The popular 247Sports “Crystal Ball” feature still tracks that 86 percent of the analysts felt that 4-star QB Carson Beck was going to choose Florida.
There are five predictions for 4-star DT Warren Brinson, too. The Gators have 80 percent of those picks.
Go ahead and lump in the fact that 50 percent of those same crystal balls have 4-star OT Josh Braun picking a college career in Gainesville, too.
There’s one thing all of those predictions have in common: Every one of those Florida natives is committed to Georgia. The strength of those seems to be rather stout, too.
That trend for the 2020 cycle goes back to a sweet spot for Georgia recruiting in the 2020 cycle so far. There was a time back in the late winter and early spring where it seemed like Kirby Smart and his staff were busting the chops (maybe it should be chomps?) of the Gators on the recruiting trail on the regular.
Consider this:
- The Bulldogs have four commitments this cycle (out of 16) from the state of Georgia.
- Georgia has more pledges so far this cycle from Florida (5) than inside its own state.
- UGA also has five commitments from among the top 50 players in Florida this cycle. The Gators only have seven in that same lot.
- Kirby Smart’s program also has a higher-rated 2020 commitment from the state of Florida on the 247Sports Composite ratings (4-star WR Marcus Rosmey) than the highest-rated player the Gators have on the board from their own state, too.
But wait, there’s a little bit more. That goes beyond the edge in 247Sports Team Composite ratings, too. Georgia sits at No. 6 nationally despite just 16 public commitments. The Gators rank No. 14 overall despite having three more pledges so far in 2020.
There’s another trend worth sharing where it seemed like the UGA staff was just showing off in the Sunshine State.
The curious timing of a few Bulldog commits from 2020
Some of this stuff, it will read like somebody with a Georgia room made up. Or a family that already has their red-and-black RV parked in Amelia or Sea Island right now.
When Rosemy chose the Bulldogs over the in-state Gators back on June 20, it completed a circuit on the trail where it seemed like six of nine commitments had something to do with Georgia one-upping the Gators on the trail.
The sample size took place from March to June 20. Oddly, the Bulldogs have only picked up four public commitments (ATH Corey Wren, OL Chad Lindberg, RB Kendall Milton and C Sedrick Van Pran) since Rosemy chose UGA.
Check it out.
- Beck was the trendsetter back on March 3. The nation’s No. 5 pro-style QB prospect chose UGA after having Florida in his final group. It was even circulated in the recruiting industry the Gators were his perceived leader, but Beck was not aware of how that came about. The 4-star QB was even at one time committed to playing baseball for the Gators.
- Elite Texas CB Jalen Kimber took an unofficial visit to Florida for its spring game weekend on April 13. He committed to Georgia on April 17. Kimber was at G-Day on his only official on April 20.
- Jalen Carter, a 4-star DT, named a final group of Alabama, Clemson and Georgia on May 19. Carter is still rated by 247Sports as the No. 2 player in Florida for 2020. He chose the Bulldogs on May 20. The Gators didn’t even make his final group.
- Brinson, a one-time UGA commit, announced a final two of Florida and Georgia on May 31. The Savannah native plays for IMG Academy in Florida. He chose the Bulldogs the very next day.
- Braun was seen by many as Florida’s top target at tackle for 2020. He had a final three which included Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. His father, Mike, coaches high school football in Florida. His Dad even grew up a Gator fan. Braun still chose to be Georgia’s third tackle in the class on June 20.
Rosemy also gave several interviews after his official visit to Gainesville earlier back in June which summarized that he was down to Florida and Georgia.
He’s the highest-rated receiver in Florida for this cycle. As stated earlier, the nation’s No. 5 WR would be the top-rated recruit for Mullen in the 2020 class if he had chosen the Gators.
Remember the subtle and not-so-subtle jabs from Florida coach Dan Mullen this spring?
There was the talk of transfers, pulp fiction spring game attendance and now almost everything Mullen says these days gets analyzed for hidden meaning.
It sure reads like UGA has done its talking on the recruiting trail so far in 2000.
When looking at the classes for each program so far in 2020, a few more bullet points jump out.
- Gervon Dexter is Florida’s marquee recruit for this cycle. That nation’s No. 5 DT prospect is a tremendous player. He rates as the nation’s No. 46 overall. That’s somebody the Bulldogs would still like to flip in the 2020 class. He was being recruited by the Bulldog commitments when everyone was together at the Opening finals out in Texas back in July.
- Yet with that, it seems the Gators have stabilized his pledge. The only real way the Bulldogs were going to flip him would have been if Florida had a disappointing 2019. That hasn’t been the case. Mullen’s program will enter this week’s tilt in Jacksonville as the higher-ranked team.
- Florida only has three commitments from among the nation’s top 125 prospects. The Bulldogs currently have eight pledges from this cycle which rate that highly.