UF-UM clash drawing attention of local commits
College football fans across Florida — and around the nation — will all be directing their attention to Camping World Stadium in Orlando on Saturday as the Florida Gators and Miami Hurricanes renew their rivalry to start the 2019 college football season.
South Florida is a fierce battleground for both college programs, as the coaches battle each other for supremacy in arguably the most fertile recruiting ground in the nation. Although the game is being played in Orlando, the two teams’ commits in South Florida are paying close attention.
“I think the UF-Miami game is huge,” St. Thomas Aquinas linebacker and UF commit Derek Wingo said. “It sets the year off right, and it needs to be an assurance to everyone that UF is the face of Florida college football.”
Florida and Miami have met on the field six times since 2000, with Miami winning five of those games. But the most common front in the war between the two in-state rivals is on the recruiting battleground as they compete against each other for top players, including many from Broward and Palm Beach counties.
In the most recent class, the Hurricanes signed defensive back Te’Cory Couch, defensive back Keontra Smith and defensive lineman Cameron Williams from ChaminadeMadonna as well as linebacker Avery Huff from St. Thomas Aquinas.
The Gators signed Benjamin defensive back Kaiir Elam and Cardinal Gibbons defensive lineman Khris Bogle.
“They’re hyped,” current Chaminade running back Thad Franklin said of his former teammates. “I heard Te’Cory is going to be starting; I heard Keontra is doing good and he’s in the rotation.”
Miami currently has commitments from Deerfield Beach senior wide receiver Xavier Restrepo, Plantation junior wide receiver Jacolby George, Western senior defensive back Justin Hodges, plus Chaminade senior defensive lineman Willie Moise, junior kicker Andres Borregales and Franklin.
Florida has commitments from Cardinal Gibbons senior offensive lineman Gerald Mincey as well as Wingo and his teammate at St. Thomas, junior defensive lineman Tyreak Sapp.
Franklin and Mincey both said they will be in Orlando for the game on Saturday.
“I’m excited to see my cousin, [Miami sophomore running back] Cam’Ron Harris, play live and see him do his things out there,” Mincey said.
The game has the potential to be a major steppingstone for both in-state programs. Florida, coming off a 10-3 season that ended with a Peach Bowl victory, is ranked eighth in the preseason Associated Press poll and is looking to build on last year’s success.
Miami is not ranked after going 7-6 in 2018. Saturday’s game will be the first for new coach Manny Diaz, who took over the program after Mark Richt retired in December.
As would be expected, the Miami commits think the Hurricanes will leave Orlando with bragging rights, while Mincey and Wingo think the Gators will come out ahead
“I know coach [Dan] Mullen and the rest of the coaching staff are going to do good,” Mincey said. “I mean, we are the best team in college football.”
Franklin didn’t offer a score prediction, though he’s confident Miami will win. George said the Hurricanes will win, 28-7. Mincey said he thinks Florida will win an exciting, 35-28, game, while Wingo says it’ll be, 31-14, in the Gators’ favor.
“We will have all the bragging rights because the ‘Canes are going to be [back],” George said.