Take Your Pick: RB Derrick Henry or Dalvin Cook as Florida Gators
In continuation of our “Take Your Pick” series, giving Florida Gators fans a choice between two Gators-related subjects, today we’re going to dive into the recruiting side of things. Check out our previous stories on C.J. Henderson or Vernon Hargreaves III in man coverage, and Antonio Callaway or Brandon James for a game-winning punt return.
Given recent struggles in recruiting at the running back position for the Florida Gators, it seems fitting to take a look back on perhaps monumental misses at the position for our next "Take Your Pick" story.
In the early to mid-2010s and even beyond, the Gators have failed to land cornerstone pieces that had significant interest in the program, but more importantly, players that could change the perception of the running back room for the foreseeable future.
However, those players chose to go elsewhere, and as a result, the running back position at Florida has struggled to find its footing in recent memory.
Two players the Gators notably missed out on, that in hindsight could have legitimately changed the program, were that of current star NFL running backs, Derrick Henry and Dalvin Cook.
Playing high school football less than two hours away from Gainesville at Yulee, Derrick Henry had possibly the most dominant high school career of all-time.
Responsible for a national record-breaking 12,212 yards on 1,387 rushing attempts and 153 touchdowns in four seasons—including a 55 touchdown senior year—Henry rose to prominence as a highly coveted talent for many top schools in the nation ranked as the 12th overall recruit for the 2013 class.
Growing up a fan of the Gators, especially during the Tim Tebow era, Henry showed great interest in Florida and looked as if he would be an easy pull for Will Muschamp’s recruiting staff.
However, given his remarkable mix of size—standing at 6-3, 240 lbs. coming out of high school—and athleticism, rumor has it that Muschamp recruited Henry to play linebacker given the fact that Muschamp prided himself on defense.
With little desire to play on the defensive side of the ball, the Florida coaching staff was unable to build a strong relationship with Henry and ultimately lost out to Alabama for the blue-chip talent after not having much involvement in the race.
Henry went on to have an uber-successful career at Alabama and is currently wreaking havoc on opposing defenses in the NFL with the Tennessee Titans.
On the other hand, there is Dalvin Cook.
Seeing a much lighter workload than Henry during his high school career, Cook rushed for 4,267 yards on 399 carries in three seasons and accounted for 65 rushing touchdowns in the process.
Being known for his one cut and go ability and quick acceleration, Cook, was ranked 13th nationally in the 2014 recruiting class and seemed to be a priority for the Gators to land.
Hailing from Miami Central High School, Cook, unlike Henry, built what seemed to be a strong relationship with the Florida coaching staff during the longevity of his recruitment.
Being committed to the Gators for nearly eight months before flipping to in-state rival Florida State, Cook carried on to dominate Florida every opportunity he got.
He later went on to be drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the NFL draft and, similar to Henry, has begun to emerge into one of the promising young stars at RB in today’s National Football League.
Missing out on two essential recruits, the outlook of RB at Florida would be much different than it is now if the Gators could have secured just one to wear blue and orange.
Therefore, if Florida could have landed one of these five-star recruits at the running back position, who would you choose: Derrick Henry or Dalvin Cook?
My Pick: Dalvin Cook
While Cook and Henry bring different skillsets to the table, both would have been major turning points of the position group for years to come in the Florida program.
After mulling over the best possible impacts both players could have made if choosing Florida over their respective schools, Cook seems to be the correct answer here for me.
Why? The yearly struggle to contain a guy that not fell through your fingertips in the final stages of recruiting, but fell to your biggest rival nonetheless.
Given the discrepancies between the two rival teams that continuously battle for top in-state talent in the glorified turf war that is recruiting, landing one individual is viewed as a win for the side who stands tall.
In this instance, Florida was the team that was defeated, and that defeat changed their future in a big way.
Rushing for over 4,000 yards and 46 touchdowns in his three-year collegiate career, Cook put on a show wearing garnet and gold.
Being a significant piece in the Seminoles continued success following their 2013 National Championship victory, Cook made a name for himself from the very first time he stepped onto the field, especially against the school he once planned on attending.
Racking up 480 rushing yards and three touchdowns against Florida during his time at FSU, Cook showed first hand that the Gators missed out on an exceptional talent.
With the addition of Cook to the Florida roster in 2014, the Gators would not only have gotten a dynamic back that exemplifies terrific playmaking ability coming out of the backfield but also taken a star off a team that dominated them during Cook’s time in Tallahassee.
While not landing, Cook changed the trajectory of the running back position at Florida more than not landing Henry did, in my opinion; both would have been more than suitable to handle duties as ball carriers at Florida.
However, losing a guy at the last minute to a team you have to battle it out with year in and year out is the biggest blow a program can take.
Which recruit do you wish the Gators landed in their respective recruiting classes? What is your reasoning?
