Gators win big: RB Mike Blakely picks Florida

By Adam Silverstein
October 26, 2010

One way or another, four-star running back Mike Blakely (Bradenton, FL) decided he would be wearing orange and blue in college next year. He made it clear on Tuesday that he would be donning those colors for the Florida Gators rather than the darker shades for the Auburn Tigers by verbally committing to the University of Florida.

“I think it was the best decision for me and my family and friends, for everybody,” he said. “It’s an exciting day for me. In my heart I felt like I made the best decision.”

Blakely, who is listed as the 34th best player in the country (No. 7 running back) by Rivals and the 69th best player (No. 6 running back) by ESPNU, fills a position of need for the Gators who will go into next season with only RBs Jeff Demps, Mike Gillislee and Mack Brown on the roster. With almost 40 Division I college scholarship offers to his credit, he becomes Florida’s fourth-highest rated recruit of the cycle thus far.

ESPNU describes him as “an electric runner and one of the more elusive to come out of the Sunshine State in 2011” who is “on the shorter side but very well-built with some compact muscle.” Blakely is also “the ultimate space player with his elusiveness and great hands out of the backfield” who “if used creatively in an open spread offense could emerge as a major weapon at the next level.”

Dealing with a nagging ankle injury, Blakely is averaging 7.44 yards per carry this season with 15 touchdowns on the ground. He has also completed all three of his pass attempts with two of them going for touchdowns. As a high school junior in 2009, he carried the ball for almost 1,400 yards and amassed a total of 23 touchdowns.