Five-star recruit Trent Richardson is the latest battleground for the future of the SEC. The first skirmish for the SEC took place in the Georgia Dome as a resurgent Alabama Crimson Tide played the eventual national champion Florida Gators.
Score round one for Meyer.
The next skirmish in this battle of the coaching titans is on the recruiting trail in Escambia County, Florida.
Meyer reportedly spent six hours on an in-home visit with Richardson on Monday. Saban had his in-home visit in December, and according to the report Alabama assistants will visit Richardson Thursday.
There can be little doubt Florida’s main interest in Richardson is not how Richardson would help the Gators on the ground, but keeping Richardson out of Alabama’s backfield. Richardson could help the Gators, but it is highly doubtful he would take many carries away from Tim Tebow. Richardson would see fewer carries at Florida than at Alabama, especially as a freshman. And that is a concern for Florida. Who wants a top notch player to leave the state and play for a conference rival—a rival you are likely to face in the conference championship game?
Sometimes in war it is more important to deny an enemy access to an asset than acquiring the asset for yourself.
That dictum is certainly being followed by Tennessee. Chatter from the recruiting trail has indicated Knoxville as the location of the most negative recruiting this season, and much of it aimed not at landing prospects for the hapless Volunteers, but in trying to keep prospects from signing with Third Saturday in October rival Alabama.
That is a marked departure from how Phil Fulmer recruited. Fulmer saw cheaters everywhere, but the new staff in Knoxville is looking to smear everyone. But Tennessee is largely irrelevant. The Volunteers are battling South Carolina and Kentucky for third, fourth and fifth in the division. The best the Volunteers can do is aggravate rivals like Alabama and Georgia.
The real war is being waged between Meyer and Saban, Meyer and Gerogia’s Mark Richt, and Saban and LSU’s Les Miles. All of these coaches will finish with strong recruiting classes, but the skirmishes over star recruits like Richardson are an interesting show.
Richardson has stayed committed to Alabama for many months, and a dramatic change this late would be a loss for Alabama and a win for Florida.
Will it happen?
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29 thoughts on “Richardson the latest Meyer-Saban battleground”
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“There can be little doubt Florida’s main interest in Richardson is not how Richardson would help the Gators on the ground, but keeping Richardson out of Alabama’s backfield. ”
Analysis is dead wrong. Tebow has 1 year left and Gators have nothing in the cubbard for 3rd/4th and short or the between the tackle threat that is essential to the spread. Tide has returning freshman stud Ingram for 3 more years.
Gators need T.R. WAY more than UA does or opposing teams will laugh at the UF running game and take away the perimeter.
Don’t let homerism cloud your thinking,
I think Florida’s QB is far more important than the RB in the system. That isn’t to say the RB isn’t important, but you need the QB to run and pass not just pass and pitch.
I still think the QB in that system will take carries away from Richardson. That’s not homerism, just my understanding of how a spread option type attack is best utilized.
Am I wrong in thinking the QB is the key cog in that attack and that the QB must run the ball for it to be at its best?
You are wrong in a way that many people are wrong so don’t feel singled out. After 3 years of watching Tebow, everyone just assumes that is the way the Gator spread works and will always work.
Tebow is a FREAK. The chances of finding a 240 lb. kid who can lead the nation in passing efficiency and knock linebackers on their ass is pretty much nil. We’re not talking about an option threat here…we’re talking about a guy who coonsistently runs between the tackles for tough yards. Nobody does that like Tebow and it would be foolhardy to assume the Gators offensive plans revolve around a nonexistent facsimile.
The Gators are in a BIG need for someone to gain tough yards and need T.R. way more than the Tide.
Fair enough. I agree Florida will need someone to run inside after Tebow leaves…a good fullback made the wishbone potent, so you MUST have someone as an inside threat.
I still think the spread needs a QB as a running threat to work as it puts pressure to actually defend the QB. Now he doesn’t have to run often, but he has to run enough to be a threat. I’d think that would steal carries from the feature back.
But you do make a great point, nobody will carry as much as Tebow. We could probably look back to Leak (who I think was a great QB) for a model of what UF might look like in the future.
I think the mold of QB the Gators will look for will be more like Colt McCoy or Zac Robinson. Better runners than Leak.
In a UF offense, I see TR getting 12-15 carries and 3 passes per game. Total offense about 125 yds per game. And the attention he’ll attract will create a lot of space for the speedy guys.
I’m just waitin’ to hear all the bammers say that TR really isn’t that good and how his loss is no big deal when he signs with UF….
Rich, which team do you pull for? I know it is not Bama, and if you think based on your numbers above that TR would have 1500 yds rush/pass in a regular season with Meyer at the helm running his spread I’ll take three of whatever your drinking. Bama needs TR for the smashmouth ball we played with Coffee/Ingram, no promises on Upchurch’s recovery. TR ends up at Bama, bank on it.
Julio, the Auturds will have to say that about everybody, because last time I checked yall are not even in the top twenty five, yall are still rolling toomers everytime a four star visits. What a joke.
Hes going to Fl and BM you ll eat those retarded ass words of yours on signing day, Why dont you guys ever say anything about Ingram? Hes uats STUD! Hell he would be any teams STUD!
Hey Bamaman,
I’m just sharing my analysis. I believe the Gators are in a world of hurt without a short yardage go to guy.
I also think that if Rainey, Demps and Harvin can get 8+ yards a carry in the Gator spread, then so can TR. Now the next question is whether he can get 15 touches a game.
Assume conservatively, the Gators get 60 plays a game and they up the throws to 30 per game. That leaves 30 ground plays. Brantley won’t get more than 3-4 leaving 25+ to go around. If you don’t think TR is good enough to get half of those carries, then you shouldn’t be wasting your time on this thread.
Tell me bamaman…if you’re Urban Meyer and you don’t have Tebow. Who you gonna give it to on the goal line? Jeff Demps? ha ha.
BIG TR WILL BE A BAMA MAN IN A WEEK OR SO BECAUSE BIG JW TOLD YOU SO JUST LIKE I TOLD YALL EARLY IN 08 ABOUT A UNDEFEATED SEASON.WELL GUESS WHAT ?I WILL GO AHEAD AND TELL YOU ANOTHER UNDEFEATED SEASON IS IN FRONT OF US.THIS BAMA TEAM WILL BE VERY STRONG ON DEFENSE AND BE ONE OF THE BEST IN THE COUNTRY.LOOK FOR TR AND INGRAM TO TEAR IT UP AND GOD BLESS IF WE HAPPEN TO GET RR.THAT WOULD BE BAD NEWS FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE..ROLLLLL TIDEEEEEEEEEEEEE
How sad has your program become and how far has it fallen when you have to resort to hoping big recruits don’t go to your rival (TOTALLY acknowledging the fact that they would NEVER come to your school).
Auburn is dead, and I dance on her grave.
RIP Aubie.
Welcome back to the ranks of the second tier.
Now get out there and reclaim your rightful #2 in the state status from TROY.
Omni, I think Ingram is awesome and will only get better, especially with TR pushing him. We will see who eats retarded ass words next Wed. would you like some ketchup with that. . . .
Rich, If I am Urban Meyer, I am not worried about who to give the ball to after next year when Tebow leaves. . . because I will be at Notre Dame
Bamaman,
If you were Urban Meyer, you’d be leaking that Notre Dame nonsense to get leverage in your contract negotiations and up your salary to the Nick Saban / Pete Carroll level.
But maybe he does go. That would be a blow to the Gators.
He aint goin to Notre Lame. As bad as Bamaman wishes that were the case. I guess when a coach smashes all hope of a national title , you dont like him very much after that.
Ballplay, I think he is a great coach, Tebow is the only hopesmasher, but that is funny coming from an Aub talking about the second youngest team in the country getting a NC title smashed by the NC and ten year Tubby not even making a bowl game.
Rich, you may very well be right about Meyer leaking that for leverage, I would. For a coach with two NC’s and a very good shot at three, I wouldn’t want to lose him if I were a gator.
Florida will still be good even after Tebow leaves. Not to mention that Meyer is the reason that Tebow is at Florida. After all he did recruit him , didnt he ? You guys got OUTCOACHED in the SEC championship and in the Sugar Bowl. If I recall , he doesnt play for Utah does he ?
Nice Retort BI!
Yeah that was great BI, bravo! Like I said, no shame in winning 12 and losing 2 by the same young guys that will own Aub’s ass for the forseeable future. What was the name of the coach that OUTCOACHED Aub in post season play? My bad, I forgot yall didn’t even make a bowl game. Enough said, next retort. . . .
Dang man…………Little touchy today ? It must be that time of the month. Is Aunt Flo visiting the Bamaman residence ?
The whole 36-0 thingy does not bother me . Yall handed us our arses. Congrats.
O yea 36 o does bother yall or you and the other horseshitters would not be here.Every day on a BAMA site.So dont say it does not bother you .It is eating u and buddies up on the inside.36 0 36 0 36 0 36 0 36 0 LMFAO
JW………………..sigh……………The last time you tried to hang with the big dawg, I beyatch slapped you so hard I got a two paragraph long apology for you ever being an a hole, and a promise that you would never respnd to me again………Now pipe back down before I have to do it again.
Boy.
Its amazing how an Iron Bowl win makes the Bammers puff up so big. That run of ours really screwed yalls heads up.
BI, I just think it is funny you said we don’t like Meyer because he smashed our hopes of an NC, is that why you hate Saban because he smashed Aub’s hope of a bowl game? And btw, did I mention 36-0?
Bama………..Again. I do not hate Nick Saban. I think he is in the top 3 or 4 coaches in CFB. Hes great. He just happens to coach at Alabama. Therefore the bile. And I personally would rather NOT go to the Shreveport aka University of Alabama bowl. There are way too many now. If we cant hang, we just cant hang. Right now we cant. So, no bowl. I doubt we would have went even if we had beaten Bama.
I agree BI, and again I do not hate Meyer as you suggested, I bet he is one of those top 3 or 4 you mention. But to say you would not have went to a bowl if you had beat the number one team at the time and became eligible is ridiculous. Spare me the crap about not going to a bowl if it is Shreveport, that thinking weakens the SEC and does not contribute to across the board sharing of bowl money. So how about yall steppin it up down there.
But seriously BM. The lesser bowls are very degraiding. The Meinekie Car Care Bowl !!!!!!!!!!!!!Come on.
The Poppa Johns .com bowl !!!!!!!!!!
I cant stand the whole Corpoarate sponsorship thing.
What happened to the Rose Bowl.
The Cotton Bowl.
Sugar Bowl.
Orange Bowl????????????
Arent there like 25 bowls now ? If everyone gets to go to one, whats so special about it ?
I see that JW “turrestts” figured out his role , and ran for the hills. Smart move on his part.