Florida's Meyer uses unique event to corral recruits

Florida's Urban Meyer has already earned four commitments for the Class of 2008. AP

By Mike Farrell, Special to SI.com, Rivals.com

Following a stroke of genius on the part of football coach Urban Meyer, things are ready to heat up on the recruiting front for Florida.

A Meyer brainstorm called "Friday Night Lights" has been a staple of Florida recruiting since the coach arrived on campus in 2005. What Meyer and his staff were looking to accomplish was simple: Take a regular summer camp and turn it into an event, an event that will bring top prospects in droves and give the Gators recruiting momentum late in the summer into the season.

Mission accomplished.

FNL, as fans have tagged it, is a one-night camp that is part Midnight Madness, part All-American Game and part official visit.

Top players from around the country are invited to the event (although it is not simply invite-only per NCAA rules) to compete against the best in the country and for a coveted Gators scholarship.

What better way to sell a kid on The Swamp than to have them compete with other great players while highlights of the Gators' run to the national championship play on the big screen in the background?

This year's version was the best yet in Gainesville. More than 150 of the top players around went at it with competitive flair. Many of the linemen wore pads and smacked helmets. The one-on-one battles between the wideouts and defensive backs and running backs and linebackers were filled with smack talk and physical play despite a dress code of T-shirts and shorts.

Meyer and his staff had two commitments before the event, but doubled that amount within 48 hours. The foundation has been laid for another stellar class. One of the biggest news items out of the event surrounded a non-news story. The near commitment of Jersey City (N.J.) St. Peter's athlete Will Hill was the talk of many. Hill didn't participate in the festivities, but took in the atmosphere with his father.

Hill, the No. 7 prospect in the country, came close to ending the process on campus but indicated he'll take an official visit to Gainesville on Sept. 15 before he commits. With Georgia, Florida State, Ohio State and USC all on the board early with commitments from top-20 players, landing Hill will allow the Gators to keep pace.

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