You could have had a Tennessee-Florida all-star game at UT’s indoor practice facility Friday.
You had current Vols running sprints and doing agility drills shortly after lunch. Later in the afternoon, high school football players were scheduled to hit the field for another UT summer camp.
And the campers wouldn’t all come from just down the street. In fact, 58 of them were expected to come from Florida, including 13 from Pahokee High School.
Yes, that Pahokee.
Last month, Pahokee High School principal Ariel Alejo demanded and received a public apology from UT first-year head coach Lane Kiffin for what he regarded as disparaging comments about the school and community during the recruiting process. After the apology, Pahokee vice-mayor Henry Crawford Jr. said Kiffin and his assistants were “welcome anytime.”
Obviously, Pahokee is just as welcome in Knoxville.
Nu’Keese Richardson of Pahokee beat the campers here. Richardson, who signed with UT in February, was easy to spot in shorts and no shirt as he worked out with the Vols veterans. He was the guy with the small but muscular arms and no waist. Suffice to say the 5-foot-8, 160-pound receiver won’t present an easy target for defenders.
Richardson could be more than a top prospect. In the best-case scenario for UT, he could be a trendsetter.
“Definitely,” Kiffin said in a telephone interview. “Anytime you get a great player from a great school, it can start a pipeline. The kids from his school come up here and see Nu’Keese working out and having fun — that’s how you create a pipeline.”
Florida has been a recruiting priority for Kiffin ever since he signed on with the Vols. That’s one of the reasons he hired former Auburn assistant coach Eddie Gran, who has been recruiting Florida his entire career. Those Florida connections follow him wherever he goes.
And they’re already paying off for the Vols.
“It’s so exciting to have so many top players in our camp from Florida,” Kiffin said.
There’s another Florida contingent from Treasure Coast that’s as big as Pahokee’s. Kiffin said he had never had a camp with so many out-of-state players from the same school.
Under NCAA rules, he can’t comment on individual players attending the camp. But Pahokee High School assistant head coach Johnathan Johnson welcomes the opportunity to talk about his players, who are finally getting the publicity they deserve, according to him.
“We’ve have at least 11 (Division I-A prospects),” he said in a telephone interview. “We’ve never had this much notoriety.
“We have a poor rural area. It’s easier to look over kids in that area. But lately, people have noticed that our athletes are going to college and graduating.”
They’re also going to the NFL. And that got Kiffin’s attention.
“It’s (UT’s) first time coming down,” Johnson said. “They don’t usually recruit our area.”
Their recruitment won’t be affected by the controversy stemming from Kiffin’s comments, according to Johnson.
“It was never (a problem) between Coach Kiffin and our staff,” Johnson said. “It was the administration that felt their toes were stepped on. They voiced their opinion.”
If Johnson is correct in his assessment of Richardson, that recruitment alone will be a huge plus for the Vols.
“He’s one of the toughest kids I have ever been around,” he said. “He knows the game backwards and forward. I’m looking for great things out of him.”
And, based on the camp attendance, the Vols are looking for great things from Pahokee.
Sports editor John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knoxnews.com.
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Comments » 70
panties4tebow writes:
Get them CLK!!!!
GO VOLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
pdhuff#552644 writes:
"They aren't good enuf for Fla, Urbane doesn't even have them on his radar, we select who we want without having camps", etc....
SEAL_9821 writes:
Great news. Go Get'm KIFF DADDY!!! The sun is shining on ROCKY TOP. GO VOLS
kiffownsfla writes:
Thats it get all them fla boys clk cleanem out down thier lol! GO VOLS
VOLnAthens writes:
Man, I was hoping they were going to replay the Florida and Ole Miss game from 2008.
txvolsfan writes:
Don't talk to trolls and they will go away!!!
I would really like to see Stones Kiffin reel in a QB
commit this weekend!!!
Great time on the hill!!!
kiffownsfla writes:
We will get scroggins baby zzz yall dond need him any way you got to many 5stars down thier. so we will let clk take that one to ok ? thought so lol. GO VOLS
kiffownsfla writes:
We will get scroggins baby zzz yall dont need him any way you got to many 5stars down thier. so we will let clk take that one to ok ? thought so lol. GO VOLS
99gator writes:
dude.....
i'm not a vol....
and i know about pdhuff.
even dupree knows pdhuff is all vol.
dupree might track you down for daring to call pd a troll.
you better come up with one of those jimmy swaggert apologies.
CLEMSONVOL716WASBANNED writes:
Funny, I was thinking that the 2009 games had not been played yet...I'm just sayin'
We put Coach Gran in
We took Nu'Keese out
Kiffin called SCUM a cheater
and the crocs's began to pout
We did the hokie Pahokee
and the VOLS began to shout
That's what it's all about.
teampenny#658108 writes:
That is funny, Go vols
FloridaDC writes:
While Tennessee is trying to make some sort of presence in Florida, the long arm of Urban Meyer is reeling em' in from all corners of the country!
Goodvol writes:
Having the Gators here says a lot. We evidently have your attention! I think we both know the Vols are going to be a thorn in your side very soon. Go ahead and admit it. Otherwise, you wouldn't be over here enjoying our hospitality.
GreenDevilVol writes:
More great news..CRYER-LIAR-MEYER has another theif to look after,er-uh bail out !!!!!
TommyJack writes:
PD is a troll??? Who knew? Bwahahaha...who is this clown?
GreenDevilVol writes:
Reel 'em in it wont do you any good because we have a great coach now not a passive panzy.
The Gator days are numbered,aint it a shame;CRYER-LIAR-MEYER on t.v. with teblow,drying each others tears,using the ole tounge'n cheek method !!!
GreenDevilVol writes:
Well then why dont you man up and go tell them to their faces PUNK !!! What I thought, dont have the hangings to do so bwhahahahahahahahaha !!!!!!!!
BigVolinCarolina writes:
It doesn't matter who's at your camp if you don't win on Saturdays.
That's all that matters--and staying out of trouble on/off the field.
GreenDevilVol writes:
POST OF THE YEAR !!!!!!!!
We will sing this first then ROCKY TOP ALL DAY AFTER THE GATOR BEATDOWN !!!!!!!
in gaynzvull/ beanheel cesspool
99gator writes:
to get at this article seriously.....
many of you have been hoping for miami and fsu to rise up and chop florida down to size....but, this actually works in tennessee's favor.
fact is, florida gets anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 of its players from out of state as they have a good deal of national appeal.
with fsu and miami in the toilet, that leaves a lot of room for tennessee, georgia, and a whole host of others to pick off a few here and there.
that scenario is true even if florida got every single kid in florida that they wanted.
but, we all know that tennessee got richardson and georgia got aaron murray and orson charles.
so, there is plenty to be had down there with fsu and miami where they are at.
florida can't get them all even if they won every single recruiting battle.
KingVol writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
smyrnavol writes:
wow... you didn't really say that did you? i just imagined it right?
panties4tebow writes:
Don't respond to the pantie wearing fl trolls and they will go change their panties to get their kicks!!!!!
GO VOLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Some get it, some don't.
Some could never tell the difference between the round holes and the square pegs.
Takes all kinds.
panties4tebow writes:
I read the article in the gainesville newspaper Wednesday were fl state workers were told to clean up, wear deodorant and quit wearing panties. These trolls are nothing but trash!!!
GO BIG ORANGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BamaVol writes:
Agent says Urban Meyer headed to ND after 2010, He knows with teblow gone, he will lose more than one or two games a year.
BillsBrother writes:
Where is the Invisible Kid?
gohawks1 writes:
I haven't seen him. :-)
gohawks1 writes:
Huh? What's up with this?
CLEMSONVOL716WASBANNED writes:
Off topic for a second....Rumor is that Bammer wins will be restored and probation dropped....
Saban and Moore have come up with an agreement with Oscar Crier Mayer to donate all the free books from the Bammer Bookstore to the FlurDuh prison system...that way the Gators can study when they are not busy making license tags.
belayvol writes:
But we know the difference between congratulations and gradulations.
belayvol writes:
We also know that a dingleberry is supposed to be scrubbed off as soon as possible. Not savored as an after dinner mint by the guy you are sleeping with.
MrKnoxville writes:
You admit when you speak to other dudes that you think they're girls...but your video here shows why. DCFlorida & zrotaG's favorite past time in the swamp.....you should do something about your teeth though dudette:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yj4Lnf...
All that squeeling man I trully think you 2 are closet HOG fans!
MrKnoxville writes:
Being a power house football program is new to these guys supersmo18...think about it...they've only become something big time since the mid 90's...but check these facts out:
UT All-time record 773–327–53 (.690)
UF All-time record 641–373–40 (.627)
UT Postseason bowl record 25–22–0
UF Postseason bowl record 18–19
UT Claimed national titles 6:
1938, 1940, 1950, 1951
1967, 1998
UF Claimed national titles 3
UT Conference titles 16
UF Conference titles 8
Florida finally tied the all time series this year at 19 even....do you see that this is all new to them...a winning tradition that is.
Tennessee has a history of being a dominant football program and even though the Florida nerds on here give VOL fans dookie but the proof is there...facts are facts.
Most importantly...
79----FEAR THE KIFFIN!!!!
GO VOLS!!!!
pdhuff#552644 writes:
On a positive gator note (oxymoron), The Philipino rebel situation has been stabilized.
The Philipino army started posting pictures of Tebow with a scapel in his hand.
A massive withdrawal to the deep jungle has been noted.
CharlotteVol writes:
That is funny!
CharlotteVol writes:
99, you are a respected poster on this site. I agree with you in general. Fact is, all the major SEC teams have a broad national appeal, and the best high school players come out of FL and TX.
I agree that it helps out-of-state schools recruit FL kids when the U and FSU are down like they are now. It is a fact that Kiffin has to recruit well in FL if he is going to rebuild TN. In Fulmer's best years he went toe-to-toe with UF, the U, and FSU in the state, and that formula for success has not changed.
Richt has found success at UGA in large part because he has been able to recruit in FL. In fact, I will go as far as to say that Richt and staff are having more success in the state of FL than they are in the state of GA lately. I also feel like they have hit a plateau and may be about to start falling in recruiting due to failing to win the championship last year while loaded at the skill positions.
99gator writes:
well to further emphasize the point......
the main competitors for a lot of the kids florida is going after are not florida state and miami.
georgia, tennessee, and several others have a lot more pull within florida (or so it seems) than florida state and miami.
miami still has a great deal of pull, but that's only in dade and broward county (which is enough to field a good football team if you get them).
i am amazed that florida state is nowhere to be found in a lot of the recruiting battles that florida is involved in.
GreenDevilVol writes:
At least we are closer than you are !!!!!!
Bwhahahahahahahahaha !!!!!!!
rocky_topper writes:
Grammer? Uh, did you mean grammar? So, who is really the dumba__?
GreenDevilVol writes:
"Georgia, tennessee, and several others have a lot more pull within florida (or so it seems) than florida state and miami.
miami still has a great deal of pull, but that's only in dade and broward county (which is enough to field a good football team if you get them)."
Actually UT is and has done better record wise when we have had more Ga players than Fl payers. The '94-'03 teams were stacked with the Ga recruits. To further my point,notice when we do well, Ga does not; look at those years and see.
Fl does have some talented players,so does Ga,La,S.C. but UT first and foremost needs it's in state players,those that really want to be VOLS.Pick and choose after the facts.
Kiffin and co are getting this ship righted,the country sees it so do the recruits;if it were not true the lopers WOULD NOT be here to back that fact up.Fl has evened the series over the past few years,but not having such a passive coach and staff in waiting is what they all are dreading.
You have to face facts and reality,when CPF first took over, discipline,hard work,practices,classes, were at the forefront,then it all was about catching a record,and it didn't matter how long.Now its back to basics and leaving the attitude on the field,talent wise Fl has us hands down, but if they don't beat UT by more than 20+, its a WIN BIG TIME for UT !!!!
The even bigger prize is this,if Fl doesn't win by a total blow out,the prize recruits are going to see this as well and the steam will pick up in UT's favor for the top recruits.You can all look for UT to be the USCe before long.
This program was dealt a bad hand the last 6-7 years,CPF knows this all to well.Kiffin has to be given the opportunity to get it back into shape,and before long, the WINS over the boys (Meyer,Saban, Ricth) of the SEC will see what true football is all about.
To bad you all dont have the chior boy Fulmer to push around...............
rocky_topper writes:
Go GAY--TORS!
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc...
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc...
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc...
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc...
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc...
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc...
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc...
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc...
TNFootball writes:
Rocky Topper, those pics were amazing. That last one which was the video, "Return to Glory" was out of this world, and I mean it! I would love to know how you did that!
Amazing work!
Go Vols
FUGators writes:
AWESOME! Those made my day!
BigOrangeVol writes:
If this doesn't make all U of F alumni and fans proud then I don't know what would. Here's to you Gators!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgbBP9...
FLAVOLS writes:
Oh yeah, Florida does a great job budgeting our money. Our kids have to go to school, and since tax dollars have dried up, if the teacher calls in sick they don't have substitutes fill in they just combine classes with another room to double up the other teachers workload. Makes a lot of sense - oh yeah, that's right, Florida is muuuuch better than Tennessee in education. LOL! I've never seen so many backwards azz people in my life than these crackers! These Florida trolls obviously came from this Cracker background.
99gator writes:
i will say a couple of things.....
one of them will really get you angry.
1. when tennessee gets back to where everyone wants them to be it doesn't mean that its competition is going to go away.
2. i am honestly not worried about tennessee until 2012. that's how long it will take for tennessee to have a fair fight with florida. 2009 is a known situation. tennessee will probably be playing with a bunch of young kids, including a true freshman qb, in 2010. and 2011 will be back in gainesville.
now i know most of you will make a bunch of "pyschic" jokes, but you all know what i mean.
it will take that long for tennessee to bring in the kind of level of talent florida has and have them grow up and mature. (and that's assuming that kiffin is able to bring that level of talent to knoxville. for sake of argument, i will assume he does).
2011 will be the first year under kiffin that tennessee should have a talented roster with at least some level of experience and maturity.
this is why i keep saying that it will take time. it's not basketball, where one recruiting class (or even one recruit) can turn a program around.
i don't think some of you fully appreciate the hole that you have to climb out of.
ctownvol writes:
Trust me. He's around and he's watching. I have it on a very high authority. Do you need me to give him a message?
Orangeblood13 writes:
last I remember, SEC Championship game 2 years ago. Man that's a long time.
dipsticks like you leaving messages on our board know better or you wouldn't be here
ctownvol writes:
99- As much as it pains me your evaluation is pretty much spot on. It's going to be a steep climb. I think we will surprise a few teams between now and 2011. We WILL win some games that we will be underdogs, but it will be a while before we are back at the ELITE status. I appreciate your comments as they are always fair and truthful. Too bad you're the only gator poster on here who can be civil.
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