5-Star Football Recruit Mike Blakely: '70 Percent Chance' To Commit To Florida

Mike Blakely doesn't always get respect from the scouts when it comes to running back rankings, but there's no denying he's one of the top prospects at his position.

That could be a very good thing for the Florida Gators.

Blakely's top choices are Florida, Auburn, South Carolina, Ole Miss, Tennessee and USC, but this became a two-horse race after his visit to Auburn and now could be down to one.

Most observers have considered Florida to be Blakely's favorite for months, and he confirmed as much on Wednesday.

“Florida has a medium lead I’d say over the other schools in my list. I just feel like I should be there,” Blakely said. “They’re definitely the one school recruiting me the hardest and I talk with the coaches there almost every week. And right now I’d say that there’s a 70 percent chance that I’ll end up going there, it’s that high."

Add in the fact that Florida doesn't currently have a running back in its 2011 recruiting class, as well as a pressing need for depth at the position, and it makes sense that Blakely is favoring the Gators.

He would have the chance to compete for playing time immediately and would be a great fit in Florida's offensive system.

Auburn was believed to be gaining on Florida after a visit in September, but Blakely was quick to point out how much he preferred his experiences in Gainesville.

“I’ve just been [to Florida] so many times, have been on that field and the atmosphere come game day is just crazy there," said Blakely. "I actually was there when they played against LSU. It was definitely a better game day experience than I had in Auburn."

As for Blakely's plans from here, there's nothing on the schedule right now, but he still plans to make the rest of his official visits.

“I haven’t really thought about where I’m going for those final four visits and haven’t really been talking to a lot of other coaches or anything like that. But I’ll most likely end up taking visits to at least four of the schools that remain on my list."

Blakely plans on taking his remaining visits after the season, but it's not clear whether he plans on waiting until after his visits to make his commitment.

There were rumors that Blakely would be making his announcement last Friday, but Friday came and went without a commitment; the situation was chalked up as a miscommunication.

We'll have to wait and see where Blakely goes from here, but for now one thing is clear: Florida is leading the way.