Score one for Randy Shannon.
The former Miami Hurricanes head coach walked right back down into South Florida and walked out with his first commitment from his old recruiting area of the new class. His name is Vosean Joseph, and he’s a linebacker from Miami’s Norland High School. It’s the second LB Shannon has imported from Norland High School (the first being Rayshad Jackson, a member of the 2015 recruiting class). Also, in what’s slightly less than a coincidence, Norland High School is where Randy Shannon went to high school.
If you believe the rankings system this early into the game- 350 days until National Signing Day- it’s a good, but not great, pickup. Joseph holds offers from Miami, Nebraska, Louisville, Oregon State and Cincinnati, and the consensus star ranking by his name is a three star recruit. None of the major recruiting sites- ESPNU, Rivals, 247- have even rated him. (He runs a 4.9 40 yard dash and stands 6’1 and 210, which is probably at least partially responsible for the lack of attention.)
But I don’t believe in the star system, at least not nearly this early. I’m still catching my breath from the mess we witnessed with Cece Jefferson on the most recent National Signing Day, and the stars beside a player’s name can change literally overnight once offers are received or once he commits somewhere.
Additionally, the Gators don’t need to sign five star linebackers; they merely need to sign linebackers. Once Antonio Morrison leaves for the NFL after the 2015 season, Florida will have just six linebackers on scholarship in 2016; four of those six will be seniors in 2016. So the Gators really aren’t in a position to be picky when choosing linebackers. They just need to get anybody they can at the LB position, and if they get the blue chippers, great; if not, oh well. But if nothing else, this is a good pickup for Randy Shannon because it got the ball rolling for the Class of 2016.