Weekly Mailbag: Florida Gators, recruiting, and bowl game

Your hands may be too greasy from turkey to click on this but try anyway.

What better time to publish the mailbag this week than on Thanksgiving Day. I'm sure all you want to do while you're eating three plates of food and hanging out with family is to read my mediocre and sarcastic writing. If you are here and reading this, you're definitely someone I'm thankful for on the eve of Florida State's huge game against Florida. The teams aren't ranked but rivalries don't get much better than this.

READ MORE: New favorite emerges for Florida Gators head coaching job

Saturday's matchup is basically win-or-go-home. The winner will play in a bowl game while the loser will be at home with a sour taste in their mouth until next year. All of the bragging rights are on the line as the Seminoles prepare to travel to Gainesville. A win would be monumental in head coach Mike Norvell's rebuilding process. It would secure a 6-2 finish and get this team to the postseason after starting 0-4 and crown the program state champions for the first time since 2016.

Florida is without its head coach and could be missing starting quarterback Emory Jones. Regardless, don't expect the Gators to lay down in a rivalry game that always brings a lot of passion and fire to the field.

Let's check out the mailbag before you get back to your turkey (or ham). 

Is this the week Jordan Travis goes over 300 yards through the air? - @noles312

Jordan Travis has been impressive over the last two weeks and he's really starting to come into his own as a quarterback. He's noticeably more comfortable in the pocket, using his legs to facilitate plays down-field rather than just immediately scrambling. 

The redshirt sophomore has completed 38 of 60 passes (63.3%) for 525 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions in wins over Miami and Boston College. He's flirted with the 300-mark but has yet to surpass it to this point.

I'll go with no and that's no slight to Travis. I think the running game is going to have a lot of success this weekend but Travis will continue to impress.

So, who's going to kill some Gators this weekend? - @josh_scroggz

I think we're in for a big game from Jashaun Corbin. He's due for a breakout performance after not going over 100 rushing yards since October 23. It wouldn't be much of a surprise against a Gators defense that has been gashed on the ground repeatedly over the last few weeks. Corbin is a mere 123 yards from surpassing the 1,000-yard mark. He'd be the first running back to do it since Cam Akers in 2019.

I've also got a gut feeling Kalen DeLoach is going to continue to his rise. He had seven tackles and forced a safety against Boston College.

READ MORE: No. 1 prospect Travis Hunter shuts down recruiting rumor

Best matchup to watch on Saturday? - @the_chris_fee

If Emory Jones is truly out, it looks like Florida will roll out Anthony Richardson at quarterback. He might not be 100% healthy after dealing with a knee injury that he suffered while dancing a few weeks ago. Regardless, the Seminoles are going to try and turn up the heat on whoever is taking snaps.

Defensive ends Jermaine Johnson and Keir Thomas are playing some of the best football of their respective careers right now. They combined for 20 pressures, 4 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks against the Eagles. Expect their ears to be pinned back all day against a scrambling threat like Richardson. 

Who do you think will score the first touchdown against UF? - @antonioterez

This might be a cliché answer but I'm going to go with a Jordan Travis touchdown pass. I think Florida State is expecting the Gators to key on the run early and they'll look to take advantage of that up top. 

READ MORE: GAME PREVIEW: Florida State at Florida 

Is the Destyn Hill situation still trending towards a January enrollment? - @j_krohn

Nothing has changed regarding Hill. The staff is expecting him on campus in January. If so, there's a chance he could make an instant impact in the wide receiver room. However, nothing is ever certain.

Who are the next three recruits you think will commit? - @juicy_jordan

I'll go with defensive tackle Tyre West, linebacker Wesley Bissainthe, and offensive lineman Julian Armella. Florida State is trending with all three prospects at this point.

West was on campus last week and Georgia might not have room for him. The Seminoles have set themselves up for a flip with the Early Signing Period coming up.

Bissainthe is expected to make a commitment on December 4. The main contenders are Florida State and Miami. He was in town to watch the Seminoles take down Miami. I think the dysfunction down south does just enough to sway Bissainthe to the garnet and gold.

Finally, Armella. The legacy recruit has been a longtime target for Mike Norvell and the staff. Norvell personally watched one of his games a few weeks ago. Armella was probably LSU bound a few weeks ago but the coaching change made him reconsider. Another school in his top-four, Florida, just fired its head coach while Alabama may not have enough spots. The Seminoles make the most sense and he's supposed to visit next month.

Thoughts on Armella? - @_.jtgolive

I think he's Florida State's to lose. As I mentioned in the last question, there are a lot of factors that are playing in the Seminoles' favor right now. The coaching staff has build a solid relationship with him and Armella being a legacy definitely helps.

It took longer than expected but I'd be surprised if he doesn't end up in the class. 

Can we score some points in the second half, please? - @biggabelsbr549

That depends, which officiating crew is going to show up?

What bowl are we going to? - @coachjohna

Assuming that Florida State defeats Florida on Saturday, they'll get a shot in a lower-tier bowl game. There were projections released over the weekend and the Seminoles were slotted into the Gasparilla Bowl.

Does pineapple go on pizza? I say yes. - @pedroalba13

This isn't a Thanksgiving food. Regardless, heck no!

Turkey or Ham? - @dlun84

It might be an unpopular opinion but I'm going ham. I don't know if my family is failing because they aren't frying the turkey, but that thing is always way too dry for me. I'll grab a leg but I'm stacking up on home. Preferably, a salty ham rather than sweet.

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