HUGE Unexpected Recruiting News Coming Within 24 hours!

[Bryan9451 0]

It is MB and it is a done deal. Is this the "huge" news?

[collector527 0]

People need to chill with the whole sitting a year out thing. Most(not all) players redshirt or do not start thier first year so what is the difference? Give him a year in the offense, even if it is only in practice, and he will out perform any back you bring in next year in my opinion because I think his talent level is already higher than most.  You think Yeldon or Marshal(who I love) would come in and beat him out? I think he is alittle better anyway and he would have a year of weight room, practice, and playbook experience over them. Take him call it earth shattering, huge, unexpected or anything else and be happy.     We may be taking a TOP rb from another SEC school and a school I think will be much better this year.

[Les81 0]

This is HUGE!!!

[ff4autigers 0]

MB in in Auburn and will begin classes asap!He will have to sit out this year.He will have 4 years of elibility left.

[Rednilla 5,391]

Well, I'm glad if we get Blakely, but I just don't consider the commitment of one particular 4 star running back to be huge news.  Good news, of course.  But for a team that will have between 8 and 12 4 star players in each class CGC recruits (if not more), it is just a solid piece of good news.  But Blakely may have been the second player ST was talking about, not the first.

No, if ST was referring to Blakely, he is the HUGE news, because it'll happen within 24 hours (and I'm beginning to think that's the case...but I have no inside info, in spite of my pleas for Scott to tell me ). However, this is A) more than a commitment, because the only way to back out would be to transfer to another school, and more than a mere 4 star running back. Let us not forget that amongst all the great running backs we got after last year (Crowell, Hart, Bellamy, Huggins, etc), Blakely was at the top of our coaches' list at the very beginning. He's a stud.

[aurules16 0]

Blakely's HS coach has said he is now enrolled at an out of state school, and that it isn't USF. According to @gregauman on twitter

[AUintheATL 1]

So, if MB is really in Auburn and has transferred in, does that mean he doesn't count toward the 2012 signing class.  If that is the case, I'm "ALL IN" for Blakely!

[DWWD34 0]

Haha UF is gonna get tired of us using players that for whatever reason didn't work out at UF to have success!

Although he would effectively be in the same class after sitting a year, he would not use up a 2012 scholarship which would allow us to build depth on this team that we are all aware we so desperately need... Hey you never know one of these spring games we may actually be able to put two teams on the field instead of the O vs D

Thats true about depth and whatnot.. we could probably use an extra scholarship lineman. Or LB. Or.. well yeah..

[JwgreDeux 1,279]

People need to chill with the whole sitting a year out thing. Most(not all) players redshirt or do not start thier first year so what is the difference? Give him a year in the offense, even if it is only in practice, and he will out perform any back you bring in next year in my opinion because I think his talent level is already higher than most.  You think Yeldon or Marshal(who I love) would come in and beat him out? I think he is alittle better anyway and he would have a year of weight room, practice, and playbook experience over them. Take him call it earth shattering, huge, unexpected or anything else and be happy.     We may be taking a TOP rb from another SEC school and a school I think will be much better this year.

as examples of why it would be much more significant if he was eligible right away, and as evidence of why I think that would be a HUGE deal, see the impacts of Mike Dyer and Marcus Lattimore.

[Rednilla 5,391]

So, if MB is really in Auburn and has transferred in, does that mean he doesn't count toward the 2012 signing class.  If that is the case, I'm "ALL IN" for Blakely!

That is correct. Had he not enrolled at Florida and simply waited until next spring to re-sign (either sitting out of football for a year or going to a prep school), then he would have counted, but because he's a transfer he won't count toward the 25 for any single year, only the 85 total.

[auparrothead 0]

J. Lee confirmed it. MB is in Auburn and will start classes ASAP. He will sit out 2011 and have 4 years of eligibility starting in 2012!!

[ff4autigers 0]

Welcome to AU Mike! :wareagle:

[Tiger Growlin 0]

I find it funny that most blasted BC and CK for folding to the pressure of going to a school neither picked, but one their parents/guardian picked. MB, although he did the same in the beginning, is being his own man and doing what he feels is best for him yet he's being thrown under the bus by a lot of people on both sides of the issue.

[AU Counsel 64]

If it is Blakely, and it certainly appears to be, then I'm curious about the following:

1) Did the NCAA grant the hardship waiver for Shon Coleman, giving us a 2011 initial counter we can use on Blakely?

2) Is he immediately eligible?

3) What is his medical status after his surgery?

Aside from all that, IF it is true that his "guardians" wouldnt let him back in the house because he was leaving Florida, then what horrible people they must be...absent some unknown horrible behavior from MB, that is just shameful on their part.

As for Muschamp, he obviously chose a different type of offense for his team then what MB signed on for, so if he truely has allowed MB to transfer to an SEC school without conditions, that is a very honorable thing he has done.  I recall Derek Dooley not being nearly as forgiving for players who wanted to transfer out of conference.

[kickeminthebuttbigblue 0]

J. Lee confirmed it. MB is in Auburn and will start classes ASAP. He will sit out 2011 and have 4 years of eligibility starting in 2012!!

Will he get to practice with the team this year??  or completley sit out all together?  If he practices, it is pretty much like a red shirt.  

[Rednilla 5,391]

People need to chill with the whole sitting a year out thing. Most(not all) players redshirt or do not start thier first year so what is the difference? Give him a year in the offense, even if it is only in practice, and he will out perform any back you bring in next year in my opinion because I think his talent level is already higher than most.  You think Yeldon or Marshal(who I love) would come in and beat him out? I think he is alittle better anyway and he would have a year of weight room, practice, and playbook experience over them. Take him call it earth shattering, huge, unexpected or anything else and be happy.     We may be taking a TOP rb from another SEC school and a school I think will be much better this year.

It will likely take at least one year for Florida to be back up with the change in offensive philosophy (which is a big part of the reason Blakely wants to leave in the first place).

The reason we hate it about the sitting out a year is because we NEED running backs. We're going to have to play some guys out of position just to fill the depth charts there. I would rather have Blakeley than not because we'd know his status and it wouldn't change at the drop of a hat, which wouldn't necessarily be the case with Marshall or Yeldon (though I think we still get Yeldon either way), not to mention that the guy is a phenomenal talent...it just stinks that we get a transfer at the position of most need but won't be able to use him when he's needed most.

[Rednilla 5,391]

If it is Blakely, and it certainly appears to be, then I'm curious about the following:

1) Did the NCAA grant the hardship waiver for Shon Coleman, giving us a 2011 initial counter we can use on Blakely?

2) Is he immediately eligible?

3) What is his medical status after his surgery?

Aside from all that, IF it is true that his "guardians" wouldnt let him back in the house because he was leaving Florida, then what horrible people they must be...absent some unknown horrible behavior from MB, that is just shameful on their part.

As for Muschamp, he obviously chose a different type of offense for his team then what MB signed on for, so if he truely has allowed MB to transfer to an SEC school without conditions, that is a very honorable thing he has done.  I recall Derek Dooley not being nearly as forgiving for players who wanted to transfer out of conference.

1) It doesn't matter. Blakeley will be a transfer, not a signee. Since he's transferring from another D-I school and not JUCO, like Cam, he doesn't count against any numbers except the total 85.

2) No.

3) Unsure, but he'll have a year to recover.

[auparrothead 0]

J. Lee confirmed it. MB is in Auburn and will start classes ASAP. He will sit out 2011 and have 4 years of eligibility starting in 2012!!

Will he get to practice with the team this year??  or completley sit out all together?  If he practices, it is pretty much like a red shirt.  

You hit it with that last sentence. It is like his "red shirt year" sitting out for the transfer. He can practice and do all the things a RS Freshman can do.

[AU Counsel 64]

Thanks Red.  I thought even transfers counted against the initial counter rule if they were on scholarship, but I guess not.  Good for us!

[Rednilla 5,391]

Thanks Red.  I thought even transfers counted against the initial counter rule if they were on scholarship, but I guess not.  Good for us!

I'm pretty sure that's not the case, but now that I'm thinking about it, I'm not completely positive. Seems like Kenny Irons didn't count against the 25 when he transferred from USCe, but I could be wrong about that.

[DWWD34 0]

yeah i had no idea about the transfer thing only counting against the 85 limit, thats awesome.

War Eagle Mr. Blakely. Welcome home

[raymosm 0]

We only signed 24 in 2011 so not sure why you are worried about numbers.  Plus he is a transfer not a new recruit, only the 85 limit applies.

If it is Blakely, and it certainly appears to be, then I'm curious about the following:

1) Did the NCAA grant the hardship waiver for Shon Coleman, giving us a 2011 initial counter we can use on Blakely?

2) Is he immediately eligible?

3) What is his medical status after his surgery?

Aside from all that, IF it is true that his "guardians" wouldnt let him back in the house because he was leaving Florida, then what horrible people they must be...absent some unknown horrible behavior from MB, that is just shameful on their part.

As for Muschamp, he obviously chose a different type of offense for his team then what MB signed on for, so if he truely has allowed MB to transfer to an SEC school without conditions, that is a very honorable thing he has done.  I recall Derek Dooley not being nearly as forgiving for players who wanted to transfer out of conference.

[AUintheATL 1]

"RED".....I'm 99% sure you are correct about the transfer's not counting toward a class.  Just like Wilson or the RB from Wisconsin, neither would count towards the '11 or '12 signing classes.  I hope we take the other 2 as well, as we would still be under the 85 limit and they would help out for the year and then move on!

[collector527 0]

People need to chill with the whole sitting a year out thing. Most(not all) players redshirt or do not start thier first year so what is the difference? Give him a year in the offense, even if it is only in practice, and he will out perform any back you bring in next year in my opinion because I think his talent level is already higher than most.  You think Yeldon or Marshal(who I love) would come in and beat him out? I think he is alittle better anyway and he would have a year of weight room, practice, and playbook experience over them. Take him call it earth shattering, huge, unexpected or anything else and be happy.     We may be taking a TOP rb from another SEC school and a school I think will be much better this year.

It will likely take at least one year for Florida to be back up with the change in offensive philosophy (which is a big part of the reason Blakely wants to leave in the first place).

The reason we hate it about the sitting out a year is because we NEED running backs. We're going to have to play some guys out of position just to fill the depth charts there. I would rather have Blakeley than not because we'd know his status and it wouldn't change at the drop of a hat, which wouldn't necessarily be the case with Marshall or Yeldon (though I think we still get Yeldon either way), not to mention that the guy is a phenomenal talent...it just stinks that we get a transfer at the position of most need but won't be able to use him when he's needed most.

I agree they will be learning a new offense but I said better not perfect and  with charlie weis and muschamp along with all the talent from the last two classes I think they will surprise people plus the sec as a whole has a lot of changes this year. Look at the teams who will have new qbs, coaches, defensive stars, ect..  I see no clear favorite this year as of now.  WHo will stop them?  ThUGA? Maybe South  Carolina.  We won it all with a new qb last year learning as he went.  Atleast they will have starting experience at qb unlike most teams.

[AU Counsel 64]

The 24 didnt include Shon Coleman.  Coleman wasn't an initial counter in the previous class, and he can't enroll and be on scholarship without a medical waiver from the NCAA allowing him to count in the 2012 class, so  we have 25 in the current freshman class unless such a waiver was granted.