South Florida recruits to fill holes

By Darrell Laurant  |   Friday, February 22, 2008  |  Comments( 0 )

South Florida Bulls
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(Third in a series on Big East football recruiting.)

The good thing about being a Florida-based football program is that you're surrounded by high school talent. The problem is, the pond is getting overfished.

Year after year, University of South Florida coach Jim Leavitt and his staff not only have to compete with Miami, Florida and Florida State, but virtually every other Division 1 program in the country. You go to Wyoming to catch trout, you go to Alaska to hunt grizzly bears, you go to Florida for big, strong and fast football players. Everyone knows that.

Taking that into consideration, then, the Bulls didn't do too badly this time around. Leavitt's squad took a graduation hit in the secondary, at linebacker, and on both the offensive and defensive lines, and the 2008 crop addresses those gaps.

Interestingly, the team's last recruit -- announced more than a week after National Signing Day -- was from about as far away from Florida as one can get. Damien Edwards, a 6-foot-6, 320-pound offensive lineman, played at Chandler High School in Arizona, the same school that produced Adam Archuleta and Terrell Suggs.

Edwards has only played football for two years (basketball was his first love), but he has good genes. Brother Gavin is a forward for the University of Connecticut hoops squad, and father Earl spent 11 seasons in the NFL.

The Bulls also signed five other offensive linemen, including three-star Jatavious Jackson, and four for the defensive trenches, led by junior college recruit David Bedford, a Rivals four-star.

Bedford, originally from West Palm Beach, was also sought after by Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisville. He runs a 4.7 40, which makes him a constant threat as an edge rusher. Craig Marshall, also a defensive end, is from Pearl River Community College in Poplarville, Miss., and will arrive along with JuCo teammates Kion Wilson (a linebacker) and Theo Wilson (wide receiver).

The most exciting offensive recruit has to be quarterback B.J. Daniels, a 6-1, 203-pounder with 4.5 speed and a strong arm -- much like holdover Matt Grothe, whom he'll play behind this year. He comes from Tallahassee, where he was largely ignored by the quarterback-rich hometown Gators.

Running back Demetris Murray of Buford, Ga., might also push for playing time as a freshman. The Georgia Class AA Player of the Year, he's solidly built (5-11, 192), fast (4.4) and tough.

South Florida's other three-star recruits included DT Corey Grissom (another Georgia import), DB Jon Lejiste, WR Daniel Bryant (also from Tallahassee) and athlete Armando Sanchez. Lejiste and George Baker (a Miami product with 4.4 speed) will be plugged into the pipeline to eventually replace NFL Combine invitees Mike Jenkins and Trae Williams.

"We felt like we have met needs on both sides of the ball," said Leavitt, "We're very excited."

Of the team's 24 recruits, 20 were from Florida.
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