National Signing Day has become a
certified “thing”. Heck it even has it’s own hastag, #NSD16 or
#NationalSigningDay. I’m sure most teams have their own version like #16ATORS
from Coach McElwain.
High school phenoms who have
matured faster than their peers or possess more talent, or maybe have worked
harder than the others hold fan bases at bay as they go on ESPN to tease with
elaborate stage productions in front of cheering friends and potential entourage
members as they tell us who they will grace with their talent for the next
three years. Because we all know if you have a presser there’s no way you’re
going to stay for four years and graduate before you bounce to the NFL and the
money!
Since so many people ask me what I
think about the Gator’s signing class each year and my response usually
startles them when I say I really don’t care, I thought I’d take a chance to
elaborate on why I don’t get caught up in NSD. Now, I love College Football and
I’m passionate about Gator football in particular and the SEC in general. Just
check back with me in August if you doubt.
Let’s take a look at the 2012. The
Gators had the #3 Athlon ranked class and the #4 ranked class by ESPN. They
signed 23 players in that class with 6 early enrollees. The four years for that
class has expired in terms of football years. Here’s the breakdown for that
class.
4 players left last year for the
NFL draft. D. J. Humphries, Dante Fowler and Matt Jones were drafted and made
the rosters of NFL teams after their Junior season. Damien Jacobs left early,
was a free agent signee for the Bills and was cut by the team. If the goal of a
player as it is for most is to get to the NFL then three out of the four
reached their dream and even Jacobs got the shot that most only dream about.
9 players from that class
transferred. Some went the Juco route, some to other universities. I didn’t
bother to look up all of them so it’s hard to say how many of them will be
drafted this year. That’s 39% of the
class that transferred out. The change in coaching staff certainly had
something to do with that, but truthfully you’d have to be a hardcore Gator
football junkie to be able to name fore than three of the transfers. Try it
without google and see if you succeed.
That leaves 10 players left on the
roster this past fall for their fourth year on campus. 6 of them were
Red-shirted at some point in their career.
4 of them will return for their redshirt senior seasons this fall and at
least two of them will see significant time in Bryan Cox and Marcus Maye.
Austin Hardin likely will only kick off if he maintains that job unless the
unproven Pineiro can’t handle the pressure. The other returner, Raphael
Andrades was not heavily counted on last season and shouldn’t expect more this
season. Alex McCalister is trying his luck in the draft after injuries slowed
him last year and Jeremi Powell is leaving football and moving on with life.
The four that completed their
eligibility all were significant contributors the last couple of years. Antonio
Morrison, Latroy Pittman, Brian Poole, and Jonathan Bullard will be missed. But
that means that only 17% of that class finished in four years and only 26% of
that class contributed significant time in their fourth year of eligibility counting
those who red shirted.
