Florida mailbag: Allen has huge spring
What player had the best spring as far as generating college interest in Florida?
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What do you think of Oklahoma's recent commit, Eric Striker?
And where will Tampa Berkeley Prep athlete Nelson Agholor end up for college?
These questions and more are addressed by Rivals.com analyst Chris Nee in the Florida recruiting mailbag.
Spring forward
What player had the best spring as far as generating college interest in Florida?
- Will, Miami
A few players had huge springs with regards to generating college interest.
Hilliard (Fla.) athlete Marcus Allen is where you start the conversation. Allen, who is likely to play either linebacker or running back at the collegiate level, began the spring with four offers to his name. When the dust cleared in May, he held two dozen offers. Allen is arguably the most talented player to come out of Hilliard since former Kansas State running back and current Miami Dolphin Daniel Thomas. After making some summer trips and participating in a few camps, Allen is almost certainly going to surpass 30 offers.
Another prospect who benefitted from a good spring was Miami Braddock offensive tackle Robert Conyers. Conyers' spring can best be summed up by him adding five offers on the day following his spring game. He finished the spring with 15 offers and a number of other schools interested in getting him on campus for a visit to work him out and see if they want to pull the trigger.
Vero Beach defensive end Dwayne Hoilett had a strong spring pushing his offer list upward to 18 schools. Hoilett lacks great size but a good frame combined with an outstanding first step has colleges around the country intrigued. He showed enough throughout his spring to get many to step forth with an offer.
A pair of 2013 wide receiver prospects also had huge springs in the Sunshine State - Tampa Middleton's Richard Benjamin and Tampa Jesuit's Travis Johnson. Benjamin claims offers from Alabama, Auburn, Cincinnati, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Kentucky, Miami, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Rutgers, USF, Texas Tech, USC, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Wisconsin and others.
Johnson claims offers Cincinnati, Clemson, Florida, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, LSU, Miami, Michigan State, Missouri, N.C. State, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Rutgers, South Florida, Tennessee, USC, Wake Forest and others.
Sooner decision
What do you think of Oklahoma's recent commit, Eric Striker?
- Joe, Oklahoma City
I think Striker made an excellent decision for his future by selecting a defensive scheme that fits him perfectly. Striker is a very athletic and disruptive defensive force who can make his presence felt by coming off the edge or dropping back into coverage. He is a hybrid outside linebacker capable of putting his hand down to attack the quarterback, moving to the inside linebacker position, or even dropping back into coverage and playing the pass. Once he adds a bit more weight, he will be a terror in blitz packages.
Striker spoke very highly of Oklahoma assistant coach Brent Venables and how his defense fit him. He made a great decision to select the Sooners and to be a part of that defense.
Camp out
How important are summer camps to recruiting?
- John, Jacksonville, Fla.
Camps are pivotal for prospects, especially school camps, as many offers come as a result of strong showings and in other cases that is where a number of commitments originate.
With regards to certain positions, such as quarterbacks and offensive linemen, they are a necessity. Most schools are going to want to have prospects on campus for at least a one-day camp session in order to put them through drills that allow them to showcase their skills in a setting that mirrors what that school does on the field. For quarterbacks, some schools will not offer a quarterback until they are able to see them throw in person for their head coach.
College rosters are littered with players who wouldn't have ended up at that school without a strong camp showing.
Washington versatile
How good of a player is J.T. Washington for West Virginia?
- Sean, Los Angeles
The Satellite Beach (Fla.) Satellite athlete is a solid pick-up for the Mountaineers. The best thing that Washington brings to the table is versatility. On offense, he can be used as an all-purpose back or slot receiver. Defensively, he could line up at cornerback, where he has experience at the high school level. Not to mention, he could be an early asset on special teams.
While he lacks prototypical size in the backfield, at just 5-foot-9, 160 pounds, Washington is a quick back with effective hands. He will be a strong weapon out of the offensive backfield in both the running and passing game. Obviously, I expect him to contribute on offense in Morgantown and he should be an asset to Dana Holgorsen's offense.
He will be ranked a mid-tier three-star in the upcoming updated Rivals rankings.
Plenty of possibilities
Where do you see Tampa (Fla.) Berkeley Prep athlete Nelson Agholor ending up for college?
- Darrin, Austin, Texas
Agholor has done an excellent job of keeping his recruitment relatively quiet despite being arguably one of the top recruited players in the entire nation. At this point, I think it is premature to predict where he may end up because he is approaching the process with an open mind and is utilizing numerous visits to schools around the nation this summer. He has previously indicated a final decision will not come until after his senior season concludes on the football field.
In regards to visits, this week Agholor traveled to the Lone State State to visit TCU and Texas. He is actually on campus at Texas as I type this. Later this summer he is likely to visit Southern Cal, where he has previously visited, and while on the West Coast expect him to drop in on some other schools, including Oregon.
He will also visit schools around the Southeast and already previously has been on campus at Auburn, Florida, Florida State and Georgia. Some of those schools can expect to see him again this summer, while some other campuses will be welcoming him for the first time.
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