ST. PETERSBURG -- If you’re thinking about buying tickets to the Florida-Florida State game in two years, don’t.
On Thanksgiving weekend 2012, refrain from throwing the Gators and Seminoles on your TV. There will be better ways to spend that break. And you already know the sad truth anyway: The team out West is better.
Florida State has the No. 3 recruiting class in the nation, according to Rivals.com. Florida has the No. 15 class.
If there was any doubt that the future would be painted Garnet and Gold, FSU oral commit Karlos Williams picked off a pass from Florida quarterback/savior of the future Jeff Driskel and returned the ball 47 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter of the Under Armour All-America game Wednesday.
Actually, I don’t know what will happen in two seasons, don’t know if Florida State’s dream class will pan out, don’t even know if the Seminoles of the future will step foot on campus.
They could fail to qualify academically or get in legal trouble — let’s just say stuff like that has happened before.
And don’t worry, Driskel bounced back fine from that pick-six, breaking a 63-yard touchdown run the next time he stepped on the field. He also had a potential 50-yard touchdown pass dropped at the 5-yard line.
Driskel finished the game with six carries, 80 yards and a touchdown, plus two completions on eight attempts for 18 yards and an INT, while Team Click-Clack (yup, that’s a thing) beat Team Micro G 24-22.
But, ladies, just like you should not worry about FSU’s recruiting rankings just yet, you should also keep your Driskel love in your pants until he steps on Florida Field for the first time.
I’m not the only person who is unsure about Driskel’s future. You also don’t know what will happen.
For that matter, neither do those recruiting analysts for ESPN and Rivals.com and whatever other website you subscribe to.
And, gulp, even coaches slip every now and then.
“I was incorrect for a while. I used to look at measurables before anything else,” Urban Meyer said after the Outback Bowl, when 5-foot-9 Ahmad Black took home MVP honors and clinched his place atop the alligatorsSports Swamp Studs standings.
“I used to look at the 40-yard dash,” Meyer continued. “I still do, but there are other areas I look at just as strong, if not stronger.”
Of course, you can’t blame Meyer for zeroing in on the “measurables” — vertical leap, bench press reps, cone drill stats. Assessing a player’s transition from high school to college is tough.
Look at Driskel’s highlight tape on YouTube and you will see him outrun a lot of Oompa Loompas. That’s the case for most players from Wednesday’s game.
From the 2007-09 recruiting classes, the Gators snagged 11 five-star prospects, all of whom looked fantastic against typical high school competition.
But of those players, two have been plagued by injuries, three were kicked off or transferred and four have simply failed to live up to their potential.
The two exceptions are Carlos Dunlap and Jelani Jenkins, who finished second on the team in tackles this season as a redshirt freshman.
But remember when Will Hill was the next Sean Taylor? Cam Newton the next Tim Tebow? (Oh, wait.)
It’s not exactly original to say recruits are ranked inaccurately. And, to be fair, looking at the top recruiting classes is a good indicator of future success.
But just be patient. That Thanksgiving road trip to Tally is still in play.
