The Florida Gators have been having a difficult time, and their week off didn’t make things any easier. Loyal followers are left throwing up the white flag only to be met with the pathology of misdirected energy instead of being rewarded for waiting patiently for a week to be done and dusted.
At times, the challenging aspects of this competitive collegiate football landscape might have equal significance to the actual triumph. Hiring makes up the other half. It is not an option for coaches to focus on a gifted young man and then wait for him to enroll in their program.
Demetres, a former Florida Gator, promises South Florida native Samuel Jr., a four-star safety, is rumored to have left the Gators for Syracuse.
Samuel is a legacy player and the cousin of former Florida star Marcus Maye, so this decision is hurtful. Losing a player who has such a close connection to the program is troubling, especially in terms of recruiting, as it is crucial.
“This is a legacy kid,” says analyst Ali Peek of her channel A Peek Inside Florida Gators Football. He’s a native Gator and the cousin of Marcus Maye.
Making sure that Florida talent stays in the state is more about the big picture. Decommitment is the norm these days, even though Florida has always attempted—and in some cases failed—to keep its best players on the team. Peek underlined, “We have talked on this channel for the last year and a half about the importance of keeping kids in the State of Florida.”
These obligations must be met; doing so should be seen as a long-term investment as well as a means of maximizing present benefits.
When looking at Samuel’s recruitment history, almost all of them are categorized as non-performing. “This kid decided he was right the first time around and will return to Syracuse. He was originally committed to Syracuse and then committed to UF in July.” His back-and-forth movements give everyone much to discuss. It makes one wonder what the team’s future under Billy Napier’s Gators program holds.
