South Florida traditionally Miami's recruiting domain

<p>Like so many football-playing kids in south Florida, Major Wright grew up following the Miami Hurricanes and dreaming about one day playing for the U.</p><p>But, unlike most of the top prospects from the area, Wright did not follow his childhood dream. He went to Florida instead.</p><p>"I grew up a Hurricane fan, but I felt in my heart Florida was the best choice for me," said the sophomore free safety. "(When you're being recruited) you have to open your heart to every school and see what you like and don't like. You have to go with your heart and whoever you like. I liked Florida."</p><p>Clearly, Wright has been in the minority among elite prospects coming out of south Florida, and Miami in particular, over the past three decades. The kids who open their heart down there usually find the U.</p><p>This all started in 1979, when Howard Schnellenberger arrived at UM and proclaimed south Florida to be the state of Miami — the area where the Hurricanes would always have their recruiting focus. </p><p>Since then, it's been a tough pull getting the best prospects to leave. The Gators know. Despite UF's success in the 1990s, Steve Spurrier had trouble signing Miami prospects. Urban Meyer is experiencing the same thing now.</p><p>"That's kind of what I heard when I first got here," Meyer said. "It's like going into Tallahassee and beating (FSU) on a kid. It might happen once in a while. Kevin Carter and some other players came. Florida has also gotten some great players out of south Florida."</p><p>But they have been few and far between.</p><p>UF's last first-team All-SEC player from Miami was strong safety Lawrence Wright. The last all-conference pick from south Florida (Dade, Broward and Palm Beach County) was defensive tackle Ray McDonald (Belle Glade) in 2007.</p><p>On this season's Florida roster there are only two players from Miami — senior reserve defensive tackle Javier Estopinan and junior strong safety Dorian Munroe, who is out for the year with an injured knee. The Gators have seven other players from south Florida — Wright (Miramar), offensive lineman Marcus Gilbert (Fort Lauderdale), cornerback Moses Jenkins (Coral Springs), wide receiver Deonte Thompson (Belle Glade), cornerback Janoris Jenkins (Pahokee), wide receiver Frankie Hammond Jr. (Hallandale) and place-kicker Jonathan Phillips (Wellington).</p><p>It's a minimal Miami and south Florida presence.</p><p>The U is the reason.</p><p>"Just growing up in Miami, you look at a lot of those guys and that's their whole life," said defensive coordinator Charlie Strong, going into his 12th season as a UF assistant. "They're always hearing about the University of Miami. They're right there.</p><p>"Plus, (UM coach) Randy Shannon's relationship with all the high school coaches. A lot of those guys in that area he went to school with, so they know who he is. And, (prospects) may look at here as six hours away when they can go 20 minutes across the street to Miami."</p><p>The Gators certainly haven't given up on Miami and south Florida. They now have two assistants (wide receiver coach Billy Gonzales and cornerbacks coach Vance Bedford) actively recruiting the area. "They're doing a good job down there," Strong said.</p><p>But it's a tough sell.</p><p>"Obviously, (Miami) is the hometown university," said Estopinan, who went to South Miami High. "It's not hard to go to a good program, and Miami is a good program. They've struggled the last few years, but that's not going to keep on happening."</p><p>Estopinan is one of the few Miami prospects to turn down the U for UF.</p><p>"It was my decision," he said. "My high school coach (Joe Mira) played at the U, but it was ultimately my decision. Florida is where I felt most comfortable."</p><p>There have been others. Meyer and his staff have had some recent recruiting success in south Florida, reeling in a handful of big-time prospects, including Wright, Gilbert and Thompson. The Gators had to fend off the Hurricanes for those three.</p><p>"Miami is right there and they're pretty close down there," Gilbert said. "It's like a big family down there. I felt a strong pull to go there. If I hadn't made the decision to come here, I would have gone to Miami. This is the place I felt the most comfortable with."</p><p>Signing Thompson two years ago was big, but he grew up a Gator fan. "A lot of people (in Belle Glade) grew up Miami fans," he said. "But I grew up a Florida fan."</p><p>The real recruiting coup was signing Wright, who was a huge Hurricane fan growing up.</p><p>"(UM All-America safety) Sean Taylor was my idol growing up," Wright said. "I remember watching him in a few games."</p><p>When Wright emerged as an elite prospect in his junior season at Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas, many assumed he would sign with his childhood favorite. But Wright also took a serious look at Florida and other schools and eventually decided he wanted to be a Gator.</p><p>"My mom was a big role model for me," Wright said. "She told me you have to go with your heart."</p><p>Meyer gave a big thank-you to mom earlier this week.</p><p>"His mom is a very intelligent gal, and she wanted him in a very safe environment and she loved Florida. I could tell when I met her," Meyer said. "She was very involved. She's very well-educated and she understands the quality of a University of Florida degree. We had a lot of discussions."</p><p>Wright is the exception — an elite prospect from south Florida who picked the Gators over the Hurricanes.</p><p>He's the most recent proof that it can happen.</p>