Archive for the ‘Florida’ Category

Quinteze Williams: Florida

While a lot of boys begin getting exposed to sports by their fathers from the moment they leave the hospital as newborns, Quinteze Williams didn’t get it until he was 10 years old.

That was the age that is father, Ellis, after finally getting his life settled properly, fought for and won custody of Quinteze and his younger sister. Immediately, Ellis set about the task of molding his son into a Division I-level football player.

But the road, particularly at the initial stages was rough for Quinteze. Though he was already well over 5 feet tall and almost always the biggest person on the field, football didn’t come naturally to him.

“I didn’t like football at all,” said Quinteze, who committed to Florida after his junior season at Sandy Creek. “All the running and hitting. When I first started playing, I didn’t like it at all, probably for the first three years of playing. I used to cry all the time.”

But Ellis wouldn’t let him quit. Instead, he …

Continue reading Quinteze Williams: Why I chose Florida »

Josh Harvey-Clemons still has two official visits left, but his grandfather is predicting “a photo finish” between UGA and Florida.

Harvey-Clemons is a 6-foot-5, 200-pound linebacker from Lowndes High School who may be the state’s top uncommitted prospect. He made an unofficial visit to UGA over the weekend.

“It’s going to be a photo finish between Florida and Georgia, as I told Coach Bobo before we left,” said Harvey-Clemons’ grandfather, Woodrow Clemons, told the AJC.

“The visit to Georgia went well, really well. They wanted a commitment for us before we left. And we stood firm. We’re not going to commit until Feb. 1.”

"Photo finish" predicted between Florida and UGA on Feb. 1 for AJC Super 11 LB Josh Harvey-Clemons of Lowndes HS (AJC)

That’s because JHC has two official visits remaining: to Florida State on Jan. 20 and Louisville on Jan. 27. This weekend’s  trip to UGA was his first since traveling to Florida last month.

Harvey-Clemons has said repeatedly that UGA and …

Continue reading Josh Harvey-Clemons’ grandpa predicting “photo finish between Florida and UGA” »

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Ten of Georgia’s top football prospects are participating in Thursday’s Under Armour all-star game, and only two are uncommitted.

Chaz Elder, a defensive back from Banneker High School, will announce his decision between South Carolina and Georgia during the game, which begins at 8 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN. The other uncommitted player from Georgia, Harris County defensive end Jordan Jenkins, will pick between Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Auburn on Monday.

Note: You can also get a good look at UGA RB commit Keith Marshall of Raleigh, N.C., who will be playing in the game.

Back to Elder: The 6-foot-2, 180-pounder Elder has listed South Carolina as his longtime frontunner, and the Gamecocks still appear to be the school to beat. However, Elder did take an official visit to Georgia last month.

“South Carolina is Chaz’s leader, but he hasn’t eliminated the idea of going to Georgia, let me say …

Continue reading Atlanta DB set to pick between SEC East rivals »

• BREAKING NEWS: Derek Dooley parts ways with another Georgia recruit (go here)

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Did UGA get some good news about another top RB on Sunday?

Maybe so, maybe not. We’re not quite sure. But it could change again any minute. It’s that time of year again, the final stretch of recruiting where anything can and will happen before kids sign on the dotted line on February’s national signing day.

The top RB is Stephenson High School’s Mike Davis, who recently de-committed from Florida for undisclosed reasons after being pledged to the Gators for nearly a year. He was quickly offered by UGA and made an unofficial visit with the Bulldogs. Davis is such a priority to Mark Richt that he spent an entire practice attached to his hip.

Fast forward to Sunday: Mike Davis showed up for the U.S. Army All-American game in San Antonio, and did a round of interviews with reporters.

UGA fans …

Continue reading Ex-Florida RB recruit Mike Davis reveals what went wrong with Gators »

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Stephenson High School RB Mike Davis liked Thursday’s recruiting trip to UGA so much that he plans to come back in January for an official visit.

When asked to rate Thursday’s trip on a scale of 1-10, Davis said, “I’d give it a 10. I was really impressed. They really showed that they wanted me, they really need running backs, and I think I could fit in very well in their offense. It was good visit, they want me to come back for an official visit, and I’m planning on going back there on Jan. 28.”

The 5-foot-9, 200-pound Davis, who de-committed from the Florida last week after being pledged to the Gators for around a year, got the royal treatment during his four-hour tour UGA on Thursday.

After arriving on campus, Davis attended a meeting between UGA assistant Bryan McClendon and the team’s running backs. When practice started, Davis said he spent the entire …

Continue reading RB Mike Davis liked UGA trip so much he will return for official visit »

Ex-Florida RB commit Mike Davis will visit UGA on Thursday (Photo by US Army All-America Bowl)

• Junior college OL commits to UGA
• UGA’s courtship with Alabama LB recruit Dillon Lee is over

Stephenson RB Mike Davis, who was offered by UGA within hours after de-committing from Florida last week, will make an unofficial visit with the Bulldogs on Thursday.

Davis will leave for an official visit to Florida State on Friday, and also has recruiting trips planned for Clemson and South Carolina in January.

The 5-foot-9, 200-pounder said he is also considering Tennessee and Miami, among others.

Davis has said the commitment of Keith Marshall, who is ranked as the No. 1 RB in the nation by Scout.com, will not affect his consideration of the Bulldogs.

UGA hopes to sign at least running backs this year, with Todd Gurley of Tarboro, N.C., and Davis as the primary targets. What’s the latest with Gurley? It looks like North Carolina is gaining some ground. Here’s an update from

Continue reading Mike Davis, ex-Florida RB commit, visiting UGA »

UGA offers ex-Florida RB commit Mike Davis (Photo by US Army All-America Bowl)

UGA landed the No. 1 running back in the nation with Keith Marshall on Tuesday.

The Bulldogs have also entered the sweepstakes for the player who many consider the No. 1 running back in Georgia.

Stephenson High School’s Mike Davis, who de-committed from Florida on Sunday after being pledged to the Gators for nearly a year, was offered by UGA on Tuesday.

UGA recruiting coordinator Rodney Garner called Stephenson’s coaches on Monday night to confirm that Davis de-committed from Florida. Garner showed up the next day at the Stone Mountain school to offer Davis in person.

“Georgia saw Mike as a junior and they were slow to react,” Stephenson assistant Corey Johnson said. “They said now that they had a second chance, they were going to move very fast with a scholarship offer and they did. Mike was excited and thankful for the offer.”

Around 30 colleges have inquired about Davis since he abruptly backed …

Continue reading With Keith Marshall committed, UGA quickly offers RB Mike Davis »

For the second year in a row, the No. 1-rated running back in the nation is headed to UGA.

Keith Marshall of Raleigh committed to UGA on Tuesday, picking the Bulldogs over Clemson, Florida and South Carolina.

The 5-foot-11, 190-pounder will enroll early at UGA, starting classes in January. He is expected to contribute immediately to the Bulldogs, which have been plagued with major problems and issues with their running backs.

“The first thing Keith Marshall does is give Georgia immediate depth at tailback,” said Rusty Mansell, National Recruiting Analyst for 247sports.com. “He also gives Georgia a game-changing running back, but depth is the biggest thing right now. Whether Isaiah Crowell is healthy or not, they had to add depth to the backfield.”

What can you expect from Marshall at UGA next season? He doesn’t have the same bulk or power as Crowell, but is a track guy who can score from anywhere on the field if he gets into open space.

“He’s probably one of the fastest …

Continue reading No. 1 RB Keith Marshall commits to UGA »

• (Lots of breaking news of Marshall: Please check at the bottom for the most current updates)

What if Keith Marshall does not pick UGA on Tuesday?

It would be a recruiting nightmare for the Bulldogs. Even the idea that the nation’s No. 1 RB is seriously considering alternatives ignites panic attacks among masses of UGA supporters.

Marshall is the “make-it-or-break” recruit for UGA’s 2012 class. The speedster from Raleigh, N.C., is the guy that the Bulldogs have to get. Why is that? Because of ongoing RB problems and an emergency-level lack of depth (we’re talking fire alarms, folks) at the place once proudly known as “Tailback U.”

For many, the success of UGA's entire recruiting efforts for 2012 will be judged by Keith Marshall's decision on Tuesday (Photo provided by 247Sports.com)

From listening to some UGA fans, if Marshall doesn’t make the “expected” decision on Tuesday afternoon, the Bulldogs might as well forget about next season. It would be like another 0-2 start …

Continue reading Recruiting nightmare: What if Keith Marshall does NOT pick UGA? »

AJC Super 11 defensive end Dalvin Tomlinson of Henry County High School gave high marks to his recruiting trip to Georgia Tech this weekend.

When asked to rate the visit on a scale of 1-10, Tomlinson said, “I’d say an 8 or 9. It probably would’ve been a 10 if I had gotten up there on Friday. But the Saturday experience was a great experience.”

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The 6-foot-3, 270-pounder, who is one of the state’s Top 5 uncommitted prospects, said he was unable to make it on Friday because of wrestling practice at school (he’s a two-time state champion in the heavyweight division) and he was going to watch Eagles Landing Christian Academy in football’s playoff semifinals (wasn’t able to go after all).

Tomlinson was the big man on campus this weekend at Georgia Tech, which also welcomed QB Dennis Andrews of Tallahassee, Fla., and Allatoona High School RB Miles Jones. …

Continue reading Dalvin Tomlinson, AJC Super 11 DE, rates his visit to Georgia Tech as ‘8 or 9′ »