GatorCountry brings you a new podcast as we talk about the latest developments in Florida Gators recruiting.
Andrew Spivey and Nick de la Torre break down what’s going right and wrong for the Gators and how they can turn things around.
Andrew and Nick also dig into the expectations for the Gators under Dan Mullen after he has won 10 wins in back to back seasons.
TRANSCRIPT:
Andrew:                 What’s up, Gator Country? Your man, Andrew Spivey, here with Nicholas de la Torre. Nicholas, we’re back. We have a special podcast planned for tomorrow, and we were going to just do one, but the world’s on fire, if you haven’t heard. Everything in recruiting, and then Isaiah Walker, the early enrollee, decides to transfer. Florida football is burning down quickly.
Nick:                         I have a hard time, and I don’t get crazy about this stuff. It’s still a pretty big class right now. It’s also May. But I’m not blind to what’s happening, and I see that people are not happy. I don’t think Isaiah Walker transferring hurts you in 2020. I think Joshua Braun’s a better prospect, and one that’s certainly more ready to play right away. Not to diminish anything about Isaiah Walker. It was a big get for the class, but I thought kind of a project. I didn’t think he’d be a guy that would factor into the mix in 2020, even despite being an early enrollee. You had three early enrollees come to campus. Is it good? No. Is it the worst case scenario? I don’t think so.
Certainly, interesting for a kid that was committed to South Carolina for over a year, and then flips. Commits to Florida. Had some trouble tweets, to say the least, a couple weeks back. Now he decides to enter his name in the transfer portal, after being home in quarantine in Miami for a little over a month.
Andrew:                 I’ll say this. I don’t know what Isaiah’s dealing with mentally, if it’s anxiety, what it is, if it was just he was homesick from when he was in Gainesville or whatever it is. I’ve seen a lot of people bash the kid. I’ll say this. Isaiah Walker was one of the most respectful human beings that I’ve talked to in recruiting, was a great person, everything else. Before we talk football, let’s say for a person I hope he finds what he’s looking for. If it’s going to Miami, if it’s going to FIU, if it’s going to FAU, if it’s going to Miami Dade Junior College or whatever it is down there that Eddy Pineiro went to, I just hope he gets right from a mental standpoint and from a personal standpoint.
I think the biggest question mark for me, Nick, and I agree with you that Braun was probably first on the pecking order here, but it hurts depth wise. There’s no way around getting that this offensive line and offensive line recruiting under John Hevesy has been poor. It’s been very, very poor. The offensive line play last year was pretty much sickening, to be honest. I think while, yes, in the short term it’s not a big loss, in the long term it’s a pretty big loss. From a depth standpoint, you thought Isaiah Walker was going to be a future starter at tackle. That hurts.
Nick:                         Yeah. Looking at the 2021 class, right now you have George Jackson from Stone Mountain Georgia, Javonte Gardner from just down the road in Orlando, and then Hammond.
Andrew:                 Well, he’s not officially in the class yet, because he still has some academic stuff.
Nick:                         Yeah. He’s over at Independence Community College.
Andrew:                 Right. And he’s still not academically cleared to enroll.
Nick:                         So, two in the class right now, with a potential third coming up.
Andrew:                 Right.
Nick:                         You look at it. You’ve got four guys coming back this year, but how long will they be? We were talking about recruiting last year, and maybe even gave Florida a pass,