MORE FROM RCS TAMPA: Prospects that earned their stripes
LAKELAND, Fla – The Florida swing of the Rivals Camp Series presented by adidas is officially over. The Rivals 3 Stripe Camp presented by adidas in Central Florida took place on Sunday afternoon, and the chatter about college teams was as tangible as the talent on the field. Below, Rivals has a look at five of the most buzzed-about teams at the event.
FLORIDA
It’s not surprising that Florida was one of the most talked about teams at the camp on Sunday. The Gators had three commits participate in defensive linemen Gervon Dexter, Morven Joseph and 2021 offensive lineman George Jackson. Dexter was very impressive but there were some other defensive linemen that are very high on Florida. Top targets Chantz Williams and Jalen Rivers both won MVP awards at their respective positions and the Gators are considered one of the favorites to land both of their commitments. Five-star Damarkcus Bowman is one of Florida’s top targets but the Gators are battling Clemson for his commitment.
FLORIDA STATE
Willie Taggart is working on rebounding from somewhat disappointing 2019 recruiting class. The Seminoles are in the mix for many of the top prospects from the camp on Sunday and a few said Florida State is their leader. Zane Herring, Jayson McCluster, Kendall Dennis and Marcus Clarke all said their top school is Florida State. Seminoles commit Stephen Dix won the MVP award for linebackers and earned an invitation to the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge presented by adidas. Top in-state targets Chantz Williams and Jalen Rivers spoke very highly of Florida State’s coaching staff. Defensive lineman Josh Griffis and Kentucky offensive line commit Richie Leonard are going to visit Florida State for their spring game. Rivals250 wide receiver Michael Redding will visit Tallahassee in the near future.
GEORGIA
Georgia remains in the mix for five-star running back Demarkcus Bowman. And while the Bulldogs trail both Florida and Clemson as things stand, the buzz about Kirby Smart’s program at Sunday’s camp when beyond just one player. Oregon commit Avantae Williams recently visited Georgia and is now high on UGA, signing the programs praises without prompt. Defensive end Chantz Williams, who took home MVP honors, has Georgia in his top five and continues to speak highly of the program. William’s teammate Jalen Rivers also spoke about UGA, as the two seem like package deal.
MIAMI
The Hurricanes are in the mix for a number of players that had nice days at the camp. Miami remains on mind of both offensive lineman Jalen Rivers and defensive lineman Chantz Williams, who both won positional MVP honors. The Hurricanes are also a major player for Kentucky commit Richie Leonard, who will visit Coral Gables on March 21. Alabama commit Jahquez Robinson also mentioned the Hurricanes on Sunday, saying Manny Diaz’s program remains in the running for his letter of intent. Robinson, who grew up a Miami fan, hopes to visit the school in the coming months.
UCF
With the camp just about an hour away from UCF’s campus, the Knights were on the mind of several prospects during the camp’s media availability. Three-star offensive lineman Zane Herring listed the Knights in his top five programs and said the Knights continue to impress with their recruiting approach. He backed that up with a steady and consistent performance on the field, showing why he’s a priority for the school. The same can be said for recent UCF quarterback offer Chayil Garnett, who nearly replicated his MVP performance from 2018. The Knights appear to be in the driver’s seat to land his commitment, with rival USF posing the biggest threat at this point. Class of 2020 wide receiver Kaleb Long also spoke highly of the Knights, as did 2021 receiver Charles Montgomery. The Knights have built their program on quality in-state talent and it appears that trend will continue in the years to come if Sunday’s camp is any indication.
