Jimbo Fisher said the team is very healthy entering spring.

Ira Denson is not with the team right now and is "just going to school right now." Fisher said his status will be evaluated later, and he wants him to do well academically.

New JUCO offensive lineman Kareem Are has lost 15 pounds, per Fisher. We noted he came in heavy. He was not working out Thursday.

Kain Daub won't be eligible for the spring, but the freshman linebacker will be good to go for summer and fall. Fisher isn't happy about it, but it's a clearinghouse issue.

Fisher singled out P.J. Williams, Markuss Eligwe, all of the running backs, Terrance Smith, Tyler Hunter, Kevin Haplea, Josue Matias and Nick O'Leary as standing out. Fisher said Mario Pender is doing great...

Denson was a recruit with great power, but injury, work ethic, and personal injures may be ending his time in Tallahassee prematurely.

Details are officially emerging on the situation that in part caused Ira Denson to not be with the Seminoles. Jimbo Fisher discussed Denson Thursday.

"[He's] just going to school right now. We'll evaluate how he does and he has to continue to do well. We want him to do well academically. If he does, he does. If he doesn't, then we'll have to adjust to that."

The full story is here from the Democrat, and is complicated but the gist as it pertains to Florida State:  Denson allegedly stole a debit card from Mario Pender, Pender allegedly took a pair of Denson's shoes as collateral, Denson allegedly returned with another man to give Pender back his money and to retrieve his shoes, and after the exchange, the man who returned with Denson allegedly shot a man who was with Pender. That man, from Madison County (Denson's hometown) is charged with premeditated murder attempted murder (the Democrat's article first said premeditated murder).

Florida State has also told recruits it wants five or six offensive line recruits this cycle, which is one more than we projected, which could indicate that Denson is not coming back to the team.

Original story (January 10)

Florida State freshman guard Ira Denson has not had a great semester. Injured, very overweight, and in the doghouse for other issues, he did not make the trip to Pasadena, despite seemingly every other injured player making the trip.

When I saw that, it was a red flag. There are rumors of the latest transgression, but without documentation, I'm not comfortable publishing it because there are conflicting reports and details. I do know that the injury is not what kept him from making the trip.

Early Wednesday, Denson posted the instagram at right of him in a class, with the words 'ppl say. I got kicked out lol let dem tell it but I'm here bored lol I'm still good don't matter what y'all all say," followed by a ton of symbols that I cannot replicate on a laptop.

Last night, Denson had this twitter exchange with teammate Levonte "Kermit" Whitfield and others on twitter. Whitfield and Denson are close, and Denson did not get much of a response from his other teammates, which is a bit unusual for a player making some of the statements he did.

Time for chAnge lord knows it is bout Time for a change of scenery goodbye da old ira Denson welcome back da old humble ira Denson GOD 1st

— Ira Denson (@JuiceFsuBound74) January 10, 2014

@CoolAhhKermit I'm miss you my nigga hold it down like u already doing

— Ira Denson (@JuiceFsuBound74) January 10, 2014

"@JuiceFsuBound74: @CoolAhhKermit I'm miss you my nigga hold it down like u already doing"💯✊ bra ima miss you to yo

— ForeverHarlem (@CoolAhhKermit) January 10, 2014

@CoolAhhKermit love nigga just know we gone make it don't matter what school I'm at 💯💯💯💰💰🏈🏈🙏🙏🙏 keep god 1st Bruh I had learn dat da hard way

— Ira Denson (@JuiceFsuBound74) January 10, 2014

@JuiceFsuBound74 love is love b 💯

— ForeverHarlem (@CoolAhhKermit) January 10, 2014

@CoolAhhKermit💯💯💯

— Ira Denson (@JuiceFsuBound74) January 10, 2014

@Mr_Ick thanks

— Ira Denson (@JuiceFsuBound74) January 10, 2014

The non-denial to a fan wishing him good luck at his new school is also a bit telling. If Denson were staying, would he retweet that?

Every team faces questions, even the national champions.

Over the next 10 days, we'll be taking a look at Florida State football as the Seminoles prepare for spring practice. In anticipation of that, though, I think it's important to remember just how special the 2013 team really was.

This team scored 96 touchdowns. It dominated its schedule like almost no team ever has in the modern era. It is right there or better than any team FSU has ever had, 2005 Texas, 2008 Florida, 2011 Alabama, 2012 Alabama, etc.

Not only does a team like 2013 Florida State not come to Tallahassee every season, but teams like this just aren't around in college football every year. Rarely does a team have both that level of talent and basically everything go right, at the right time, etc.

So while the 2014 Seminoles could be just as good or better than the 2013 version, the chances are that they won't be as good. That's OK. Much lesser teams have won conference and national titles. The 2013 group was special and unique in so many ways, that to expect 2014 to be as good or better is almost disrespectful to what was accomplished in 2013.

Some questions will be answered this spring, and some won't be answered until after summer and fall camp. Some will be answered positively, and some negatively. Without getting too much into the individual positions, I have a few of my own on the macro level.

How many spots are truly open?

I consider FSU's starters to be the QB, 2 RB, FB, 2 TE, 3 WR, 5 OL, 5 DL, 3 LB, and 6 DB. That's 27. Of those, it looks like FSU must replace 12, which is almost half. That's quite a bit. But how many of those are already filled? At least some, but a true number is tough to figure.

Who will lead?

Last year, we asked this about the offense, as Lonnie Pryor, Chris Thompson, EJ Manuel and others left from the 2012 offense. We knew that the defense wasn't losing a ton in the way of leadership (though it did lose a ton of talent).

In 2014, we're asking about the defense. We know who will lead on offense, as Jameis Winston, Karlos Williams, Rashad Greene and almost everyone else of consequence returns.

But on the defensive side, FSU lost not only a key player, but a key leader at every level. Gone are Timmy Jernigan, Telvin Smith, Lamarcus Joyner, Terrence Brooks and Christian Jones. The candidates to step up and be the vocal, fiery leader and the alpha are not exactly clear. Goldman has a very different personality than Jernigan did, as does Ramsey and Darby from what Joyner and Brooks brought.

The question "who will lead?," in asking who will step up to replace the departed leaders, is perhaps a bit unfair. It presupposes that someone will step up and fill that leadership void, but knowing how special those players were as leaders, we must realize that there is a chance the leadership does not reach the level of 2013.

Special teams

Florida State only has one hole to fill on special teams this year: punt returner. It has been an interesting position under Jimbo Fisher. In 2009-11, Greg Reid dazzled, fearlessly catching every punt and providing some great returns. In 2012, FSU could not catch punts. In 2013, FSU's punt return game was not great, but it caught punts very well, which is the most basic and crucial part of punt return.

With Kenny Shaw graduating, will sophomore receiver Jesus Wilson, the reserve in 2013, become the starter? If so, what will he offer at the position? Who else will FSU try back there? Rashad Greene has been OK, but he may be too valuable as the No. 1 receiver to have all that traffic around his knees and ankles, increasing the chance for a freak injury.

How will the offense evolve?

While FSU had incredible injury luck in 2013 during the year, it was very much locked in to what sort of offense it would run by virtue of its tight ends transferring or becoming injured. On April 5, Christo Kourtzidis, the potential No. 2 tight end, injured his shoulder. On June 20, No. 2 tight end, by default, Kevin Haplea tore his ACL. On July 25, Kourtzidis transferred. On August 9, Jeremy Kerr injured his leg and was lost for most of the year. Florida State entered the year and went through the year with just a single true tight end (Giorgio Newberry did move from defensive end to tight end, but was not a contributor).

In 2014, FSU will have six tight ends on its roster, and with the huge losses of Kelvin Benjamin and Kenny Shaw, FSU might look to go with more two-TE sets to lessen the burden on the young receivers. We'll have more on that in the tight ends preview coming up.

Will the defense change?

With Jeremy Pruitt off to Georgia, and Charles Kelly moving from linebackers coach to defensive backs and coordinator, how will the defense change, if any? I have a hunch that the base pass rush will be much better, lessening the need to blitz, and I'll be interested to see how that works out in spring. Three of the top five defensive tackles are also gone, and as you'll read in the defensive line preview, that position is the team's biggest question.

Many of California's top recruits updated their recruitments.

The Los Angeles stop of the Nike Football Training Camp tour was this weekend, and the turnout was tremendous. Four players earned invites to The Opening, the premier all-star summer event in college football recruiting. They include: quarterback Josh Rosen, receiver Christian Kirk, linebacker John Houston Jr. and defensive end Keisean Lucier-South. All four are national prospects with tons of top offers.

Many of the top players gave video interviews, which we have for you below from 247sports.

Josh Rosen

Five-star quarterback, Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco

Rosen admitted to still waiting for a Stanford offer, but he's not worried about it as he plans to commit on March 20. Asked to list three things he likes about perceived leader UCLA, he cited coach Jim Mora's success, the offense UCLA runs being similar to what he runs in high school, and the great UCLA business school.

Cordell Broadus

Four-star receiver, Las Vegas (NV) Bishop Gorman

Son of Snoop Dogg

Miami recently offered Broadus, and he is still high on Florida State and Baylor. He wants to see Florida State and some schools out East, including Miami, LSU and Notre Dame. He plans to commit on National Signing Day. Most experts still feel strongly that he'll sign with USC, and said that uncommitted QB Josh Rosen (above) is recruiting him strongly for UCLA.

Zach Robertson

Four-star guard, Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco

Robertson says he has received new offers from Arkansas, Washington and Arizona State. The four-star offensive lineman named Notre Dame as his leader, with UCLA and Washington following closely behind. He does plan to visit UCLA this spring, and recently visited USC. He may take a trip to Washington over the summer. He indicated that USC signing such an excellent haul of offensive linemen in the 2014 class pushes them down his list some. He plans to commit before his senior season

Keisean Lucier-South

Four-star defensive end, Orange (Calif.) Lutheran

Lucier-South checked in at 6'5, 218 and said that he will probably play with his hand in the ground, despite some wanting him to play outside linebacker. Lucier-South says that UCLA and USC are recruiting him the hardest, and out of state, Tennessee is recruiting him hard. Florida, Texas A&M, Ohio State and Ole Miss are considering offering, but have not yet. Lucier-South surprisingly said that he grew up watching Michigan with his dad. Lucier-Smith does not plan to commit until National Signing Day in February.

Stanley "Scrappy" Norman

Four-star athlete, Gardena (Calif.) Junipero Serra

Oklahoma is Norman's most-recent offer. He has been to Michigan, Arizona State, USC, UCLA. This will be a major recruiting battle between UCLA and USC, but the out-of-state schools cannot be ruled out. He would still like offers from Stanford, Oregon and Michigan State. He may visit Oregon, UCLA, Oklahoma and Washington officially or unofficially.

Dechaun Holiday

Four-star safety, San Marcos (Calif.) Mission Hills

Holiday now has offers from 11 of the 12 Pac-12 schools. He likes the pace and excitement of the Oregon program, and the Ducks are recruiting him at corner. He has visited UCLA and USC. He also wants to see Oklahoma, Oregon, Boise State and others over the summer if he has time.

Christian Kirk

Five-star receiver, Scottsdale (Ariz.) Saguro

Kirk has previously visited Texas A&M, USC, UCLA, Ohio State. He is very close with 2014's No. 1 QB, Kyle Allen, who signed with Texas A&M. Kirk wants to see SEC schools, like Florida and Georgia, along with national programs like Oklahoma and Florida State. He will decide on National Signing Day in February, and is a long way from making a decision, it seems.

Tevita Halalilo

Four-star guard, Moreno Valley (Calif.) Rancho Verde

Halalilo is very high on UCLA, which is no surprise, as Ardian Klemm, UCLA's top recruiter, is also the offensive line coach for the Bruins. He just came off a UCLA visit and enjoyed learning about the Bruins and the academic side of the University. He wants to visit Washington, who has not offered, and Oklahoma, which has. UCLA and Arizona State stick out the most to Halalilo.

We open our Florida State football spring questions piece with the position that will be the source of the biggest questions of all: defensive line. Florida State must replace its best defensive lineman in Timmy Jernigan, a likely first-round draft choice at defensive tackle, plus two key defensive tackle reserves in Demonte McAllister and Jacobbi McDaniel. The latter two have a shot to play in the NFL, as well.

Florida State runs a mix of three- and four-man fronts, and it's dedicated to being multiple. Eddie Goldman and Mario Edwards, Jr. are both excellent players and definite candidates to turn pro early. There are very few questions about them, and they'll receive their ink over the summer. Both have developed quite well, and have lived up to their five-star recruit billings. But there is a major, major drop off from them to their reserves. They simply must stay healthy. Jimbo Fisher did challenge Eddie Goldman in the press to get in better shape, but I believe this is a challenge for him to go from good to great.

Can FSU have championship depth?

In 2013, FSU had awesome depth at defensive tackle. Five players were in the rotation and the group included four upperclassmen. This year, even in the best-case scenario, it's hard not to see a drop off. Spring will be about avoiding too much of a drop off.

Nile Lawrence-Stample is a fine No. 2 defensive tackle for an elite team. He's not great, but he is powerful and at times can play with good leverage. NLS needs to make sure that he is in good enough shape to play a lot more snaps per game and handle the load of a starter. He also must get better at playing blocks and finding the football. That could come with more experience.

FSU certainly hopes that it does, because the guys behind NLS are serious question marks.

Jimbo Fisher gave a ton of praise to Desmond Hollin, a JUCO recruit who FSU brought in last season, saying that he has made a ton of progress and is up to 288 pounds. Making him a defensive tackle is a conscious effort to create more depth there. Hollin showed some flashes in 2013, but was not an impact player.

My sources are not hopeful that Derrick Mitchell can play at a high level after suffering from numerous back issues, but Fisher did give him some praise after the off-season conditioning program.

Keith Bryant has a lot of ability, but must mature as a player. There is hope that he can become FSU's No. 3 defensive tackle if he gets in good shape, focuses, and matures in his work habits.

Justin Shanks had shoulder surgery in January and I am not certain of his availability for spring practice. Shanks has the size, but when he comes back from his surgery, will he show the mean streak, conditioning and the hunger to be an FSU-caliber player? FSU lists him at 306 pounds, but I believe him to be heavier than that.

Ideally, FSU comes out of spring feeling confident about two of Hollin/Bryant/Mitchell/Shanks. If that happens, true freshmen like Derrick Nnadi and Demacus Christmas can work their way into the rotation at a reasonable pace.

On the edge

It's important for FSU to develop that depth. Edwards Jr. can play the five-technique in a 3-4 alignment quite well, thus lessening the need for defensive tackles, but he is more valuable as a defensive end who can dominate the edge.

If FSU doesn't develop the depth at defensive tackle, it will be pressed into playing more 3-4 looks, with players like Edwards Jr., and Demarcus Walker playing the five-technique spots, with linebackers and Chris Casher standing up some on the edges as outside linebackers.

Will Walker play more of a stand-up role, or more with his hand in the dirt? How will this change when FSU goes to its 3-3-5/4-2-5 alignment? He did some of both in 2013, and I'll be interested to see how he is used going forward. I suspect he'll be playing more of the three-point stance, because if he doesn't, I'm not sure who will back up Edwards Jr.

Chris Casher seems like the truest 4-3 type defensive end on the team, and I suspect he'll be asked to play some with his hand in the dirt and from a two-point stance. Casher has some of the greatest natural pass-rushing talent on the team, but he needs to refine his technique and develop more moves. He also must become stouter against the run.

Release from FSU is as follows...

Tallahassee, Fla. -- Florida State Director of Athletics Stan Wilcox announced today the hiring of Cindy Hartmann to the newly created position of Deputy Director of Athletics for Administration at FSU. Hartmann, who has served as Associate Athletic Director for Compliance at Duke for the past five years, will join FSU's executive athletic staff with primary responsibility for human resources.

"Cindy brings a wealth of experience at a number of fine institutions to Florida State," said Wilcox. "Her expertise in the area of human resources will be a great complement to our current staff and fulfill a need that is often overlooked in college athletics administration. In addition, her experience as a former student-athlete will be important."

Hartmann leaves Duke where she administered the compliance office and served as primary sport oversight for the Blue Devil's rowing program and secondary administrator for women's basketball. Before transitioning to her compliance role, Hartmann served as Assistant Director of Athletics for Human Resources beginning in 2008. Prior to her work at Duke, she worked at the University of Dayton for over a decade serving most recently as an Associate Athletics Director and Senior Woman Administrator from 2001-07.

A native of Syracuse, NY, Hartmann's previous experience in college athletics includes stints at Georgia Perimeter College, Georgia State University, the University of Connecticut, and the University of Tennessee.

Hartmann currently serves on the NCAA Women's Basketball Issues Committee. She also served a four-year term (2002-06) on the NCAA Women's Basketball Committee and one year (2001-02) as a member of the NCAA Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet.

After earning four varsity letters as a member of the basketball team, Hartmann graduated from Syracuse University in 1991 with a degree in photojournalism. She went on to receive a master's degree in education-sport administration from Georgia State University in 1995.

Hartmann and her husband, Troy, are the parents of two children, Samuel and Olivia.

Why does Terry Beckner have so many offers? Let's take a look.

Terry Beckner Jr. is considered one of the top defensive linemen in the country and perhaps the best prospect in the Midwest in the Class of 2015, and is being target by a number of top-tier programs.

Beckner attends East Saint Louis (Ill.) High School and is projected to play defensive end at the next level. He is listed at 6'4 and weighs in at 268 pounds.

The rising senior is considered a five-star by 247sports and a four-star by Rivals, Scout and ESPN. He is also a five-star on the 247sports composite, which aggregates the ratings of all four major recruiting services. The composite ranks Beckner as the 23rd-best player in the class, considering him the second-best strong-side defensive end in the nation and the top player in the state of Illinois. 247sports is high on Beckner, ranking him as the second-best player in the class.

Beckner claims offers from LSU, USC, Florida State, Michigan and Florida, among others.

What makes Beckner so coveted by the top programs in the country?

To start, he offers an excellent blend of size and athleticism. He is impressively muscled for a high school player, but does not look like someone who has already reached his ceiling and won't continue to improve at the college level.

Beckner is strong. On multiple highlights, he is easily able to discard blockers as they are simply not prepared for the force he delivers with a blow. Beckner also has good, but not great, length and is able to use it to control blockers and prevent them from getting into his chest.

But Beckner is not just about size and speed. He also displays good body control and bend, and is not just a straight-line player. In several highlights, he is able to change course, pursue a ball carrier and bring him down.

And Beckner is not just a run-stopper at defensive end. He shows good burst for his size, and with his length and the threat of a bull rush thanks to his strength, he should be able to build off that with more complementary moves at the next level.

Beckner profiles as an instant-impact defensive end who could start for multiple years at the BCS level and end up in the NFL. Every college team in the country could use his skills, regardless of scheme.

Fitzpatrick rates as one of the best defensive talents in the 2015 class. Here is our scouting report on the talented cornerback.

Minkah Fitzpatrick, a product of St. Peters Prep in Jersey City, N.J., is one of the better defensive back recruits available in the 2015 class.

Fitzpatrick is ranked by 247Sports' composite as the 29th best player in the country. He is also listed as the fourth-best cornerback, as well as the best player from New Jersey. Rivals thinks the highest of the talented cornerback, ranking him as the ninth-best player in the 2015 class. ESPN lists Fitzpatrick as the 29th best player in their top-300 rankings.

At 6'0, 185 pounds, Fitzpatrick features a solid frame that should allow him to continue getting bigger and stronger once he hits a college weight program. He has already received scholarship offers from many of the nation's top programs, including Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, Miami, Michigan, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Penn State and South Carolina. He also attended Georgia's junior day, as well as the Crimson Tide's.

You can follow Minkah on Twitter: @minkfitz_21.

Why are teams so high on Fitzpatrick? Let's go to the tape.

It all starts with size. Cornerbacks are getting bigger and bigger, but they can't keep up with the demand for size at the position from the best programs in the country. And the Seattle Seahawks winning the Super Bowl with giants at corner hasn't exactly slowed down the trend, either.

Fitzpatrick offers the size colleges want at the position. He can probably eventually play at 210 or so pounds after a while in a college strength program.

But even the biggest of corners must meet certain minimum speed and athleticism requirements to play the position at the college level. He does that and more.

Fitzpatrick has acceptable speed for a corner. I would not confuse him with a track star, and he is a bit of a long-strider, but I don't view his speed as a concern because it's relative to his size. And for a long-strider, his acceleration and closing speed is surprisingly good. He recovers nicely, can play trail technique and close on deep routes.

Fitzpatrick's highlights do not show him jamming much, but a player with his length, strength, balance, body control and aggressiveness should be able to do so pretty well at the college level.

Fitzpatrick also uses his length quite well to deflect passes and swat at the arms of receivers, causing breakups.

I really like Fitzpatrick's ability to control and contort his body in the air and come down with interceptions. His experience playing receiver helps him in this area. He is also an excellent leaper, capable of simply out-jumping much of his high school competition. Playing zone coverage, he seems to read the field well and find the football, making a number of interceptions by positioning himself smartly and knowing where to be.

When he's not going for a strip, he is a solid tackler, which is the expectation for a big corner.

Fitzpatrick is certainly capable of being a multi-year starter for a big school and an eventual NFL player. He reminds me some of Dee Milliner.

Why is Justin Hilliard so coveted by schools across the country?

Justin Hilliard is considered one of the top linebackers in the nation and perhaps the best prospect in the Midwest, and schools from around the nation are pursuing the top-tier recruit.

Hilliard attends Cincinnati (Ohio) St. Xavier High School, and is listed at 6'2 and 230 pounds. Scout, 247sports and ESPN all project him to play outside linebacker at the next level, while Rivals slots him at inside linebacker.

Rivals (which rates him as the top inside linebacker in the nation), ESPN and Scout all rate Hilliard as a four-star prospect, while 247sports gives him five stars. He is a composite five-star player, with the service ranking him as the 27th-best player in the class of 2015. He's also considered the second-best outside linebacker in the country and the best player in the state of Ohio.

Hilliard claims offers from Alabama, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Florida, Florida State and USC, among others. He can be found on Twitter @JHilliard47.

Why is Hilliard so coveted? Let's go to the tape.

I really want to thank whoever at Hilliard's high school is in charge of getting a good quality digital camera to shoot games. This is very helpful for evaluating.

Hilliard has a great combination of size, speed and athleticism. He seems somewhat close to his eventual college size, and I would not project him as someone who will pack on 30 pounds of muscle in a college strength program. He already looks like a college linebacker. His closing speed is excellent, because his first and second steps are elite for a prospect of his size. I think his overall speed is good, but perhaps not quite that of some others in the class.

Often, when a high schooler is as muscled as Hilliard, I worry about his lateral agility and change of direction. Not so with Hilliard. He is able to strafe down the line, scrape off blocks, change his momentum against flow and then quickly reaccelerate to the ball carrier.

Hilliard takes on blocks aggressively and physically, and is able to get off them quickly, despite not having great length. He seems to be very quick at reading the progression of the play and he diagnoses well. Saint X is a great high school program, and it's no surprise that the coaching he receives shows up in his highlights. That goes for his tackling, too. Hilliard is a big hitter who is also a sure form tackler. He doesn't try to knock out players at the expense of bringing them down.

At 6'2 and 230, Hilliard's measurables don't profile as a pass rusher, but he is one of the best blitzing linebackers I have seen. He has great acceleration, and he is able to make blockers miss in short areas, reminiscent of how great running backs slip tackles in the hole. He finishes off quarterbacks violently.

Hilliard's highlights show him more against the run and blitzing than in coverage, but it's clear he is better against the run at this point. I think Hilliard can be a multi-year starter at the BCS level and an NFL player down the line.

Patrick is one of the top defensive line prospects in the 2015 class. Here is our scouting report on him.

Natrez Patrick, a product of Mays High School in Atlanta, Ga., is one of the top defensive line prospects in the 2015 class.

Patrick checks in at 6'3, 220 pounds, and should continue to grow as he spends time in the weight room. The talented weak-side defensive end holds scholarship offers to Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Louisville, South Carolina and Tennessee, and other programs continue to show interest. He also attended Auburn's junior day in February.

Patrick is rated by 247Sports' composite as the 50th best player in his class, as well as the sixth-best weak-side defensive end. He is also listed as the sixth-best player from the Peach State in 2015, which is quite the accomplishment considering the amount of talent that comes out of Georgia each year. ESPN, Rivals and Scout all list Patrick as a four-star recruit and feature him in their top-100 rankings, with Rivals ranking him No. 59 nationally.

Patrick has a very solid frame with good length for a player who can likely play defensive end in a 4-3 or outside linebacker in a 3-4. He can probably eventually play at close to 260 pounds after time in a weight room. Patrick is a very strong player for his size, and that should only increase. He demonstrates excellent core strength on numerous tackles, ripping ball carriers to the ground.

Patrick's getoff is good, but not amazing. His overall speed is probably better than his quickness, but he does change direction very well, and can break down and tackle, showing good balance. He has a good pass rush move where he bluffs inside and bounces back to the outside with a swim.

Patrick shows very good strength against the run, and is an aggressive, physical tackler.

I think Patrick is one of the better defensive ends in the country, and a top-200 type player. He could be a multi-year starter at the BCS level.

Check the comment section for updates beginning around 4 EST.

The Elite 11 quarterback competition tour hits Florida at 4 p.m. Friday, as top quarterbacks from Florida and across the Southeast will try to win an invite to the Elite 11 Finals. The event will be held at Austin Tindall Park. Florida is not known for producing quarterbacks, but that won't deter the athletes. The biggest names:

• Deondre Francois, of Orlando (Fla.) Olympia, holds offers from Florida, Florida State and Miami, as well as Ohio State.
• Torrance Gibson, of Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) American Heritage will be looking to prove he is a quarterback and not a receiver with some precision passing. Gibson is being pursued by many major schools, including Ohio State, Florida and Miami.
• Tucker Israel, of Orlando (Fla.) Lake Nona, is committed to Clemson.
• Lamar Jackson, of Boynton Beach (Fla.) has numerous top offers like Florida State, Clemson, Oregon and West Virginia, and will be looking to show he can throw as well as he can run.
• And Florida State commitment De'Andre Johnson, of Jacksonville (Fla.) First Coast, will be looking to show why the National Champions accepted such an early commitment from him.
• Christian Alexander, of Lakeland Christian, claims an offer from Miami and will be looking to impress.
• Matt Dame, of West Palm Beach (Fla.) Suncoast, holds an offer from Akron.

Several underclassmen will also be present. Feleipe Franks, of Wakulla (Fla.), may be the best at the event regardless of class. He'll be a national recruit fairly soon. Rex Culpepper, of Tampa (Fla.) Plant is a promising member of the class of 2016 from a great program.

Those are just a few of the known names. Below is the complete list of expected prospects expected to attend, provided by the Elite 11 staff, from which other stars will surely emerge.

No quarterbacks from the Orlando event earned an invite to the Elite 11 finals.

KISSIMMEE, FLA. -- Florida is known for producing great college football players. It's a state that almost no school in the country can afford to ignore in recruiting. Elite defensive linemen, great cover corners, electric receivers, legendary running backs and hard-hitting linebackers. Everything but quarterback.

For whatever reason, the adage in recruiting has been "don't come to Florida for quarterbacks." And if the Elite 11 Orlando tour stop was representative of the quarterbacks in the state for the class of 2015, the adage holds true once again. No invites were extended to the Elite 11 finals, and from my vantage point, having covered many of these events in recent years, none were deserved.

Gibson is a no-show

The most disappointing news of the day was the absence of Torrance Gibson, the five-star athlete from Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) American Heritage. He is insistent on playing quarterback in college, but the 6'4 speedster has predominantly played receiver at recent 7-on-7 events, and I was really looking forward to seeing the extremely raw prospect work with some excellent quarterback coaches and go through the drills.

Of the prospects who did show, there were several who had good days, but none who struck me as nationally elite. There were a lot of fringe prospects. Of course, this is just one event and it is important not to weight camps more than actual work in games.

Francois has the velo

Deondre Francois, of Orlando (Fla.) Olympia was probably the best on the day. He showed very good velocity and a smooth delivery. The issue with Francois, as it was in 2013 (48.8% completions), is that he doesn't always throw receivers a catchable ball. The velocity seems to be there on all throws, and that's not always a good thing. To take the next step, Francois will need to show the ability to throw the ball with the appropriate velocity, arc and position.

A number of schools believe he can do so, as evidenced by his scholarship offers from Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Ohio State, Tennessee and others.

Auburn has been on the 6'1 QB quite a bit. He described his interest in the Tigers as "mid-level," indicating that he needs to take a visit and see more of the program, but added that the Tigers are high on his list and that they are telling him he can "easily" play in the SEC. Francois plans to visit Auburn, Tennessee, Ohio State, Florida State and others in the spring or summer.

Johnson performs well

Johnson sported FSU shorts and gold cleats. Credit: Student Sports

Florida State commitment De'Andre Johnson of Jacksonville (Fla.) First Coast had a good day as well. Questions about his height persist (he claims 6'1, but I'd estimate more of 6'0), but he has been a known commodity in the state for quite a while. Johnson doesn't have the arm that Francois has, but he does a better job with his accuracy, which is arguably more important.

I spoke with Johnson after the event. He said that the Elite 11 staff worked with him on opening up his chest and extending to get the max velocity possible on his throws. Johnson was one of four quarterbacks selected to the last drill known as the pressure cooker, and his performance was one of the better ones in the drill.

Johnson doesn't have plans to visit any other schools as of right now, but said that the schools other than Florida State who are recruiting him the hardest include Nebraska, Clemson and USF. Two west coast schools, Stanford and UCLA, are also getting in the picture, and Florida has recently begun contacting him again as well. Johnson plans to camp again at Florida State over the summer.

He is also recruiting William Sweet, his offensive tackle and a recent Seminoles offer, to come with him to Tallahassee.

Quick slants

Feleipe Franks, of Crawfordville (Fla.) Wakulla, probably has more potential than anyone at the event. While he did not have a great day, the 2016 prospect already holds offers from Alabama, Florida and Florida State. At 6'5 and 210 pounds, he has the frame to be a 240-pound monster and has a free and easy delivery. There is definitely some baseball in his stroke.

Dwayne Lawson, of Tampa (Fla.) Hillsborough County, was more raw than I expected. The 6'5, 210-pounder flashes a big arm, but he is several years away from being at the level at which he could be a starter for some of his top offers like Florida, Ohio State, Miami or Tennessee. He has added recent offers from Michigan State, Nebraska and West Virginia.

The other two quarterbacks who made the pressure cooker final round were Brad Mayes, of Tampa Berkely Prep, and Tanner Hearn, of Orlando (Fla.) East River. Mayes lists offers from Akron and UMass. I think both can play D1 football, but I am not sure if they will be BCS types at this point.

One quarterback I did like quite a bit was Brycen Lee, of Mayo (Fla.) Lafayette. Lee is the quarterback for Jacksonville's Pro Impact 7-on-7 team, and the 6'4, 175-pounder throws a nice, catchable ball with good accuracy. When he fills out, I would expect him to develop more arm strength. I would expect some more FBS schools to offer Lee, as he already claims an offer from Troy.

If I didn't already know that Tucker Israel, of Orlando's Lake Nona, was committed to Clemson, I would not have pegged the 6'0, 190-pounder as a player committed to a program that just played in the Orange bowl. Of course, the event does not favor dual-threat quarterbacks, as it is a passing camp. And Clemson's coaching staff has had an excellent hit rate of late, putting together its best run of seasons since the early '80's.

2016 prospect Rex Culpepper, of powerhouse program Tampa Plant, is one to watch. He showed good arm strength and is the son of former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Brad Culpepper.

SB Nation will provide live recruiting updates and analysis in the comments section.

The first of two Nike Football Training Camp tour stops kicks off Saturday morning in Orlando from Austin Tindall Park. 300 of the state's top prospects will be in attendance, trying to earn an invite to Nike's The Opening in Oregon later this summer. The competition portion of the event takes place between 11 and 2 EST.

Unlike the Elite 11 Orlando, which was sorely lacking in elite talent, this appears to be a loaded group.

Orlando (Fla.) Timber Creek running back Jacques Patrick is one of the best in the country and holds almost all of the major offers. I'll be looking to see how he does in agility drills and in catching the football, since he is about 6'2, 210 or so.

Tampa (Fla.) East Lake's George Campbell will be looking to demonstrate improved hands and better jump ball skills from the receiver position. There is no doubt that Campbell is a freakish athlete, but he is not a dominant or natural receiver at this point. Less heralded Deon Cain, of Tampa Bay Tech, will try and prove he is the state's best at receiver.

Offensive tackles Martez Ivey, of Apopka, and Abdul Bello, of Montverde (Fla.) Academy, will look to show they are the state's most athletic offensive tackle. Both have offers from most of the major schools in the Southeast. Christian Pellage, of Brooksville (Fla.) Nature Coast, will be looking to show he belongs in the conversation as well.

CeCe Jefferson, of Baker County (Fla.), will look to show that he is the best defensive end in the state, but Seffner (Fla.) Armwood's Byron Cowart will also have something to say. Both are among the best at their positions nationally.

It's important to remember that camps are good for evaluating skills, but not so much for evaluating the total football player. Football is played in pads and is a collision sport. Camps are done in shorts and cannot replace actually evaluating football played in pads.

More stars will surely emerge Saturday. Below is the expected list of participants provided by Nike.

Many of the state's best players showed up to see

The story of the defensive line at the camp mirrors the larger story in Florida this year: all ends, no tackles. 2015 is a very good year to get pass rushers from the Sunshine State, but a very, very bad year for defensive tackles based on early returns.

Five-star CeCe Jefferson didn't make the trip, but plenty of other stars did. It was difficult to keep track of everyone, and it would not shock me to see five or six defensive ends from this group go on to play FBS football.

Byron Cowart, of Seffner (Fla.) Armwood, earned an invite to The Opening. Cowart was extremely active and vocal on the day, showing great energy. He disappointed somewhat me in his reps at defensive end, however, and I am still not convinced that he is a natural pass rusher.

Cowart is, however, an elite football player with a lot of strength and a high motor. When he moved inside, he found a lot more success, although the competition at guard and center in this event was much, much worse then the opposition at offensive tackle.

In the linked video, Cowart says that Florida is standing out due to immediate playing time and the success of defensive line coach Brad Lawig, who developed Jadaveon Clowney at South Carolina. He also discussed Alabama and Florida State.

Scott Patchan, of Tampa (Fla.) Freedom is a prospect that I feel is somewhat underrated. He is 6'5, 230 with a great frame capable of eventually playing closer to 260 or 270 pounds. Patchan moved well and showed out in the defensive line pass rush reps. He is the son of a former offensive tackle for the Miami Hurricanes and Philadelphia Eagles, and his brother played for the Florida Gators and Boston College Eagles.

Patchan has 22 FBS offers and is enjoying the process. He was careful to not name any favorites, but did note that his most recent offers are Louisville and Nebraska.

"All schools are special to me if they're showing interest in me to come play for them," Patchan said.

Patchan said he plans to commit this summer, and not stretch out the process.

"I could have fun with it, but if I can sacrifice to build a good team and recruit other guys to my team, that's what I'll do. I want to win. I have a winning mentality, and if I have to give it up that doesn't bother me."

One school is recruiting Patchan the hardest: Miami.

"I hear from them every day," he said, also noting that North Carolina and Florida State are in routine contact.

Patchan is planning summer visits to UCLA, USC, Miami, Florida, Florida State, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt and likely a few others, but most believe he will end up at Miami at this point.

Other c/o 2015 players who did well: Marques Ford, of Gibsonton (Fla.) East Bay; and Reuben Jones, of Lakeland (Fla.) Lake Gibson. I think Jones will be a solid outside linebacker, as he is a bit small for defensive end. He has some natural pass rushing ability.

Janarius Robinson, of Panama City (Fla.) Bay High School, was one of the top underclassmen at the event. I spoke with him about what it means to compete at a Nike event as a sophomore, and he came right out and said the school he wanted to attend, which was a bit of a surprise.

"I want to go to FSU, so I'm putting in work to be able to do that," Robinson said. "I've always likes the Seminoles, I love their coaches, grew up going to games." Robinson doesn't have any offers at the moment, but says he has received hand written letters from Florida State, Alabama, Georgia and Clemson. He was extremely impressive at 6'5 and 226 pounds in drills, but did not fare as well in football reps. I was told that he is new to playing defensive end and is a former receiver, which would explain quite a bit.

Another young defensive end who caught my eye was Malik Barrow, of Tampa Catholic. He profiles as a weak-side defensive end, and could blossom into a five-star type prospect.

Linebacker

I was not blown away by the linebacker group. There were some good players, but none who I consider to be truly elite, and there was an overall lack of length at the position. I did not see a player who I would project to turn into a superstar.

Cecil Cherry, of Frostproof (Fla.), has been committed to Tennessee for some time. But that's not deterring other schools from talking with him.

"Florida State, Alabama, Arizona State, Notre Dame, Nebraska, all of them," Cherry said when asked about what schools are still coming after him hard. He indicated that he plans to take five official visits.

"Arizona State, where my brother is at; USC Trojans; Alabama; South Carolina; and Penn State;" He said, but then indicated that he would take his final official to Tennessee, which would be six if you're scoring at home (one over the limit of five).

Cherry made it clear that the official visits will just be for fun.

"That's not possible," he said when asked if it was possible for him to change his mind about Tennessee.

Cherry said that coach Butch Jones and his future position coach contact him all the time, and that he appreciates that they talk with him about life and not just football.

I felt that Cherry did well, and he earned an invite to The Opening, but I do have questions about how close he is to his ceiling. He is very muscled (6'1, 219), and not the most agile player, though camp is not the best format for the very physical Cherry.

Sherrod Pittman, of Jacksonville (Fla.) First Coast had a decent day and also earned an invite to The Opening. But like with Cherry, I have questions about the South Carolina commitment's ultimate ceiling. He looks almost exactly the same as he did two years ago. Is 6'1, 215 going to be it?

Shaquille Quarterman, of Orange Park (Fla.) Oakleaf, was probably the top underclassman linebacker at the event. Like Cherry and Pittman, he is short and muscled (6'0, 235), but he moved well for his size.

Defensive back

One player stood out above the rest: Derwin James. Out of Auburndale (Fla.) Haines City, James was not only the best safety at the event, but he would have been the best corner and very likely the best receiver, too. In fact, after dominating at cornerback, James flipped over to offense and 'Mossed' one poor defensive back, then burnt another on a go route.

James earned a return trip to The Opening. It's not hyperbole to suggest that the 6'2, 205-pounder would be starting for a number of major schools this fall if he could somehow skip his senior year of high school. His acceleration, change of direction, and body control are elite. He very well could be the best player in the state, and was actively recruiting others like running back Jacques Patrick to join him at FSU.

After James, there was a steep drop to the next best player, but I was impressed with Orlando (Fla.) Olympia cornerback Jalean Perkins. Perkins has very good length at 6'1, 175, and showed good hips relative to his size.

Offense was the story of the day in Orlando, though there's plenty of fine defenders as well.

I covered the quarterback group thoroughly on Friday, coming away thinking that the group was good, but not great. Apparently they were better Sunday, because both Deondre Francois and De'Andre Johnson took home invites to The Opening and the Elite 11 Finals. Francois is uncommitted, though I think Florida has a very good shot with him. Johnson is a Florida State commitment. I did not watch the quarterbacks closely Saturday because I was spending more time on other groups who did not have a specialized camp on Friday.

Running Back

The running back group was very good, with several elite prospects and a number of other FBS level players.

The top running back on the day was probably Dexter Williams of Orlando (Fla.) West Orange. The 6'0, 195-pounder turned in the best SPARQ rating on the day (Nike's way of measuring several different athletic tests). He posted a ridiculous 44.5" vertical jump, showed good acceleration and change of direction, and generally caught the football as well. He holds offers from Florida, Ohio State, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, USC, Notre Dame, Miami and others.

USC is Williams' most recent offer.

"I know they love Florida boys," he said of USC. "Leonard Williams' old coach actually works over at USC, and he told me he's been keeping his eye on me ever since I was a freshman."

Williams has several schools standing out.

"USC, Ohio State, Georgia, Miami and Florida," Williams said, stressing that he doesn't have a top five, just five schools standing out.

Coach Brian White is Williams' recruiter for the Gators. Williams gets to see him quite a bit since White's son is the quarterback for the Orlando area 7-on-7 team, and NCAA rules allow parents to attend the events even if they are coaches.

"I would like to hear from Auburn, or LSU, because they have amazing running games and know how to use their backs," Williams said. He also indicated that he thinks the spread is better for him, but would like to play in a pro-style offense because it's what he ran at his old high school (Olympia, in Orlando).

Close behind him was Orlando Timber Creek's Jacques Patrick, who checked in at 6'2 and 232 pounds. Patrick has almost all of the major offers, and was hanging out with the Florida State group of commitments. He's generally considered very likely to attend FSU. He moved well for a back of his size, and earned an invite to The Opening.

De'Anfrenee McGriff, of Tallahassee (Fla.) Leon, was quite impressive. He checked in at 6'0 and 228 pounds and I believe he can eventually play H-Back at about 235-245 pounds.

"LSU is recruiting me as a safety, and Auburn wants me at sort of an H-Back/Running Back," McGrfff said of LSU and Auburn. McGriff prefers to play offense, and Florida State is recruiting him there. McGriff plans to visit Auburn, FSU, LSU and South Carolina in the spring. He said he grew up a Florida fan, but "with this recruiting thing, it don't matter, it's business."

Antonio Wimbush, of Kingsland (Ga.) Camden County, had a very good day and took home the running back MVP award.

Apopka's Chandler Cox showed the quickness that allows him to gain favorable angles and position on defenders when blocking. Chandler is very high on the Florida Gators.

Receiver & Tight End

Deondre Farrier, of Orlando (Fla.) Lake Nona, was named the receiver MVP and also earned an invite to The Opening. The Florida commit looked good in the reps I saw, but other analysts raised eyebrows that he earned the honor. Apparently he suffered from some drops in an earlier portion of the camp that I missed when I was watching the defensive linemen.

George Campbell, the incredible athlete from Tarpon Springs (Tampa) East Lake High School, caught the ball better Saturday than he has in recent years and events. Campbell earned an invite to The Opening, one of the few players in the event's history to make the trip twice. Campbell has a long way to go as a receiver, but more days like Saturday will be a step in the right direction.

Garrett Williams, of Orlando's First Academy, had another solid day. I spoke with Williams recently, and he is down to four schools: Auburn, Clemson, Florida State and Stanford. Williams is an FSU legacy and definitely has strong interest in Clemson. Stanford's academics are very attractive to him, as well. All schools plan to use him as an H-Back, and I expect a decision to come sooner rather than later.

Auden Tate, of Tampa (Fla.) Wharton, had a good day. The 6'4, 200-pounder uses his body to shield defenders, which is important because he does not have an elite top gear. Tate does have room to add more good weight and should become a force in the red zone in time.

Originally from South Carolina, Tate added offers from South Carolina and Clemson this week. He indicated that he wants to visit both schools this spring, along with Kentucky. He is in the process of planning out the visits with his parents.

But it's another school that stands out the most to Tate.

"I like Miami a lot. I like the swagger they play with," Tate said. He said that he deals with coach Scott from the Hurricanes and likes that he is a straight forward coach.

Tate would still like an offer from Florida.

"I'm good friends with Vernon [Hargeaves], and I was talking to him over spring break and he told me Florida was a good atmosphere and a good program," he said.

Tate says he would like to commit near the end of summer.

Deion Cain, of Tampa Bay (Fla.) Tech, had a very nice day and it was a bit surprising that he did not receive an invite to The Opening. His most recent offer was from Georgia. He checked in at 6'2, 192, which is a good height for him to come in at. Cain runs smooth routes and is further along as a receiver than someone who plays predominantly quarterback would typically be.

Cain recently visited Florida.

"The visit to Florida was great, it was better than I expected it to be," he said. "I got a look at the new offense, and it was quite impressive."

Cain's recruiter at Florida is Joker Phillips, and Cain said that the visit improved his relationship with him.

Florida State has long been in the picture for Cain, ever since he burst on the scene at their summer camp in 2013.

"I talk with them a lot," Cain said of Florida State. "I'm building my chemistry up with coach Fisher. I already had good chemistry with [receivers coach] Dawsey." Cain declined to name a leader, but said Florida State was high on his list.

Cain plans to decide at the end of the summer.

Ray-Ray McCloud III, of Tampa (Fla.) Sickles, showed his usual quickness and change of direction, catching the ball well. He's a bit of a hybrid receiver/running back, and his abilities after the catch are quite good. McCloud plans to see Clemson, Florida, Miami, UNC, Notre Dame, Ohio State and UCLA in the spring and summer before making a decision.

Florida commit Tristan Payton, of Jacksonville (Fla.) First Coast, had a good day. He's has good strength to get off the press, can elevate to catch the ball and is very competitive.

Nate Craig, of Tampa Catholic (formerly of Pasco County), was arguably the top underclassman at the event. Craig is a national recruit who is on pace to end up with more than 40 offers. He is an impressive 6'2, 195.

Offensive line

Martez Ivey, of Apopka, is one of the top offensive tackles in the country. He told me that he recently counted up his offers and he thinks he has 41 at this time, including the entire SEC. Ivey enjoyed his Alabama visit, and he plans to visit Florida and perhaps Auburn again over the summer. He also mentioned that he would like to visit LSU and South Carolina if he gets the chance. Ivey wants to wait out his recruitment until after he is done with all five of his official visits.

I thought that Ivey did well at the event. He is apparently coming off some sort of knee procedure, but did not seem limited. He has freakishly long arms on his 6'6, 280-pound frame, and it was good to see him do pass protection drills, since he rarely pass protects in his high school's offense. He is an elite prospect.

Abdul Bello, of Montverde (Fla.) Academy, was extremely impressive. Bello, who is new to the United States and the game of football (Nigeria native), has played only six games of American football and had never been to a camp. He is, in a word, raw. But you just can't teach 6'5, 295 with tiny, flexible ankles and a fierce punch. The coaches at the event were very impressed with how quickly Bello picked things up and tried them out. I truly believe Bello has the potential to be a five-star when all is said and done.

"It went pretty well," Bello said of his first camp experience. "I have so much to learn and improve upon."

Specifically, Bello wants to work on his kick slide and learn to better use his excellent athleticism in pass protection.

Bello's most recent offer is Georgia, which is added to a list including Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Maryland, Miami, Missouri and Tennessee.

Bello recently took trips to Florida, Florida State and Alabama, but had trouble pointing out what he saw as differences in the schools, saying that they have much more in common than they do different.

Bello does not claim any favorites and is not in any hurry to decide. He said it is important for him to make the right decision, and he is focused on finding a good education and a good business program. Bello said he wants to start a business in "wholesaling."

Christian Pellage, of Brooksville (Fla.) Nature Coast, again had an impressive day. Pellage holds more than 20 offers, including Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Miami and others. His most recent was Arkansas.

Romelo Burke, of Sarasota (Fla.) Booker High School, was the best guard in attendance.

Jake Fruhmorgen, of Tampa (Fla.) Plant, didn't participate since he's recovering from shoulder surgery, but we did chat about his recruiting.

Fruhmorgen just returned from a trip to Clemson.

"Clemson was a cool place. A little different, a small town feel," he said. "Good coaches and good people."

Fruhmorgen is close with Dustin Frye, the Clemson offensive line graduate assistant. Fruhmorgen said that Clemson is a good distance from his Tampa home (about nine hours), and that the drive was not that bad.

Florida, Alabama and Michigan are all still standing out to him quite a bit, and he is visiting Florida next week. Fruhmorgen has yet to see the new Florida coaching staff in action, and is excited to see them.

He plans to commit within a few weeks. At this time, I expect it to be Clemson as the Tigers did an excellent job on his visit.

Miami is always one of the top stops on the Nike Football Recruit Training Camp tour, and 2014 figures to be no different. I'll be providing live updates from 10-2 EST in the comment section as some of the top players in the state try to earn offers to Nike's The Opening -- the premier showcase event in college football recruiting.

I've bolded some of the players I recognize from the list as having offers from FBS schools, and plenty more will surely emerge.

Few recruits in the country have the raw talent of Torrance Gibson.

Sunday at the Miami Nike Football Training Camp was a mixed bag for Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) American Heritage five-star QB/athlete Torrance Gibson. He struggled throwing the football, and stood out among a very lacking quarterback field because of his build (6'4, 200), not his arm.

Nonetheless, Gibson did earn an invite to Nike's The Opening (a prestigious showcase in Oregon) as an athlete, with a chance to earn a spot at quarterback if he improves considerably between now and early July. He is one of only 20 Florida recruits to receive the honor at this point in the summer camp cycle.

Gibson has not been working on playing quarterback all that much early on in 7-on-7 season, playing almost exclusively receiver, where he has made highlight catches and torched some of the best defensive backs in the state. It will be interesting to see how much quarterback he plays over the next several months.

Despite the struggles as a passer and his seemingly effortless success at receiver in previous competitions, Gibson is determined to play quarterback in college, following in the footsteps of Cam Newton and Michael Vick. In fact, he is not even listening to schools that suggest playing receiver, or even having a receiver as a backup plan in case quarterback does't work out.

"It goes in one ear and out the other," Gibson said.

With his off-the-charts athleticism and build, and a very real option to switch to receiver in college, where he would likely be rated as one of the best in the country, Gibson realizes that picking a school that utilizes his athleticism to open up the passing game will be important for him to remain at QB.

"Ohio State, Tennessee, Florida, Clemson, Oklahoma, a few others," he said when asked which schools had the best plan to take advantage of his skills. All of those teams run some variation of the spread, and most incorporate a fair amount of spread option concepts.

Regardless of where he chooses, his passing must improve by leaps and bounds if he is to succeed in college. Nike/Elite 11 QB coach Jordan Palmer pulled Gibson out of drills and focused on one specific point: rotation.

"I worked with Jordan Palmer, and he taught me a lot about my throwing motion," Gibson said. "I have to work on my shoulder rotation. Right now, I'm throwing with all arm, and you have to throw the ball with your core."

Palmer said that Gibson has a lot to work on, and that it will take time, but that becoming more rotational and less linear in his motion should help Gibson with his accuracy and consistency.

For his part, Gibson, a state championship quarterback in 2013, seems willing to put in the work necessary to improve as a passer.

Gibson is set to take a massive tour over spring break next week, tripping to Oklahoma, LSU, Ohio State, Tennessee, and maybe a few others, all in a loop.

Many believe that Ohio State is Gibson's top school. He declined to confirm that Saturday, but did say that Ohio State was "up there," and that he'll have a better idea of his schools after his visits. And even then, he is in no hurry to decide, preferring to focus on taking his time and choosing the right school.

Receivers owned the day at Miami's Nike Football Training Camp.

Quarterback

I covered the quarterback position, which was quite poor Sunday, in this update on Torrance Gibson. The overall lack of quarterback play hurt the ability for receivers and defensive backs to show their talents.

Running Back

There were a number of talented running backs on hand.

Jordan Scarlett, of Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas, is an FAU commit. I'm not aware of anyone in South Florida covering recruiting who believes he will stick with that decision. I believe it is a move to help out his former high school coach, who landed a coaching job at FAU.

Scarlett talked about how much untapped potential FAU has, and how he is trying to recruit other talented players with him.

But the four-star was wearing Florida State gloves, and he said that he would make a "final decision" after taking his five official visits and his senior year. He said that Florida State is recruiting him the hardest, and that he also wants to visit South Carolina and Wisconsin. UCF is also very involved with his recruitment.

I'd be shocked if Scarlett sticks with FAU come National Signing Day. Scarlett is a very good back, but I do wonder how high his ceiling ultimately is.

I was also impressed by Miami 2016 commitment Mark Walton, of Booker T. Washington, who showed great quickness, and Robert Burns, of Gulliver Prep, turned in the top SPARQ score despite being a member of the class of 2017. He'll certainly be a name to watch.

Receiver

Receiver was ridiculously loaded on Sunday, with almost 70 on hand, and probably 10 or so capable of playing at the major college football level. Several players could have taken home the honor of MVP.

Calvin Ridley, of Pompano Beach (Fla.) Monarch, and Da'Vante Phillips, of Miami (Fla.) Central, took home invites to The Opening (the premier Nike showcase event in Oregon in July). Phillips was also named the MVP.

I'm not sure what Ridley will do this fall, as I'm told he is over grade level and may run up against the 19 years, 9 months rule that prevented former FSU receiver Kelvin Benjamin from playing much of his senior season. Ridley is being recruited hard by the in-state schools and Alabama.

Phillips struggled to come up with schools other than Florida State who are in his top group. He is very tight with Dalvin Cook, the five-star back who signed with FSU in 2014, and he said FSU is the school that he has been around the most. He did refute the notion that he is no longer interested in Florida. Phillips wants to visit Auburn, Louisville, Ohio State and Alabama. He was excited about his invite to The Opening and wants to uphold the legacy of Miami Central High School.

Phillips and Ridley stood out because of their hands and ability to get open on a day that featured some poor passing. Ridley is one of the smoothest receivers in the country, while Phillips is a bit slower, but has excellent body control.

John Burt, of Tallahassee (Fla.) Lincoln, showed good body control and hands, but is raw in his route running and did not show a great top speed. Burt will visit Miami Monday, and Alabama on Tuesday. SB Nation's Cameron Underwood will have a more in-depth interview with him this week.

Dionte Mullins, of Gulliver Prep, showed incredible ball skills. He is emerging as one of the best receivers in Florida for the class of 2016. He also had this crazy catch. Mullins said that Alabama's Mario Cristobal is recruiting him the hardest, and he said that Alabama is his leader, with Tennessee being No. 2.

Jovon Durante, a West Virginia "commitment," spoke with Ryan Bartow in this video.

Sam Bruce, of Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas, was his usual dominant self. The diminutive Sam, a nephew of former NFL great Isaac Bruce, continues to send vibes that he is Tallahassee bound, though there is quite a bit of time between March 2014 and National Signing Day 2016.

I thought Kahlil Lewis, of Miramar, also had a solid day. If he was just a bit bigger or faster, he'd receive more publicity, but he is a balanced receiver.

For whatever reason, four-star tight end/defensive end Devonaire Clarington, of Champagnat Catholic, took very few reps, causing me to wonder if he was ducking competition. He certainly has a lot of potential at 6'6, 220. I spoke with Clarington before that. He said that he was interested in visiting Miami, Alabama and Tennessee. Despite looking like a tight end, Clarington says that he views himself as a receiver. Clarington wants to take all of his official visits, and declined to name a leader.