Take Two: Will Florida be able to keep Leonard Manuel?
MORE TAKE TWO: Is Alabama leading for five-star RB Zachary Evans?
Take Two returns with a daily offering tackling an issue in the college football landscape. Rivals.com National Recruiting Analyst Adam Gorney lays out the situation and then receives takes from Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell and an expert from the Rivals.com network of team sites or a regional analyst.
THE STORYLINE
Leonard Manuel remains committed to Florida but the Gators cannot be too thrilled that the four-star receiver recently released a top seven.
Clemson, LSU, Florida, Miami, Penn State, Georgia and Texas A&M made the new list for Manuel, who has a history of decommitments since he’s already backed off pledges to Miami and Tennessee earlier in his recruitment.
The whisper is that Georgia is surging for the Ocala (Fla.) Vanguard standout although Manuel recently told Southeast recruiting analyst Chad Simmons that he’s 100 percent committed to the Gators and he doesn’t even know what school could change his mind.
Florida recruiting analyst Rob Cassidy also thinks when all is said and done that Manuel will stick with the Gators.
But signs are emerging that Georgia and many others could get even more involved in the coming months. Manuel is expected to take visits to some of his favorites and no school is going to back off the standout receiver.
Can Florida keep Manuel or is yet another flip in the works?
FIRST TAKE: JAKE REUSE, UGASPORTS.COM
“I don’t know if anybody has a great feel on Manuel. He’s already flipped a couple times and I’m sure Georgia would love to add him to the fold, but they have to keep recruiting a number of guys including Marcus Rosemy, A.J. Henning and Corey Wren just to make sure they have all their pieces available. Manuel is just such an unknown, it’s going to be hard for anybody to rely on him when the time comes. Georgia would definitely take him, but I’m not sure anyone knows what Manuel is going to do right now.”
SECOND TAKE: MIKE FARRELL, RIVALS.COM
“He’ll look around no matter what. Most of these kids who are committed are still going to take visits and look around and play the game a bit. I still think he’s going to stick with Florida. That’s what he likes the most and it’s probably his best fit, but Manuel will create some drama.
"Why wouldn’t you look at Georgia? They’re just absolutely loaded, they’re the favorite to win the East, they recruit quarterbacks very well. But Florida needs Manuel more and that’s what is going to win out.”