Gators 2019 class loses two commitments simultaneously

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Florida’s 2019 class suffered a pair of de-commitments in the span of 60 seconds Tuesday.

Tyrique Stevenson and Frank Ladson, Jr., a pair of prospects from South Dade High who committed to Jim McElwain’s coaching staff, each stated their intention to de-commit from UF via their respective Twitter accounts.

The departures of Ladson, a wide receiver, and Stevenson, a defensive back, leave the Gators and coach Dan Mullen with eight verbal commitments in the 2019 class.

35 COMMENTS

  1. Mullen better hurry up and seal the deal with Matt Corral with a in-home visit ASAP before he goes somewhere else. I’m reading a plethora of reports that DM hasn’t met with the 5* QB yet and he’s not 100% until he does….Why?

    • John, it’s great to be loyal to a school, but if the recruit doesn’t think his skill set fits the new coach’s system, he’s probably right to de-commit. Look at what happened to John Brantley when he flipped from Texas to UF. His skill set didn’t match Meyer’s spread option offense, and what looked like a promising college career ended in disaster. He’d have been much better off to stay at Texas or flip to SC and Spurrier. There’s no reason to struggle in system that doesn’t fit you simply out of loyalty to the school, when you may have the chance to flourish somewhere else.

    • Pathetic, dysfunctional, and insane up there in Knoxville. Glad to see, tho, that Phil Fulmer somehow got himself back into the mix and at least brought back sanity in fairly short order. Time will tell, of course, but I think they’ve got a good one now. May sound strange for a Gator to say this, but I for one would like to see the Vols back on their feet….we’re better when they’re better, and anything that gets the SEC-East shed of this reputation currently hung on it is good for all of us.

  2. Relax! The 2019 recruits still have a year and a half of High School left! Why commitments look good on paper, they can’t even sign a LOI for 12 more months. Mullen will recruit fine. But changing staffs always causes some recruits to leave. Just a fact of the business.

  3. Not worried about 2019. We need players now. Concerned that 2018 recruits are dropping and we’ve only got 1 interested in committing. This could be an ugly early signing period with the way things are looking. People have speculated that we are upgrading but I think most of that is hogwash. You don’t usually upgrade with new recruits on a transition class. The best course of action is too keep what you have and try to add to it. Not sure that’s happening here. You can’t coach up an empty shirt. Saban would be signing 35 players this year while taking grey shirts and all.

  4. You see the kind of kids that Mac and Shannon were recruiting the last few years….nothing but trouble. That’s part of the reason we are in this mess. It will be much much better when DM gets the right players to come to UF.

  5. We will all recognize soon that Mullen was the wrong choice to lead the Gators in the future. One of his downsides is he can not recruit. Second, bringing his MS staff with him. He should have kept Randy Shannon as he can coach and recruit. Loosing several recruits already and more to come.

    • All the damn time, Hussein. Mullen will do the same in some instances as well, I’m sure. Probably balances out somewhere along the line, I’ll be damned if I know where, but truth is that some already recruited by the previous coach do not really fit in the new coach’s system anyway.

  6. What’s with the “please respect my decision” and “no interviews please”? You’re in high school, you’re not a star. With egos like that the fall from their self-appointed pedestal is even greater. Good luck to each of them whether they attend UF or somewhere else, but lose the ego.

  7. No wonder we have a coaching carousel at UF…all these arm chair cats bashing kids for making changes due to not knowing the new staff…and simply opening up their options. To the recruits that may read the comment section…many of us have sense and understanding. Please disregard these cats…all fan bases have them. Mullen just got here and he’s being devalued as a recruiter…wow.