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Rebel Links: Is CeCe Jefferson still up for grabs? He hasn’t signed his LOI

By Dave Bevan

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Every year there seems to be some kind of drama after National Signing Day. It always seems to involve the recruit and their parents. Just a few years ago, Arkansas running back Alex Collins’ mother stole his national letter of intent papers, so he wouldn’t sign with the Razorbacks on National Signing Day. Well, CeCe Jefferson’s parents haven’t gone to that extreme, but there has been some change of heart by his parents on whether they want their son to attend Florida or not.

First, it was reported by GatorBait.net that the father of CeCe, Leo was the one who was refusing to send in his son’s letter of intent. The 247Sports.com site reportedly asked Leo if his son’s letter of intent had been sent in through fax.

“No, sir,” Leo Jefferson simply said.

When asked what was the reason for the LOI not being faxed by now. Leo responded with, “I can’t tell you that.”

Mike Farrell of Rivals.com is reporting that Leo said CeCe himself is not ready to sign it. “He told me that yesterday after his announcement,” Leo said, adding he would have been glad to sign and fax the letter to Florida if that’s what his son wanted.

The reported hold up of the LOI not being faxed in to the University of Florida, is that Florida’s defensive line coach Terrell Williams (who has just been on the staff for a month) is reportedly leaving the program for the same job with the Miami Dolphins in the NFL. It is also being reported that Williams will be replaced by Texas defensive line coach Chris Rumph.

“The Florida staff never told us he was leaving,” Leo said. “We don’t know (Rumph) at all.”

Leo also told reporters that the in-home visit with Gators head coach Jim McElwain was rushed. He said they stayed for an hour and rushed out the door to see a 2016 prospect and only talked about the new dorms and the new facilities on the visit. Leo also stated that the in-home visit with McElwain was far less impressive than that compared to others.

Also according to Leo, Florida was CeCe’s “dream school”, but they both were never comfortable about the Gators staff and were not happy of the defensive line coach changes. Farrell also reported that Leo’s wife doesn’t want him to go to Florida and both parents felt CeCe should go away from home to grow up and get away from all the Gators fans in Baker County and his friends that might distract him.

And Leo also stated that he didn’t feel McElwain wouldn’t have the same control over the football program as Nick Saban, Hugh Freeze, and Les Miles have over their programs. He was referring that Florida’s athletic director Jeremy Foley would have too much control over the program.

“The coaches at Florida wanted the letter signed by 8:30 this morning so they could go on vacation,” Leo said. “(McElwain) was only head coach of all the ones recruiting him that hasn’t called as of 1 p.m. Coaches from schools CeCe wasn’t listing as finalists have all called, but Florida has not called him.”

What does all of this mean for Ole Miss?

If the five-star defensive end prospect is second guessing his decision, and later decides not to sign with the Gators, the window could still be open for coach Freeze and his staff to land him. But, that also means LSU and Alabama (CeCe other choices) will still be in the hunt. I think with all the development of this news indicates that CeCe’s recruitment maybe far from over. Sit back, this might just get interesting.

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