Spring Game Recruiting Report Cards for Eight More College Football Teams

My first wave of recruiting report cards for the spring games of 10 major college football teams was, in retrospect, mostly positive, spurred on by a host of commitments that gained national attention.

Round two, as you're about to see, grades out more like your typical classroom.

One overachiever at the top sets the curve way too high. One rebellious slacker is trying, but doesn't want to look like he's trying too hard. And all the so-so muck in between are just throwing paper airplanes at each other.

Perhaps that makes me the inspirational teacher none of them will ever forget.

In any event, here are grades for eight more college football teams and their efforts to turn their spring games into a successful recruiting event.

Florida

It's been a relatively quiet recruiting season for the Gators—not that I'm suggesting anything—but the Gators still pulled a solid commit out of their spring game.

Jeoffrey Pagan, Scout's No. 14 defensive end out of Asheville, N.C., dropped for Florida and promises to be another athletic defensive end for the Gators, who have really cleaned up along the D-line in the past two classes.

Another DE, Curt Maggitt, also visited and has the Gators among his top schools.

QB Jeff Driskell committed to the Gators a week after the spring game, but I couldn't find anything verifying that he attended their spring game. So we can't count that.

LB Lateek Townsend attended and came away with the Gators as his leader. He's a high three-star to Scout.

Linebacker has been Florida's strongest area of recruiting focus this spring, but no more commitments came of the spring visits.

That article mentioned how Florida's patient recruiting approach isn't paying off. I'm getting the feeling Meyer's absence has had a profound effect, in a negative way.

Grade: B-

Florida State

The Seminoles held their spring game without a commitment, and missed out on a lot of in-state prospects when the Gators scheduled their spring game on the same weekend. DT Tim Jernigan (pictured) is a notable example of a player forced to choose who chose for the other side.

They did host a few top prospects—the full list is behind a Scout paywall.

Not much to buzz about here. I know the Seminoles are pressuring kids to commit early—that's what led to commitment/decommitments like Lonnie Gosha's—but as far as the spring game, they came up short.

Grade: F

Kansas

Oklahoma LB Jake Love didn't know what to expect when he visited Kansas' spring game, but he must have liked what he saw. After receiving an offer from Kansas' coaches, the 6'0", 195-lb athletic linebacker committed last Friday.

This useful recruiting update focuses on four attendees, including current KU commit Darrian Miller, who is excited about spending the next four years in Lawrence.

Pro-style QB Matt Marler wants to camp at KU and sounds like he's an offer away from committing.

DB Bernard Thomas said his mother liked Turner Gill's no-cussing policy (what mother wouldn't?), while Jeremiah Edwards said he felt like part of the team.

With Love's commitment, KU made a notch, and it sounds like Gill is doing a good job of remaking the Jayhawks' coaching job in his own image.

Grade: B

South Carolina

The Gamecocks landed K.J. Brent, a sleeper wide receiver out of Waxhaw, N.C. who committed a few days after the spring game.

South Carolina also made gains on a lot of in-state and nearby top prospects like wide receiver Tacori Sumler, defensive lineman Philip Dukes, linebacker Edward Muldrow, DB Laquentin Smith (who named SC his leader afterwards) and a host of other prospects. Check that article for a complete list.

Still, the Gamecocks closed the spring by losing their grip on in-state DE Jadeveon Clowney, who favored the Gamecocks early but is now eying UNC. Between that and Spurrier's browbeating of Stephen Garcia, I'm inclined to get a little harsh on SC.

Grade: C

Oklahoma State

The Pokes got a commitment out of Scout's No. 26 cornerback, Miketavius Jones, and also hosted a lot of 2010 and 2011 commitments.

Ironically, Oklahoma State gained from not hosting five-star running back RB Herschel Sims, who instead caught Texas Tech's spring game. He committed to Okie State a week later—he must've liked what he saw.

Pretty standard fare for a middle-tier Big 12 program: one commitment, another unintentional commitment, and an opportunity to shore up the relationships with all current commits. Good show.

Grade: B

Texas Tech

Despite some bad luck in the spring, the Red Raiders received two quick and easy commitments from Spanish Fort, AL linebacker Blake Dees and Amarillo, Texas, DT James Castleman.

Both shared their excitement at playing for DC James Willis, Tommy Tuberville wooed away from coaching linebackers at Alabama.

For the record, Willis has been radiating the future-head-coach vibe to many Texas Tech observers since landing in Lubbock.

Odessa RB Bradley Marquez, Tech's most recent commitment and an ESPNU 150 RB, did not attend the spring game. He visited Tech unofficially a week before, and can't be counted towards the report card grade.

But Dees and Castleman, both great gets on a defense aiming for a Big 12 championship, are enough to merit a solid...

Grade: B+

Notre Dame

Alabama and Nebraska may have had the numbers, but in my opinion, Notre Dame held the most successful spring game of any team.

Irish fans settled down after getting a look at Kelly's offense, which showed signs of competence after a rough spring.

But more importantly, Kelly landed five top-tier prospects, including three terrific offensive linemen and the nation's No. 2 tight end overall.

Jarrett Grace, Scout's No. 10 outside linebacker; Tony Springmann, Matt Hegarty and Conor Hanratty, Scout's No. 17, No. 9 and No. 10 tackles; and Ben Koyack, Scout's No. 2 tight end, dropped for the Irish all within four days of the spring game's conclusion.

To my knowledge, that's the most commitments and the highest concentration of talent from any spring game, besting Alabama's record of four.

Not only did the game take the can't-recruit target off Kelly's back. It put him in the limelight as one of the most persuasive and passionate recruiters out there. As though Notre Dame fans needed any more reason to forget about Weis.

Grade: A+

Tennessee

Tennessee's spring game might not have quieted concerns about its offense, but it did beat out Clemson for a solid offensive tackle.

Alan Posey, a 6'6", 305-lb tackle out of Athens, Ga., (still awaiting a star evaluation from Scout), committed after the spring game but didn't announce until the anniversary of his mother's death in order to commemorate her.

Posey said in that article that he's also recruiting for Tennessee to prospects like OT Antonio Richardson and QB Justin Worley, who was also in attendance (and may not need any help on deciding for Tennessee).

Richardson, a strong under-the-radar prospect with a load of offers, couldn't make the spring game, but did make it to Knoxville for one of UT's junior days. The Vols look in it for the long haul here.

If the Vols can match the gains they're making off the field with at least a passable effort on it, they'll be well on their way to rebuilt in two, three years tops.

Grade: C+