Football players grow thick in Florida, so much so that Tennessee running back Marlin Lane had to pause for breath when he rattled off the names of friends he has on the Florida Gators roster.
Lane, a Daytona Beach, Fla., native, is even related to two Gators, including tailback Mike Gillislee, his cousin.
"Once we're on the field, we go to war," Lane said. "After the game, we're friends."
Florida churns out hundreds of football prospects like Lane and Gillislee each year, and it's long been an essential recruiting territory for the Vols. During the past four years, the Vols have signed 17 prospects from Florida, nearly as many as the 19 signed from Tennessee.
"It's extremely important for us to be able to go get players out of Florida and bring them to Tennessee," said receivers coach Darin Hinshaw, the Vols' recruiting coordinator.
That's makes Saturday's hotly-awaited game between Tennessee (2-0) and Florida (2-0) (TV: ESPN, 6 p.m.) important beyond its impact on the SEC East standings. It has recruiting ramifications, too.
From a three-hour kick
off show originating just outside Neyland Stadium to a prime-time broadcast slot for a much-anticipated rivalry game, it will be tough to watch college football on Saturday without seeing orange. And Tennessee hopes a few very important viewers in the Sunshine State will be getting the message.
"There are a lot of kids who have grown up and they don't know about Tennessee and where this program's been and what we've won," Hinshaw said.
No state other than perhaps Georgia is more important to the Vols' current recruiting efforts than Florida. Fourteen current Vols are from Florida, including key contributors like Lane, defensive end Maurice Couch (Orlando) and linebacker Curt Maggitt (West Palm Beach).
"(Florida) is still a big emphasis," said Tennessee coach Derek Dooley. "We've gotten a lot of kids from the Jacksonville/Gainesville area. Orlando has been good to us. There are a lot of good players down there, but there's a lot of competition."
To reel in players in an area crowded with competition, Tennessee must cast a much wider net.
According to a 247 Sports recruiting database, Tennessee has offered 242 players in the Class of 2013. Of those, 38 players are from Florida and 15 from Tennessee. In 2012, of 192 offers in the database, 29 were to Florida players and 10 were to prospects from Tennessee.
Dooley said the smallest things can make a difference — like affordable direct flights from Florida to Knoxville so family can attend games. Hinshaw has honed his pitch to focus on kids who grew up with little concept of Vols' history.
"We show them our stadium, all the things we put into football, all our facilities, and then all the players we sent to the NFL," Hinshaw said. "(Football) is big here and these kids don't know that. Getting that message out constantly to them is important."
Tennessee hopes Saturday's game in front of 105,000 cheering fans will send a loud message.
"It's always good to be in the spotlight," Hinshaw said.
Evan Woodbery covers Tennessee football. Follow him at www.Twitter.com/TennesseeBeat.
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Comments » 15
kyvol98 writes:
Football players are more plentiful than oranges in Florida. it is a MUST to be able to recruit there
OrangePsyched writes:
We need 105,000 maniacs Saturday as we have several big time recruits visiting. Hopefully the Vols win and ears bleed from the noise. Let's make the recruits say this is where I want to play.
Scoon writes:
Obviously, cause they threw away Randall Cobb. Thanks, Vols.
laraccoon writes:
duh
givehim6 writes:
105,000 wow packed house for game day. With this game being aired all over the USA it will turn lots of high school kids heads, it is so inportant UT wins this one, it could pull UT back in the spot light for years to come.
VolinCalif writes:
Be nice Scoon. Don't know this for a fact but I once heard that Ky lost a BB game. Just saying that you can't win them all.
Scoon writes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pn0NsU...
VolGrad writes:
It is important that we play well. If we play well, we SHOULD win.
Go Vols! Put the beat-down on the Gators!! Shock and Awe!!!
VatoMobile writes:
This is a huge recruiting weekend for the Vols guys...
http://www.rockytoptalk.com/2012/9/12...
VolinCalif writes:
What would you expect. Cobb like Steve S. is a Tennessean. Sometimes you just don't set the hook quick enough. 43 is on a role, love his excitement and his response's to neg trolls.
Ooh well , remember this from the 50's.
"Two more days to do, And I'll be seeing You. Sound Off. 1 2" Well call it 2 1/2.
Vols 41 Fl 17
FWBVol writes:
Cobb wasn't that highly rated coming out of Alcoa and a lot of people besides Tennessee missed on him. I think Phillip Fulmer tried to make a late push for Cobb, but by that time he was firmly committed to Kentucky.
Given the way CDD has recruited some, shall we say, under the radar kids from the Knoxville area as far as Rivals and Scout goes, I have to believe that he might have hung out an early welcome sign to Cobb. But then again, we will never know.
I do know there are all kinds of good players in Florida as I live here. There's a kid at Crestview High School about 50 miles from Pensacola, Tyler Henderson, who is one of the best DBs I've seen in a long time. Henderson has a few offers from the likes of the Service Academies and Duke and such, but I really think he is a big time player.
One game last season he had a pick six, a fumble return for a touchdown and a punt return for a touchdown all in the course of about three minutes. On the pick six nine different guys had a shot at him, but missed him.
Henderson isn't a big star guy, but I promise you, he's a big time player.
Scoon writes:
Tyler Henderson at Crestview High School, huh? Thanks for that information, FWB, 'cause it sure sounds like he's one of those talented players who potentially could be overlooked. A pick six, a fumble return for the touchdown and a punt return for a touchdown all within three minutes is pretty impressive alright, I'll agree. Tell you what I'm going to do here, FWB. I'm going to google him up, then pass this info on along to recruiting staff at Kentucky cause it really does seem that he could be one of those dudes that's going to be flying under the radar; and, like one of those dudes that Kentucky always likes to find and get. Often times, all it ever takes is to have only one or two players like this on any team to make them more spirited and competitive, on the field; and, EVERYBODY knows that we, at Kentucky, need one or two players like this to have footballs breaking plane.
Keep 'em coming FWB, you're a good man to have on the recruiting trail. Maybe this guy will be the next Randall Cobb.
Scoon writes:
No, Coach, I really don't remember that from the 50's cause I hadn't been Born and, 43 is ALWAYS on a role !! Go 43 !! Go 43 !!
And, speaking of being 'Born' ... (singing) ...
"Today's 43's Birthday" ... "Today's 43's Birthday" !! ... Happy Birthday, 43 !!
PUL4VOLS writes:
Reel 'em in and coach 'em up, the Volunteer team is on the rise. This game with Florida is important and can be won. I can hardly wait for Sat. evening to arrive. As for non-Vol fans on here, we all hope you enjoy the show Saturday.
tovolny writes:
Recruiting is the coach's sculpturing chisel and hammer used to make a football team. However, I think we need to work harder in the Memphis area, Nashville area, Texas, and the Carolinas. It seems like Alabama always has at least one All American LB from middle Tennessee. Just go back to E.J. Junior and start from there. Recently, we missed out on Golden Tate and his brother (Notre Dame and Vanderbilt). The Tide Water area code in Virginia has been very good to us, and a lot of Tennessee football fans are up that way. Chattanooga football players seem to be bigger and better than the Knoxville group; so, we can't ignore that bend in the Tennessee River. Also, I would like for Tennessee to target every single recruit that Lane Kiffen has targeted no matter from where they are until he quits messing with kids under our noses.
BUT RIGHT NOW, let’s be GATOR GAPERS and make some Gator bisque in the checker board end zones of Neyland Stadium
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