Since these days it is impossible to discuss a recruit without listing how many stars he has, let's begin by saying he is a 4star on both Scout and Rivals.
Scout has him as the 15th best CB in this class. Rivals has him as their 11th rated athlete and a top 250 player overall.
Since that's out of the way, let's get down to brass tax:
In my opinion, Greg Reid might be the most important player left on our board.
The talent difference between UF and Florida State was shocking last November. Even during their most recent National Championship run, I always felt that we were 1 or 2 players away from competing with the Gators. This year, I don't think there was a single player on our team they would trade for straight up. Maybe Everette or Graham, but that's about it. The Gators simply had a better player than we did at virtually every position. As sad as it sounds to say this, I think we need to get back to taking the players they want away from them. We did this with Bert Reed, and I think he has proven he can be a phenomenal playmaker if he can stay on the field. Part of the reason Florida State's run in the 1990s is so impressive is that we consistently had to compete with Florida and Miami for the top local talent. We are dangerously close to letting UF take their fill of the top talent in the area and picking up the pieces after they are done. Getting Reid, a player they wanted and accepted a commitment from over a year ago, would be a step in the right direction in this regard.
Has anyone on this site mentioned in the past month or so that we need corners badly? Because we need corners. Badly. Some of you who have followed my posts may say to yourselves "Oh Reid is just another DB MattD has a bromance with. First there was Hosley, then Thomas, now this Reid guy." Don't be fooled. Reid isn't some diamond in the rough who we may or may not need to take a chance on (I still say we need Thomas). He is a proven playmaker who has been recognized by coaches and scouts alike. His high evaluations from all the major recruiting services, as well as the rave reviews he is getting this week at the Under Armor All Star Game practices show that this guy is a legitimate player. We don't have to worry about whether or not there is enough film on him to offer, Reid's performance has made the decision for us. He is too good to let get away without a fight. Add to that he is a NATURAL corner who has experience at the position and won't need a ton of coaching to learn the spot and he would be a vital addition to this class. Some fans may be scared by his size, but I think his experience playing corner will make up for it. Alphonso Smith is the textbook example we always go back to on this site, and I think it applies here as well. Reid is an extremely talented player at a position we desperately need.
So the $1 million dollar question is: can we get him?
He only recently announced his decommitment, and it hasn't even made its way to all the sites yet, but let's speculate.
The good:
- He's teammates with one of our firmest commitments, Gerald Demps. Maybe the two of them have enjoyed sharing the defensive backfield so much they want to keep doing it at the next level.
- He's semi-local. It's a quick trip to Valdosta, Ga from Tallahassee. Even Dexter Carter can make the drive with his designated coaching chaperon. Our coaches can beat a path to his front door in the coming month.
- He's on the same All Star team as McDaniel, McAllister, and Thompson. Jacobbi has been recruiting hard for us, maybe he can get this one too.
The bad:
- He liked what he saw at UF so much he committed after his Junior season. There's clearly an attraction there that we will have to overcome.
- We have plenty of lazy recruiters. Giving this task to the wrong coach could completely ruin our chances.
- It will be a fight. Reid is a player and a lot of schools are going to be after him. Do we still have the ammunition to win in a recruiting firefight?
- He might have academic issues. After building him up so much, he might not make it into school. It really really hurts when that happens (I'm looking at you, Willie Downs).
My advice, Seminole fans, is when you make your wish list for the next month, right after lax penalties from the NCAA and Chuck Amato getting fired I would include signing Greg Reid.