2013 Recruiting Discussion Thread

[Elite]

Let's get it started.

Texas was waiting on a big decision from a top 2013 target today. Turns out a bigger one beat him to the punch.

Whitewright quarterback Tyrone Swoopes has committed to Texas. The top junior recruit confirmed his decision in a text message to HornsNation.

The 6-foot-5, 220-pound dual-threat quarterback is one of the state of Texas' best junior recruits and arguably one of the best junior signal callers in the country.

Swoopes picked Texas over TCU, Baylor and Oklahoma but also had offers from the likes of Alabama, Auburn, Ohio State, Oregon, Stanford, Notre Dame and many others.

In an interview with HornsNation on Wedneday, Swoopes cited his relationship with co-offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin as key factor is his preference for Texas.

"Every time I talk to him he's asking about the family, how's basketball going, how life is going in general," Swoopes said. "Some of the other coaches, all they care about is the football part of it. He's kind of different from everybody else."

Texas was almost always the leader for Swoopes' commitment, and he grew up a Longhorns fan. But Mack Brown and Harsin made it clear he was their No. 1 priority this spring, and they urged Texas' other commits to help them land Swoopes's pledge.

The full-court press paid off. Swoopes had originally planned to make a decision in a few weeks once basketball season was over. Instead, he got it done this morning and gave Texas its fourth commits and third in the past three days.

More could be on the way, too, as Sealy receiver Ricky Seals-Jones could make a decision by the end of the day between Texas and LSU.

 

[elcheato]

OSU's got two guys in the top 30 on rivals and both are CBs. One is 6'1, the other is 6'2. Some big ass corners, although Burrows might end up as a Safety in the future.

 

[Hurricane Season]

I don't know much about the 2013 class yet.

Stacey Coley and Jordan Cunningham are both legit... that's about all I know.

Also, Kevin Olsen is Greg's brother, and hopefully has the Canes pretty high on his list. He's one of the better QB prospects.

 

[Elite]

Kelvin Taylor to Florida

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida's junior day got started with an early bang on Saturday, as the Gators secured a verbal commitment from five-star running back and Florida legacy Kelvin Taylor (Belle Glades, Fla./Glades Day).

Taylor, who surpassed Emmitt Smith as the all-time leading rusher in the state of Florida this past season with 9,698 yards, said Florida is where he feels best.

"They just have a great program and great coaching staff. I feel so comfortable around their coaching staff," Taylor said. "It's closer to home and they have great tradition."

Originally, Taylor was planning to wait until national signing day to make his decision, but after careful consideration he decided to end the process early.

"I just wanted to go ahead and get it out of the way," Taylor said. "I felt more comfortable at Florida, and I wanted to focus more on my high school career, so I just wanted to get it done with. I also want to enroll in January, so that's another reason I decided to make the decision early."

Kelvin's father, Fred Taylor, was an All-American at Florida, leading some to believe Florida had the inside track on Kelvin's recruitment from the beginning. Kelvin said that wasn't the case.

"It was really close between Alabama and Florida," he said. "The more I kept going up there to visit Bama and UF, I just felt more at home at UF with the coaching staff. They are great guys, and I felt like I was part of the family. It was the same at Bama. I really liked it there, but the UF coaching staff is a really great group of guys, and UF has a great academic program also."

Taylor said his dad never pushed him to go to Florida.

"My dad has been great help," he said. "He just told me to pick the best school and pick the school that I love. He just told me to stay focused and keep working hard and everything else will come. But he and my mom and family have all been a great help through the process."

The elder Taylor said he wanted to help guide his son, but ultimately it was Kelvin's decision, and he would be the one spending the next few years at whichever college he chose.

"In all actuality, it wasn't forced on me and when I look at it, I go, man, I don't want to just make his decision for him, then he gets to a certain place and he's miserable for those four, five years and then we're having a problem," Fred said. "I want him to be able to make his decision and go through it and deal with it and learn from it. You have to really be able to make a decision and live with it and learn from it whether it's good or bad. That's my whole viewpoint on it at all -- stay back and let him decide."

In addition to Kelvin Taylor, the Gators have another running back commitment from four-star back Adam Lane (Winter Haven, Fla./Winter Haven). Taylor thinks Florida probably won't take another back in this recruiting class.

"I think probably after me, they aren't going to get anymore running backs," Taylor said."I think."

Taylor is one of several top prospects attending Florida's junior day. He said he will be busy trying to get other players to join him next year.

"I'm going to try and recruit all of them," Taylor said. "We are going to try and get this program back up to a powerhouse, back like how it was in '97 and '08 in those years and try to win us a national championship when it's all over with."

ESPN

 

[OGGDESIGN]

Call me up when USC gets somebody. We free now, back to championship glory.

 

[Hurricane Season]

Ray Lewis' son committed to Miami today.

 

[Elite]

He's a RB right?