Under Armour All-America Game notebook: Gators land Harvin clone

Related Links Barkley leads White to win in All-America game

ORLANDO, Fla -- Florida won't take the field to play for the national title until Thursday, but the Gators scored a victory for their future Sunday when Sanford (Fla.) Seminole receiver Andre Debose committed during the Under Armour All-America Game, choosing Florida from a group that also included Georgia, LSU and Miami.

Debose, a 6-foot, 180-pounder, drew plenty of comparisons to current Florida receiver Percy Harvin while leading his team to a Class 6A state title. Debose clinched that title for the Seminoles with a 40-yard touchdown catch in the waning seconds of the state championship game against Miami Northwestern at the Citrus Bowl on Dec. 19. Sunday, LSU-bound quarterback Russell Shepard stood in the same end zone Debose landed in to win the state title and hit Debose on a hitch-and-go for a 92-yard touchdown.

Later, Debose watched Seminole teammates Ray Ray Armstrong (6-4, 215 athlete) and Dyron Dye (6-4, 215 defensive end) commit to Miami. When Debose announced in the fourth quarter, he said he would miss playing with his teammates before donning a Florida cap and chomping at an ESPN camera.

"It was just the opportunity to play early," Debose said. "I can play very early at Florida."

That's especially true if Harvin, a junior, jumps to the NFL after this season. Debose has a similar build and similar speed and agility, but he said he isn't quite comfortable with comparisons to Harvin. "That's a great player to be compared to," Debose said. "But I'm Andre Debose. I'm not Percy Harvin."

The more pressing question from Florida's end: Will Debose be the college teammate of Valdosta (Ga.) Lowndes cornerback Greg Reid? Reid, named a co-MVP Sunday after he intercepted two passes, committed to Florida in February, but he decided this week to reopen his recruitment.

Sunday, Reid said the Gators remain in the hunt, but he is open to anyone. One obvious suitor is Georgia. Reid took an unofficial visit to Athens in October. "I'm just going to take some more visits," Reid said. "Just calm down. I think I did everything too fast."

Remember Me?

Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei quarterback Matt Barkley committed to USC before national signing day 2008, so he hasn't exactly dominated the headlines in a while. Sunday, he reminded the nation why some recruiting services ranked him the No. 1 overall prospect entering the 2008 season. Barkley, Sunday's other co-MVP, completed 11 of 22 passes for 237 yards and two touchdowns.

On his first play from scrimmage, Barkley threw a perfect slant that receiver Marlon Brown turned into a 71-yard touchdown. Those who read this space regularly will remember Brown as the Memphis, Tenn., recruit Lane Kiffin intended to visit after his first press conference as Tennessee's coach. Later, Barkley hit Miami-bound receiver Jamal Reid for a 35-yard score.

Barkley said his decision to commit early reduced pressure his senior year. "It did, just to know where I was going," Barkley said. "It also helped me to be a recruiter in a sense. I knew that's where I wanted to go, so why wait?"

Barkley's recruiting efforts this past week paid off as well. Shortly before kickoff, Salt Lake City offensive lineman John Martinez announced he would join Barkley at USC.

Nothing But A Number

Florida State-bound defensive tackle Jaccobi McDaniel is tired of hearing about his height. He's listed at 6-foot, but some have suggested all measurements should begin with a five.

After watching McDaniel play against some of the nation's best linemen Sunday, the height debate sounds even more ridiculous. Whether McDaniel is 5-11, 6-0 or 6-1, he's downright unblockable. The only technique that kept the 267-pounder from Greenville, Fla., out of the backfield Sunday was a headlock, which, last we checked, is illegal.

If McDaniel were 5-6, he probably wouldn't be able to carry enough weight to compete at a high level. At his current height, he has little trouble getting under the pads of blockers and driving them toward the quarterback. It will take perfect technique to block McDaniel, and few linemen can maintain perfect technique every play. Expect McDaniel, if he stays healthy, to play early and often for the Seminoles.

No matter how tall he is.

"People always say everything about my height," McDaniel said. Now, on national TV, they finally saw what I'm capable of doing."

More Commitments

Though Georgia continues to work on Reid, the Bulldogs do know they have one top-rated defensive back on the way. Atlanta cornerback Branden Smith picked the Bulldogs Sunday night over Florida, Alabama and Florida State.

Meanwhile, Somerville, N.J., center Mark Brazinski joked about poring over spreadsheets before finally deciding on Cal. Brazinski also considered Boston College, Florida State, North Carolina, Penn and Rutgers.