What Florida recruits are saying about fans, the Big Three and more
Rivals.com Florida analyst Rob Cassidy recently wrapped up a weeklong tour of the Sunshine State that featured stops at more than 10 schools and events. Along the way, he surveyed prospects about the state’s Power Five programs and how the global pandemic had affected their recruitment. The responses to said questions can be found below.
RELATED: Recruiting updates from a tour of the Sunshine State
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CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
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Which in-state school seems the most stable?
THE ANSWER: Florida
WHY: “You can just feel it when you talk to Coach Torrian [Gray]. They have looked good and you can just tell the coaches know what they are talking about -- especially Coach Torrian.” -- Three-star safety Jy'vonte McClendon
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THE ANSWER: Miami or Florida
WHY: “It’s definitely one of those two. I pay attention to recruiting and they both are doing really well. Maybe I’ll give the edge to Florida because I see the players getting. It’s out of them two for sure, though. -- Three-star cornerback Nasir Bowers
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THE ANSWER: Miami
WHY: “I know people will say Florida, but I’m going to say Miami. They are looking good right now and they have a lot of good players. I think people are about to see how successful they’ll be.” -- Three-star defensive end Richard Thomas
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THE ANSWER: Florida
WHY: “They have the best record and a good reputation. It’s just because of stuff like that.” -- Rivals100 defensive lineman Gabe Dindy
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THE ANSWER: Florida
WHY: “They have it going right now. It’s hard to say anyone else. They make it feel like home for us recruits.” -- Elite 2023 ATH Lewis Carter
Which in-state school has the best fans?
THE ANSWER: Florida
WHY: “Those people are loud. It’s different there. You can tell that even on TV. It’s just a loud bunch of people.” -- McClendon
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THE ANSWER: Miami
“Miami’s stadium is hyped and the fans you meet or even see online, they’re hyped too. All the people in Miami are kinda hyped like that.” -- Carter
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THE ANSWER: Miami
“The Miami fans bring a different energy than the others. It’s hard to explain, but it’s different.” -- Rivals100 defensive end Shemar Stewart
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THE ANSWER: Florida
WHY: “When you see videos of the Swamp it’s incredible. I saw one play against Auburn. Somebody was recording from their phone and when the running back broke a run, the whole stadium and the phone was shaking. I really want to see it for myself.” -- Bowers
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THE ANSWER: Florida
WHY: “It just seems crazy up there at the games and all that. I haven’t really interacted with a lot of them yet, though.” -- Thomas
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THE ANSWER: Florida
“ I was at the Florida-Auburn game and it was one of the craziest things I’ve ever seen. That place gets nuts.” -- Dindy
Which of the Big Three's coaches will be there the longest?
THE ANSWER: Manny Diaz
WHY: “I just have a feeling about him and Miami. They seem like they are going to be good now.” -- Carter
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THE ANSWER: Dan Mullen
WHY: “He’s got it going there and he’s a cool dude, so I don;t think he’s leaving. He’s a real cool dude.” -- McClendon
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THE ANSWER: Diaz
WHY: “It’s definitely Manny. He’s doing a great job. The program is getting all the talent now. He does a good job and it’s showing.” -- Stewart
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THE ANSWER: Mullen
WHY: “They are stable enough. The most they lose is, like, three games. It doesn’t seem like anything is going to go wrong there for a long time.” -- Bowers
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THE ANSWER: Diaz
WHY: :He’s a great coach and you can tell how much he knows. When I took my visit you could tell he’s getting things right at Miami. He’s going to be there a long time.” -- Thomas
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THE ANSWER: Mullen
WHY: “The other two guys are kind of new and have work to do to turn the programs around. Coach Mullen is already winning, so I’ll say him until I see more from the other guys.” - Dindy
How will Big Ten and Pac-12's decision to not play this fall affect recruits' perceptions of those leagues?
“I was actually hurt when they cancelled. I’m originally from Chicago, so Big Ten football is everything to me. We enjoy watching that as a family. It doesn’t hurt them with me, but I think it will hurt them with other kids. If the other recruits can’t watch them, they might not think about those schools as much.” -- Elite 2023 prospect Payton Kirkland
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“It’s not going to bother me. Nebraska is still one of my top schools and I know I like them. They’re going to find a vaccine soon so it’ll be fine. I’m not worried about that.” -- Bowers
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“I’m not really looking at those schools anyway. If they thought it was necessary, it was necessary. It really just depends on how the cases are up there, so I get it. It doesn’t change how I think about those leagues.” -- Dindy
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“Once I saw them cancel, I really thought college football would cancel. It doesn’t change how I think of the leagues or anything, but I was scared the whole season was over. I still think the other leagues will play but just not as many games.” -- Florida State running back commit Cedric Baxter
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“It’s hard to play in this, so I understand it. I’m really only looking at Ohio State and I don’t think them playing will affect how I think about them that much -- not really.” -- Stewart
How has COVID-19 impacted your recruitment the most?
“It slowed it down a lot in the way that I would have a better idea where I maybe wanted to go right now. You have to see these places to know if you like them or not. You can’t ever really know based on just talking to somebody, so I’m not going to be one of those guys that just hurries up and makes a commitment until I can visit more places. I really need to see Oklahoma and Clemson.” -- Dindy
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“I’m young so it hasn’t been that bad to me, but it definitely hurt a little. Like, at first, I felt like it was jeopardizing my recruitment because there was no spring ball. Now I feel better, though, with everything started back up. Now, going into my sophomore year, I have 31 offers, so everything got better.” -- Kirkland
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“I mean, it cancelled a bunch of my visits. That was the worst thing. So it hurt me from that standpoint. I was really upset about not visiting Georgia or Ohio State. I still want to get to those schools.” -- Stewart