Notebook: Gators commits, targets shine in all-star game

ST. PETERSBURG — Four-star defensive end Jordan Jenkins doesn’t say “hella” — he’s more of a y’all kind of guy.

Transplanted to Hamilton, Ga., from Washington, Jenkins said it has been funny listening to the idiosyncratic differences between the West and East Coast Under Armour All-America players this week.

“One of the signature words that lets you tell if someone is from California or Washington or something like that is ... if they start saying ‘hella.’ I’ve gotten sort of into that Southern drawl a little bit.”

Jenkins had an explosive night for Team Highlight at Tropicana Field Thursday night in the Under Armour All-America Game, putting up eight tackles and two sacks.

Marcus Maye starred in the UA game.

He has been a major target for Florida commits recently, with his decision between Alabama and Florida to be announced today.

“I definitely haven’t made my decision yet,” Jenkins said. “A lot of thinking, a lot of stress, and a big earful from my dad (will happen during the decision-making process this weekend).”

Jenkins also confirmed he would visit with UF coaches after the game, after an invite from defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.

“I definitely feel honored because I’m not even a commit and they want me to come down,” Jenkins said.

Maye excels: For Florida oral commit Marcus Maye, the Under Armour All-America game was about redemption.

The four-star prospect out of Melbourne saw his senior season at Holy Trinity end due to a foot injury.

Maye, although recruited as a safety, dazzled at the outside linebacker position. He tallied five tackles and two assists as well as a fumble recovery in the first half. Maye also blocked a punt that went for a safety, the first safety in the 5-year history of the game.

To participate in the Under Armour game, which his Team Blur dominated in a 49-16 win, was a “one-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Maye said.

“Definitely been through a little ups and downs and stuff like that, but I’m all healed. ... I was glad to be back on the field. The way I went out on top this year — I couldn’t ask for anything else.”

Thompson working targets: Gators oral commit Colin Thompson celebrated Team Blur’s rout of Team Highlight by, well, going to Disney World.

He spent Friday at the theme park with his family: members of a party of 40 that traveled from his hometown in Warminster, Pa., to see him play in the Under Armour game.

The four-star tight end had a catch for 16 yards in the third quarter, and used his 6-foot-5, 255-pound frame to make a big impact blocking for Team Blur.

Thompson has also been making an impact on the recruiting trail for UF, talking up the Gators to other undecided All-Americans throughout the past few days.

“To put names with faces and actually meeting the guys is what I really care about,” he said. “I’ll recruit the guys that are great people over a player who may be better than them. Those are the people I want to play with.”

Poole sets record: Brian Poole hasn’t yet signed his letter of intent, but he is already breaking Gators’ records.

In the first quarter, his 93-yard pick-six set an Under Armour All-America game record for longest touchdown play, a mark previously held by current Gator Andre Debose.

“My instincts just took me to it, and once the ball hit my hands, I already had in my mind I was going to the house,” Poole said of the play. “It’s a great opportunity to be in the record book, so I’m excited about it.”

Poole and Maye, both on the victorious Team Blur, had monster performances.

“I feel like we made a huge statement,” he said, also expressing his pride in his future teammates as well.

“It was awesome — all us came out, made a lot of plays, had a lot of fun. I mean, we just showing the future of the program at Florida.”

Oral commitments are nonbinding until a national letter of intent is signed on or after National Signing Day on Feb. 1, 2012.

Florida loses a running back commit

Four-star running back prospect Mike Davis once said Florida’s biggest ailment on the field was its need for “bigger backs.”

Now, the Gators need to find one more.

Davis, at 5-foot-10 and 200 pounds, would have been a much-needed ballcarrier at UF in the wake of the departures of seniors Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps. But after being orally committed to Florida since Feb. 19, Davis decommitted Sunday night.

Running back Mike Davis has decommitted from UF.

Last Tuesday, tight ends coach Derek Lewis made an in-home visit to Davis in Stone Mountain, Ga. Davis said the meeting had gone “well,” and his decision to decommit had nothing to do with the visit, but “it was just something I noticed the next day.”

Citing a “misunderstanding” with coaches as the reason he chose to reopen his recruitment, Davis would not elaborate on the altercation. On his Twitter he posted: “It’s funny when you look a coach in the eye [and] see right through the B.S. dey be feedin you.”

“Nothing really happened,” he said. “I can’t say because I don’t bash on coaches, but it was just a misunderstanding with me and the coaches.

“It wasn’t anything bad at all, it was just a misunderstanding with some things said and that happened. … There wasn’t nothing that sparked it. The thing that happened wasn’t supposed to happen.”

After he informed the Florida staff of his decision Monday, Davis said it emphasized to him that the opportunity to play in Gainesville was still available if he ever changed his mind.

Now on his radar are Tennessee, South Carolina, Miami and Florida State.

“Some things might happen,” he said, indicating UF may still be in consideration.

Davis took his first official visit on Friday to Tennessee, and will be in Tallahassee on Dec. 16 for an official visit to Florida State. He also said he is arranging plans for an official visit to South Carolina in the near future.

Davis’ decommitment leaves the Gators with a single running back scheduled to sign on National Signing Day — four-star prospect Matt Jones of Seffner Armwood High — and 16 total commitments.

However, at the top of Florida’s wish list has been running back Keith Marshall of Raleigh (N.C.) Millbrook High, the nation’s No. 1 back, according to Rivals.com. With his commitment set for this afternoon, Marshall will pick between UF and Georgia, among others, and possibly negate Florida’s fears of poor depth at running back.

Oral commitments are non-binding until a national letter of intent is signed on or after National Signing Day on Feb. 1, 2012.

This article originally appeared in the Independent Florida Alligator on Dec. 6.