades Day).
In a 51-28 loss to Gainesville High School Thursday night, Henry rushed for 336 yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries. Henry broke former Jacksonville (Fla.) University Christian star Willie McClendon's streak of 33 consecutive 100-yard rushing games from 1985-87. Henry has still never rushed for under the century mark in his high school career.
At 8,200 career rushing yards, Henry moves in to third place on the state of Florida's all-time career rushing list, trailing only Emmitt Smith and Florida running back commit Kelvin Taylor (Belle Glades, Fla./Glades Day).
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Top tackle Laremy Tunsil takes in Athens
June, 17, 2012
6/17/12
12:21
AM ET
By
Radi Nabulsi | ESPN.com
ATHENS, Ga. -- Five-star offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil (Lake City, Fla./Columbia) toured the University of Georgia campus for the first time since November. The No. 3 player in the nation is highly coveted by the Bulldogs and the Georgia coaching staff had a simple message for Tunsil.
“They need me,” Tunsil said.
To that end, Tunsil was given the red-carpet treatment during his stay in Athens.
“They need me,” Tunsil said.
To that end, Tunsil was given the red-carpet treatment during his stay in Athens.
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After rushing for 1,300 yards and 17 touchdowns last fall, running back Alvin Kamara (Norcross, Ga./Norcross) was invited to participate in the weeklong Rising Seniors program in December in Atlanta. After impressing in practice all week at receiver, Kamara shined during the Georgia Junior Bowl, making a game-high eight catches for 117 yards.
His versatility and explosiveness have made the 5-foot-10, 190-pound Kamara one of the most coveted running backs in the Southeast, with double-digit offers from programs including Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia and USC. The Georgia Bulldogs got Kamara on campus last weekend, and although they invited him to return Saturday for VID Day, he had made plans weeks ago to be elsewhere this weekend.
Then things changed.
His versatility and explosiveness have made the 5-foot-10, 190-pound Kamara one of the most coveted running backs in the Southeast, with double-digit offers from programs including Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia and USC. The Georgia Bulldogs got Kamara on campus last weekend, and although they invited him to return Saturday for VID Day, he had made plans weeks ago to be elsewhere this weekend.
Then things changed.
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UF has plenty of options with state RBs
February, 10, 2012
2/10/12
8:00
AM ET
By
Jeff Barlis | ESPN.com
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- At the top of Florida's list of recruiting needs is instant impact at the offensive skill positions. The Gators couldn't have had much better timing with their home state bursting with talented playmakers in the class of 2013.
The running back position at UF is particularly thin. Florida will have just two scholarship tailbacks at the end of this year, when rising senior Mike Gillislee moves on. That's why it's critically important the Gators find a way to sign three running backs in their next class.
On Thursday, GatorNation's Derek Tyson previewed the state's top wide receivers. Here are Florida's best running backs:
The running back position at UF is particularly thin. Florida will have just two scholarship tailbacks at the end of this year, when rising senior Mike Gillislee moves on. That's why it's critically important the Gators find a way to sign three running backs in their next class.
On Thursday, GatorNation's Derek Tyson previewed the state's top wide receivers. Here are Florida's best running backs:
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- It’s time to dip in to the GatorNation recruiting mailbag and answer the questions you want to know. Because of the amount of questions we’ve received, we won’t be able to get to all of them today, but we encourage you to ask your questions on our Insider fan forum, "The Chompions Club."
@someguynamedkev: With South Carolina losing Ellis Johnson to Southern Miss, do you think the Gators have a decent shot with Tyriq McCord?
A: It certainly doesn’t hurt Florida that Johnson has left the Gamecocks. McCord said after his visit to Gainesville for the FSU game that he felt closer with the players at South Carolina than he did at Florida. The loss of Johnson shouldn’t change that, but if South Carolina goes to a completely new defense, it is something McCord will have to think about.
@someguynamedkev: With South Carolina losing Ellis Johnson to Southern Miss, do you think the Gators have a decent shot with Tyriq McCord?
A: It certainly doesn’t hurt Florida that Johnson has left the Gamecocks. McCord said after his visit to Gainesville for the FSU game that he felt closer with the players at South Carolina than he did at Florida. The loss of Johnson shouldn’t change that, but if South Carolina goes to a completely new defense, it is something McCord will have to think about.
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- The Gators wanted to land two top running backs in the 2012 recruiting cycle, and it appeared Florida had their guys with Matt Jones (6-foot-3/215 pounds, Seffner, Fla./Armwood) and Mike Davis (5-10/195, Stone Mountain, Ga./Stephenson). But with Davis decommitting from Florida this past week, the Gators may not end up with two backs in this class.
UF may have to look forward to the 2013 class to add depth and talent at the position. Luckily for the Gators, the state of Florida is absolutely loaded with running backs in 2013. Here’s a closer look at some of the top backs for next year:
• Adam Lane (5-7/206, Winter Haven, Fla./Winter Haven HS)
UF may have to look forward to the 2013 class to add depth and talent at the position. Luckily for the Gators, the state of Florida is absolutely loaded with running backs in 2013. Here’s a closer look at some of the top backs for next year:
• Adam Lane (5-7/206, Winter Haven, Fla./Winter Haven HS)
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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.