recruiting is always a fluid situation. What a player thinks one day can be dramatically different the next. That describes perfectly the recruitment of ronald powell (moreno valley, calif./rancho verde) who was all set on florida just a week ago and is now once again wrestling with what to do.
As we mentioned here last week, powell has been a huge florida lean for the last several months. Usc was also under consideration but the standout rush end fell in love with the gators after a pair of unofficial visits and has been trying to make a public announcement for the last two weeks.
The big news this past weekend was obviously gator coach urban meyer stepping down at florida and then deciding a day later that it would be a leave of absence rather than a resignation. The whole situation has clouded things greatly for powell.
"he's pretty freaked out right now," rv coach pete duffy said. "he has been set on florida for so long and now with the news over the weekend, he's ready to re-open his recruitment. He loved florida for a lot of reasons but playing for coach meyer was probably at the top of the list.
"he's now talking about usc a lot and wanting to take a visit to miami. I talked to coach [brian] white at florida, who i've know forever, and he assured me that coach meyer will be there and i believe him. Ronald is thinking this could be about trying to save the recruiting class so he's really have some second thoughts.
"he wants to sit down and talk with coach meyer man to man and see what's up and i think that's a good idea. I don't think coach meyer is going to lie the kid and ronald is a really smart kid and he would be able to see through that. I'm supposed to talk to ronald later today and see where his head is at because there is still a chance he could announce this week but as of right now, he's planning to wait it out and take some visits before doing anything."
as i said, recruiting is fluid and after coach duffy talks with powell today, the situation could be different again but as of right now, the lineman plans to take some january visits before pulling the trigger.