Nation gets a chance to see stars Seminole fans have seen for a while

"You don’t see teams that have this type of caliber players, just how versatile they are, in any state on any given year,” said Tom Luginbill, national recruiting director of Scouts Inc. "You can’t imagine the massive nightmares they create for opposing coaches.”

Armstrong usually lines up under center at quarterback or seven yards back in the “wild hawg” or as a tailback. Debose usually lines up under center at quarterback or on the wing going in motion as a running back or at receiver.

In the Under Armour All-America game at the Florida Citrus Bowl, Armstrong will start out as a safety. Debose will probably be at receiver and Dye at defensive end.

Some time during the game, the Seminole trio will be among six uncommitted seniors who will announce their commitment to college.

Luginbill praised the Seminole trio for the way they have handled their recruitment, noting they have been very private and family-oriented during the decision-making process.

Debose, upon arrival for practice, did reveal a list of six finalists – Florida, LSU, Georgia, FSU, Miami and USC – and reasons for choosing each school. He also said he was looking forward to getting recruiting behind him. He also indicated he had a team in mind but still wishes to take all of his recruiting visits.

Armstrong said he would choose between Georgia, Miami, Florida or LSU. Dye’s pick will come from LSU, FSU, Florida, Miami and South Carolina.

While the Seminole trio appears set to make a decision, one major University of Florida commitment now says he wants to see what else is out there in the world of recruiting. Valdosta ( Ga.) Lowndes County star Greg Reid, Georgia’s player of the year and a Gator commitment for nearly a year, now says he wants to take some visits and look at the big picture before making his decision.

The Gators still remain big in the picture but not the only one hanging around. Now, Reid says he is looking at everything in the SEC and ACC.  

RBs galore

We have been bragging all year about the depth and talent of Florida’s running back class, even suggesting as many as two dozen could develop into top contributors at the next level.

But it’s nice to get affirmation from Luginbill, who agreed that the running back class may be the best in the past four years.

Mission accomplished

QB Matt Barkley of Santa Ana ( Cal.) Mater Dei was the preseason No. 1 prospect in the country. His senior season did not go as well as Barkley or the evaluators predicted, but he still arrived in Orlando for the all-star game with a special No. 1 rating: Traveling the longest distance to play.

Barkley and his family flew from South Africa where they had been on a mission to help the impoverished.

That makes him No. 1 in a lot of people’s eyes. 

UCF news

A pair of UCF commitments have earned all-state honors in Georgia.

OL Evan Swindall of LaFayette and DL Tay Irvin of LaGrange Troup County both were chosen to the Class AAA all-state squad. Irvin and UCF commit A.J. Bouye of Tucker were selected to play in the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association North-South all-star game.

Bill Buchalter may be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  

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