Will Muschamp repurposed what I think is a hoary metaphor about shaving ("______ is kind of like shaving: If you don't do it every day, you're gonna look ______") to refer to Florida's recruiting efforts last May. Given the work he's doing to shore up Florida's Class of 2013 one day after National Signing Day 2012, I'd say he lives by it, too: Tallahassee Lincoln prospect James Hearns has committed to Florida, as first reported by Gator Country's Andrew Spivey bringing the Gators' Class of 2013 to four names.
Hearns stands 6'3" and weighs 237 pounds, and is considered one of the finest linebacker prospects in Florida for 2013 — Daniel McMillian is be one of the few players who is rated better — and should be a four-star prospect when those lazy recruiting services move on from the ancient history that was the 2012 recruiting cycle and put together their 2013 rankings. Hearns could also help open up a valuable pipeline to Lincoln, a traditional Florida high school power in Florida State's backyard that is home to a couple more excellent 2013 players. (Gators great Jacquez Green being Lincoln's offensive coordinator probably helps, too.)
Hearns joins McMillian, Adam Lane, and Caleb Brantley in Florida's Class of 2013. Tell me, Gators fans: Does this soothe the sting of a disappointing National Signing Day?
0 recs | 15 comments
Let’s go 2013!
DCGator - February 2, 2012 via mobile
While we're raiding Lincoln High...
can someone check to see if Jacquez Green has any eligibility left?
Ghost of the Purple Porpoise - February 2, 2012
Welcome aboard James!
Gatorbuc15 - February 2, 2012
Trust in big Will and Brent to continue to bring in the best. It’s only a matter.of time until we rise up again. Welcome all to the Gators nation. I’m just pumped.we have a running back who can pound it in there and is over 190lbs. Go Matt Jones!!
nygatorfan - February 2, 2012
Love it!
Lincoln High c/o 2005 here. We pumped out some big-time names in the early-to-mid 2000s, glad to see more Trojans looking to become Gators.
doker - February 2, 2012
Why does everyone keep saying this? More importantly, what am I missing here? I mean, I get that we didn’t make a “big splash” but we did get two nice recruits who weren’t committed prior to NSD in Fowler and Andrades and didn’t lose a single player who was committed to us.
Should we have gotten a few more players on offense? Probably. But the consensus No. 3 class in the country is nothing to be disappointed in.
FlaGators - February 2, 2012
I feel like the rankings are hollow and not very exciting.
I mean, I know we got a lot of great players, and our class is excellent on paper in a vacuum. But I watched this team last year and I saw how great our D already is and how desperately we need good players on offense. In terms of needs being met, I was definitely not placated.
doker - February 2, 2012
Our defense was good, but it’s not good enough to beat Alabama or LSU at the moment. Maybe even a few others. So it needed some extra pieces.
FlaGators - February 2, 2012
What we needed more than playmakers was an offensive line and we did that, and depth on the defensive front, and we did that. We have decent play makers on the roster already and pittman is good too. This was a successful class imo.
RNappy20 - February 3, 2012 via Android app
We got how many offensive linemen?
Like… two, right? Not convinced that’ll do it.
doker - February 4, 2012
everyone keeps saying that because the Gators were in the running for a slew of 5-star athletes who all left the Florida hat on the table at their respective press conferences. The two guys we did net on NSD were a flip (albeit a huge 5 star one) and an “off the radar” guy who wasn’t highly sought after.
Overall, the recruiting class is excellent, by everyone’s rankings. But NSD itself was a huge letdown. Not everyone realizes how huge it is to not LOSE any previously committed guys. I think the majority sentiment going into NSD was “if we get all or most of these 6 guys it will be the best class in the history of the NCAA, but I’d be happy with just a couple of them.”
Then we whiffed on all of them.
skigator93 - February 3, 2012
Yeah, but I mean to be disappointed … not so sure about that. If every NSD went like this, we’d be a Top 5 program every year.
FlaGators - February 3, 2012
or
we’d be like Texas … and have everyone wrapped up prior to NSD.
ECFIVESTER - February 3, 2012
Yup.
FlaGators - February 3, 2012
Still don't feel disappointed
so this just makes more happy.
ECFIVESTER - February 3, 2012
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