News and notes on Tampa-area prospects
Brendan Gant officially backed off his commitment to Alabama on Sunday night, and Florida State fans rejoiced. The garnet-and-gold tinted celebration was likely for good reason.
Gant, a Rivals100 defensive back, didn’t commit to the Seminoles or even name FSU as his new front runner in the wake of his announcement, but logic dictates things look good for Willie Taggart and company. The fact that Gant’s change of heart came shortly after a visit to Tallahassee combined with FSU’s current recruiting momentum, makes it seem as though things may shake out favorably for the 'Noles.
Still, Gant is playing things straight. Asked which schools will now get consideration, he provided a written list of every, single one of his scholarship offers, including one from Morehouse State. Asked if he has visits in mind, Gant declined to say. The Lakeland (Fla.) Kathleen High School star is nothing if not consistent.
But the secrecy adds up to a nice position for the Seminoles, which now seem like a clear-cut favorite to land Gant’s second verbal pledge whenever he decides to make it.
Clemson is the lynchpin for Zipperer
Four-star tight end Keon Zipperer routinely wears a Georgia backpack around the halls of Lakeland High School and was proudly doing so on Friday afternoon, but it seems the Rivals250 prospect prefers Clemson for the time being. Should the Tigers miss on a prospect ahead of Tampa-area standout, it’s likely that Dabo Swinney and company will land his commitment. Should that fail to take place, however, things will get more nuanced.
Zipperer says he intends to take an official visit to Oklahoma, while Miami, Georgia Florida and Alabama are also major players in his recruitment. The Crimson Tide are yet to offer Zipperer, but a recent visit to Tuscaloosa helped pique Nick Saban’s interest in his services. Should the Tide make things official, it will likely shoot up his list in a hurry.
“Coach Saban is telling me to keep doing what I’m doing and I’ll be straight,” Zipperer said on Friday.
At this juncture, it seems as though Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Miami, Georgia and Oklahoma are the only schools still alive in the race to land the Lakeland High School star, and he could legitimately land at any of the six.
Gators, Seminoles making move on four-star junior
Four-star athlete Jayion McCluster recently landed an offer from Florida State and it seems to have resonated with him immediately. The class-of-2020 prospect is now high on Florida State, but thinks his offer list may expand even further in the year ahead.
“I’ve been in constant contact with Alabama and Clemson,” said Marcus Paschal, who coaches McCluster at Largo High School. “Neither has offered him yet, but he’s already on the radar at both schools.”
Once listed as a running back, McCluster is now being recruited as what his head coach calls a “defensive athlete” that could play linebacker or safety on the next level depending on the path his body takes in the year ahead.
McCluster hopes to take a return visit to Miami in the coming months but grew up a fan of Florida, which has already offered him a scholarship.
“UF has just been my dream school since I was a little kid,” McCluster said. “I went to the spring game there. It was alright. I talked to coach and saw some kinds from Polk County. I talked to Amari Burney there. He said he was liking it.”
South Carolina making waves with Tampa-area standout
Four-star defensive tackle Jaquaze Sorrells doesn’t particularly enjoy discussing his recruitment. He plays things close to the vest and seems perplexed about why anyone would ask him which way he’s leaning.
Sorrells recently visited Oregon and says he currently has no other spring visit plans. He hopes to get to South Carolina sometime this offseason but is yet to set a date for such a trip.
“South Carolina is pretty cool,” Sorrells said. “I know I want to get up there and check it out before I make a decision.
A one-time Florida commit, Sorrells says the new Gators staff is not in contact with him at this time, making a reunion with UF seem highly unlikely.
“I don’t talk to them,” he said. “I don’t hear from the them at all.”
It’s hard to say who leads the way for Sorrells at this point, but South Carolina, Oregon, Texas A&M among others remain involved in his recruitment.
Four-star junior high on UGA
According to people at Lakeland High School, class-of-2020 running back Demarkcus Bowman has taken a shine to Georgia. So whether or not the running back himself will admit it, the Bulldogs seem to be the heavy favorite to land his pledge.
Bowman’s high school coaches and teammates have no problem predicating that the junior running back will eventually land in Athens. And while Singing Day 2020 is a long time away, there’s no reason to doubt that projection.
Jean names leader but hopes options expand this spring
Lakeland (Fla.) High School defensive Latrell Jean currently holds eight scholarship offers and is coming off an impressive camp season that saw him raise his recruiting profile. These days, more schools seem to be kicking the tires on his services, with some major programs now discussing the possibility of a springtime offer.
“Pitt has been talking to me a lot now,” Jean said. “Georgia is messing with me a little bit, too. Oregon is coming in. Rutgers, too.”
As for the schools from which he already has offers, Jean says Indiana and South Carolina are the most appealing. The three-star defensive lineman has already visited South Carolina but names Indiana, not the Gamecocks, as his current leader.
“I haven’t been up to Indiana yet, but I plan on visiting this summer,” Jean said. “The coaches just let me know how they’re looking forward to seeing me out there and looking forward to coming out and here to see me this spring.”
WVU, UCF top list for 6-foot-4 tackle
Raymond Collins declines to name a frontrunner at this time but is in most frequent contact with West Virginia and UCF, saying the two schools are grouped together at the top of his list as things stand.
“I talk to Coach [Marquel] Blackwell at West Virginia a lot,” Collins said on Thursday. “I’m just still getting to know the new coaches at UCF, but they want me to come there and visit. I’ll probably visit both. Those are my main two right now.”
The massive offensive lineman says that each school has its unique appeal, so what takes place this spring could help separate the two programs in his mind.
“I like the style at West Virginia,” Collins said. “I communicate with them a lot and I like how they play. With UCF, I like the way they speak to me, but I think they want to see me in person. I guess that’s what they want.”
Speedy defensive back looking north
Three-star defensive back Solomon Brown has no problem with the idea of leaving the region for college and hopes to tour some of the northern-based schools that have offered him a scholarship. He names no official favorites in the process, but says he’d like to visit Boston College, Syracuse and possibly Minnesota in the year ahead.
“I’m interested in those three because they’re interested in me,” Brown said the programs.
Brown, who grew up a Miami fan, says he hopes to get offers from the Hurricanes in addition to Clemson and Notre Dame in the coming months. The 5-foot-11 safety also competes in track and recently improved his 100M time from a 11.9 to a 10.8.
“I stumbled and still rank a 10.9, so you can’t beat that.” Solomon said.
