It’s safe to say that Jim McElwain’s first Friday Night Lights was a success.
The night kicked off with a commitment from Quincy Lenton, a defensive back from Meridian, MS. But as you can probably guess from the beginning of that last sentence, and the title of this article, that was just the beginning. Mere minutes later, big play wide receiver DaQuon Green joined him in declaring his intentions to be a Gator. The Gators then pulled the hat trick by landing a commitment from offensive lineman Brett Heggie.
And then Saturday morning, prized linebacker commit Jeremiah Moon (Hoover, AL) committed to Florida to make it four for the weekend. Moon’s offer list includes Alabama, Georgia, Wisconsin, South Carolina, Mississippi, Auburn, USC, Mississippi State and Louisville. The weekend was capped off with a commitment from QB Kyle Trask. I’m not sure Trask will ever see the field, to be honest, but if nothing else, he helps provide depth at a position in which Florida has struggled with mightily since the departure of Tim Tebow.
Lenton, Green, Heggie and Moon could have potential impacts on the Gators right away. Lenton will get to campus next fall, when Vernon Hargreaves and Brian Poole are gone, so there will certainly be a spot for him to compete for. DaQuon Green is a year younger, but hey, you can never have too many playmaking wide receivers- especially when Florida hasn’t really had one since the departure of Riley Cooper after the 2010 Sugar Bowl. Moon gives Florida a speedy, smart linebacker who can play both outside and inside. And as for Heggie… well, take a look at Florida’s offensive line right now and tell me he wouldn’t be welcome to audition for a starting spot when he arrives next year.
Florida almost got a commitment from Moon last night. He went upstairs to talk to the coaches, and came back down a little while later saying that he hadn’t committed. But defensive coordinator Geoff Collins walked him out of the building and they seemed to be getting along great, so it was plausible to think that he would pull the trigger soon enough. And he did.
So yeah, not a bad weekend for Jim McElwain and his staff.
I’m planning on doing a piece with Jake Allen next week recapping the actual drills and recruits’ performance at the camp, so I’ll hold off on analysis for now. But one more thing I do think is worth mentioning: when the defensive backs broke their huddle, they did so by screaming, “DBU!”
