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Nelson Agholor will reportedly reschedule his visit to Florida after Charlie Weis' abrupt departure to Kansas.
While many Gator fans were happy to see him go, the departure of Charlie Weis cast a cloud of uncertainty over Florida's recruiting on the offensive side of the ball. With many top recruits scheduled to visit last weekend, I wondered if they might reschedule. Consider the cloud lifted, as UF hosted a solid recruiting weekend even without its offensive coordinator.
Athlete Josh Harvey-Clemons enjoyed his visit to Florida, ESPN reports:
"It was good, very good," Harvey-Clemons said. "That’s a school where I can get some great playing time. They are losing some players. I love the staff. It’s a great defensive staff. I had a good time with all the players and the coaches. Everyone seems so genuine all around there. And they want to win, and Florida is going to get the players to win."
Out of Lowndes (Ga.) High, Harvey-Clemsons can play receiver, safety or linebacker. UF is looking at him on the defensive side of the football. He'll need a red-shirt season to add bulk (200 pounds soaking wet), but should be a star on special teams early in his career.
Florida has a huge need for defensive linemen, and while having the first visit is often a disadvantage, it seems the Gators did well with Darius Hamilton:
@JoshHelmholdt
Josh Helmholdt Darius Hamilton was very high on his #Florida official. His first one of the process.
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Hamilton is out of New Jersey, and Rutgers is thought to lead for his services. UF has a tough pull here.
And by the way, despite reports to the contrary, supserstar athlete Nelson Agholor did make it to Gainesville:
@NelsonAgh3
Nelson Agholor Going to dinner at coach muschamp house, me and money mike #feast
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It appears Agholor reconsidered his decision to reschedule his visit. I'm not sure who "money mike" is.
And something that'll make UF fans really smile: JUCO nose guard Junior Salt (Utah) is scheduled to visit soon. Salt is 6'4" and 340 pounds. UF needs beef in the middle, and JUCO prospects typically don't waste time with cross-country trips to schools in which they are disinterested. This one is worth watching, as many believe it's UF or Cal for Salt.
For more on Florida Gators recruiting, turn to Alligator Army.
Charlie Weis' timing was really quite poor for the Florida Gators. After a poor offensive showing in his only year with Florida, Weis abruptly quit and took the Kansas head coaching job. And he did so less than 36 hours before Florida was set to host one of, if not the biggest recruiting weekends it will have in the 2011-2012 recruiting cycle.
Questions immediately arose regarding how Florida would handle the recruiting weekend without its offensive coordinator, perhaps without its offensive line coach, and with the rest of the offensive staff in limbo:
It could be a hugely detrimental move on Weis' part given that Florida has a big list of offensive recruits visiting campus this weekend. Specifically, No. 1-rated athlete Nelson Agholor (Tampa, FL) is scheduled to visit UF, where he is believed to be leaning. Agholor wants to play receiver at the next level. Without an offensive coordinator, it will be difficult for UF to showcase how it plans to use Agholor. And none of the offensive assistants can be sure that they will be at UF next year, either.
As for Agholor, he appears to be conflicted:
@NelsonAgh3
Nelson Agholor Really don't know what to say right now
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And Derek Tyson, of ESPN, has the scoop on the visit:
@DerekTysonESPN
Derek Tyson Hearing four-star WR Nelson Agholor may not take his official visit to Florida tomorrow after learning about the Weis news.
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It's not known what the other major recruits plan to do.
I imagine Florida will try to persuade most of the offensive recruits to reschedule. This shouldn't affect the defensive recruits.
For more on Florida Gators recruiting, head to Alligator Army
Nelson Agholor Commits To USC Over Florida, FSU, Others
Nelson Agholor, one of the top athletes in the country, has committed to the USC Trojans. Agholor stars for Berkley Prep, a tiny school in Tampa. It's unusual to see a prospect this talented stay in the lower classifications of high school football, as most elect to transfer to a higher level of competition. But Agholor liked Berkley prep, received a great education and became a star anyway. He's a true student athlete, and Lane Kiffin is very fortunate to land him.
Agholor claimed offers from over 40 schools, and there is no reason to doubt him.
Here he is on ESPNU, becoming the latest to eschew props other than a Trojans hat:
Agholor is a solid 6'1" and 185 pounds. His 4.4 40-yard time should not be doubted. The services (247, Rivals, Scout and ESPN) are universal in their praise, awarding Agholor a rating of five or very close to five stars.
USC is getting a special playmaker. Some see Agholor on defense, but any team using Agholor in a way that denies him the ball in his hands is foolish. Agholor is both fast and quick. He's explosive and easily beats the poor competition he plays in high school. And of course, he can make people miss. That trait should make him a top return man as well.
Agholor will need to adjust to a higher level of competition and add some weight to his frame.
For more on the parties involved, visit Florida blog Alligator Army, Florida State blog Tomahawk Nation, USC blog Conquest Chronicles, Notre Dame blog One Foot Down and Oklahoma blog Crimson and Cream Machine.
Follow @SBNRecruiting on Twitter.
Feb 01 12:17p by Bud Elliott - 1 comment