Floridas leading rusher aims high
After leading arguably the most talent-rich football state in rushing as a
junior, what does a player do for an encore?
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Pierson (Fla.) standout
Reese has a simple answer.
"Top that," he said. "I know it will be hard to do, but
I've been working out hard every day with that on my mind. I want to outdo last
year's yards because I feel like a lot of people have been doubting me. It seems
like a lot of scouts are sitting back and wanting to see if I can do it again
before they do anything. I'm going to show everyone that I can."
Reese (6-0, 225, 4.7) led the Sunshine State with an
eye-popping 2,530 yards and 27 touchdowns for Taylor High School in 2001. He was
named the Class 2A player of the year, the only junior to claim the Mr. Football
award.
He had hoped that notoriety would help him early in the
recruiting process, but has yet to land his first official scholarship offer.
"I've always liked Florida State, but they just haven't
shown much interest," he said. "So I'm moving on and thinking about some other
schools. Right now, my favorites are Virginia, Florida and Tennessee. They've
been giving me the most interest, them and North Carolina. I may consider them,
too."
The Florida Gators are gaining ground in his recruitment
due to what Reese described as good vibes from the new coach.
"I'm hearing a lot of great things about coach (Ron)
Zook," he said. "People are talking like he's a lot more of a people person than
coach (Steve) Spurrier was. I like what I've heard from him so far."
Virginia is also high on his list after a recent visit.
"I went up there a couple of weeks ago and liked it a
lot," he said. "They've got a great coaching staff. I really like the ones I've
talked to. And I've got a cousin from Virginia Beach who is committing to them."
The allure of tradition has the Volunteers on his list.
"That's always been a program I've admired," he said.
"They're always on TV and have a lot of great teams, great players."
Reese has not made any camp appearances this summer in
favor of working out on his own.
"I'm getting a lot stronger," he said. "I've ended up
with more weight (235) right now, but it's all solid. I'm a power runner, so
that's good."
Reese is currently bench pressing 350 pounds and
squatting close to 500.