Belardo announcement should come soon

Where's the Gaby Belardo signing, you ask? I'd expect an announcement from USF on the 6-foot-3 combo guard from Puerto Rico either today or Friday, after speaking with him Wednesday night.

Belardo, finishing classes at Notre Dame Prep in Massachusetts, said he had signed his national letter of intent after visiting USF last weekend, but the delay has been in getting a signature from his father, who lives in Puerto Rico. Belardo said his father had received the letter Tuesday night and sent it to USF on Wednesday, and once the paperwork is in, Stan Heath can announce the signing and comment on the fifth member of his incoming recruiting class.

As for any hemming and hawing Monday, Belardo said his AAU coach, Art Alvarez, and his father both wanted him to make a visit to Hofstra, as had been the plan before he flew to Tampa for his USF visit. They relented after Belardo insisted he didn't need to see any other schools to know where he should be.

"My dad was always there for me, my whole life, and my AAU coach has been there for me too, but I told them, 'I don't want to visit any more schools. I've found what I need," Belardo said. "I love the coaches at USF. I love the players. I feel very comfortable there."

And you can't underplay the role that senior guard Jesus Verdejo played in USF getting Belardo. Verdejo, also from Puerto Rico and from the Miami Tropics AAU program, has been "a role model" for Belardo for some time, and having him as his host, on the weekend Verdejo gets his college degree, was huge.

Ask Belardo if he's ready to face Big East competition, and he'll tell you he already has. In going to Notre Dame Prep, he found a roster loaded with Division I signees, including three other Big East recruits.

"It's a good opportunity for me to take my game to another level," Belardo said. "I feel like I've been playing against good players here."

You'll see Belardo's first name spelled as "Gabby" or "Gabi," but he said it's Gaby, short for Gabriel. He considers himself a combo guard, either a shooter who can pass or a point who can score. And he'll come in with solid academics, saying he earned a 1000 on the SAT and a 3.1 grade-point average. He hasn't talked with the other members of USF's recruiting class yet, but said he played against Hargrave Military this season and got to see power forward Eladio Espinosa, who signed with USF last fall. Belardo called him "a very strong player," impressed by the way he could run the floor for a player his size.

-- Athlon Sports is unveiling its preseason top 25 one day at a time, and USF checks in at No. 20. The magazine has defensive end George Selvie as a first-team preseason All-American, and puts Selvie, linebacker Tyrone McKenzie and safety Nate Allen as first-team All-Big East picks. They're not done, as quarterback Matt Grothe, running back Mike Ford, guard Ryan Schmidt and return specialists Jerome Murphy and Marcus Edwards earned second-team honors, and receiver Carlton Mitchell, linebacker Brouce Mompremier and safety Carlton Williams made the third team. What, no fourth team? Oh, and they call Grothe a "poor man's Tebow," which while meant as a compliment, won't sit well with the Bulls quarterback. Yes, there's the obligatory Doug Flutie reference as well.

Comments

[AGW]

USF needs to get on some transfers. Ramar Smith, DeAndre Thomas, Eli Holman, Duke Crews, Chance Stanback, Brian Carlwell, and maybe even Ekpe Udoh. All of these players are upgrades at the guard and center positions. Go after them hard and stop recruiting players that can't play.

[DELdaBULL]

Good for Gaby. Athlon is a joke.

[Mike Lakeland]

I hate the GayTurds as much as any intelligent Floridian, but I am running out of reasons to hate Tebow. That guy is truly a class act. To me, he is probably the nicest and most sincere person playing D-1 football. He's got the perfect mix of athleticism, talent, and personality.

That being said, Grothe should not be hurt when being compared to Tebow, even if he is a "poor man's" version of him.

"Greg Auman is the "poor man's" Edward R. Murrow."

Greg - did you/do you take offense to that comment?

[Bulls Fan]

I see Vernon Macklin is transferring from Georgetown to UF. At 6'9 and 230 lbs, we could have used his size. Did we try to get him?

[G.A.]

Mike, the Murrow comparison isn't exactly a parallel. Murrow's a legend, from generations ago. I think a comparison to Tebow is flattering, and especially now that he's won a Heisman, that's a compliment for any college quarterback that hasn't won a Heisman. I think Grothe bristled a little at being the "other sophomore quarterback who can run" last season. That's all.

Tebow's hard to dislike from a personal standpoint. He's said and done all the right things. This latest bit with him helping with circumcisions is a little over the top. If he'd gotten paid for that, it'd be an NCAA violation, but I hear he just worked for tips.

[G.A.]

Sorry about that last part. Al Franken was typing on my laptop while I was away for a sec.

[Mike Lakeland]

LOL @ Greg's comments.

Okay, bad comparison. How about this one:

"Greg Auman is a 'poor man's' Leonard Downie".

Bettah?

[G.A.]

Downie's 66 and has been in charge of one of the nation's finest newspapers since I was in high school. We're not exactly peers. I'm not a poor man's Leonard Downie; I'm not really even a deranged homeless man's Leonard Downie. But yes, compared to Murrow, a tiny step in the right direction. Not really sure who I'd like to be the poor man's version of. Let's get back to comparing Grothe ...

[A]

We should send them the Grothe > Tebow shirts to get the message across.

[Terry Lucas]

The reason they refer to Grothe as a "poor man's Tebow" is because unlike in Gainesville, USF doesn't pay their athletes. The quote was dead on... btw... I would take Matt Grothe's mobility and leadership over Tebow any day of the week.

So what... Tebow went and talked at a jail. We all know UF puts him up to it so he can get positive press coverage. How would those reporters know he was there without word getting out to them. A person with real character doesn't need to broadcast his actions... When Snake (our former LB with the Falcons) was visiting the children's hospital in Tampa... initially, the school had some input into it... but when he befriended the kids and started going back... that was a judge of true character. When Tebow discovers that, then maybe I'll ease up on him... Not! (he's a friggen Gator - No mercy on anyone related to that scandalous institution!)

[Mike Lakeland]

Terry, with all do respect, Tebow didn't (or hasn't) asked for reporters to follow him and report from the jails. He certainly didn't go over to the Phillipines because UF "put him up to it". You can bet your sweet bippy that if Grothe had won the Heisman, there would be reporters around him when he went hunting or something.

That's the reason why Tebow is so hard to hate. Unlike Meyer or the rest of the Florida football team (boosters, alumni, etc.), he is a genuine person. He is the kind of guy that would see you drop your wallet and return it to you. Not the kind of guy that steals his girlfriend's car from a towing company.

BACK ON SUBJECT, Greg - didn't Ryan Schmidt transfer from somewhere? I seem to recall he didn't start out at USF.

Hey Sheriff, lay off the drugs man...

Schmidt was from Kansas State.

Greg is the poor man's Michael Smith.

Schmidt was from Kansas State.

Greg is the poor man's Michael Smith.

[DELdaBULL]

GA is the poor man's Bill Simmons!

[chux2]

Tim Tebow,
will win 2 more Heisman trophies, become an all pro, become lead singer in the next Stones rock band, win an academy award in a blockbuster film, discover the cure for cancer, become senator, governor, and president. He will finally achieve world peace, and in his final years lead a mission to Mars, in a space ship he designed and built.
However his dad is a little off setting. He spent his entire interview babbling about his religion. (at the spring game)

[Reality]

Thanks for the update Greg!