2013 Feature: RB Adam Lane

Mark McLeod, ESPN Radio

Sophomore running back Adam Lane had barely taken the handoff before avoiding a Lakeland defensive end, who raced into the backfield untouched. Lane then ran left and cut back to the middle of the field. Five Dreadnaughts defenders got a hand on him, but failed to slow him down during his 61 yard sprint into the endzone for a Winter Haven touchdown.

Lane (5’8, 210) recently committed to the University of Florida. He was the first verbal in the Class of 2013. The departure of seniors Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey and Mike Gillislee before the 2013 class sets foot on the Florida campus opens the door for talented young running backs to make an impression of the Florida coaching staff. The opportunity to challenge for immediate playing time helped play a role in Lane’s decision.

“Yeah, it was,” Lane said of the Gators needs at running back. “Watching them made me realize they were going to be very thin and I felt like it was going to be a great opportunity for me to get in there and help them win a national championship.”

While the depth chart played a role, it wasn’t the most important reason he committed to Florida and he didn’t come to his decision without the counsel of his family.

“Me and my family and thought about it for awhile and we came to the solution that it seemed like the right place,” he added. “It’s because of the atmosphere there, the coaches, and having Florida on your resume opens up a lot of opportunities for jobs.”

He cited his relationship with running backs coach Brian White as very positive and talked about he energy that White and head coach Will Muschamp bring when they speak to him.

Lane has been one of the most talked about players in central Florida for three years. He received playing time as a freshman for the Blue Devils, before taking over as a sophomore. This past season he missed several games due to an injury. His highlight film includes many short gains turned into big gains with a quick cut, while he keeps his legs churning.

“I split time my freshman year with a couple of seniors,” Lane recalled. “I’d say that had about thirty carries and I want to say I had about six-hundred yards and eight touchdowns. My sophomore year I started and had about ninety carries for one-thousand yards and twenty-five touchdowns. My junior year I got hurt. I broke my fibula, so I wasn’t able to play that year. I have one more year to go.”

He has also been impressive catching the ball out of the backfield and was quick to tell me that he dropped one pass since he entered high school, which seemingly still stings the competitive side of him.

Winter Haven has high expectations this season. Lane said the Blue Devils lost only five or so seniors this season, so look for them to repeat as Class 6A, District 10 champions. They defeated Daytona Beach Seabreeze 37-15 in the first round of the playoffs last season, but lost to Daytona Beach Mainland 23-20 in the regional semi-finals. Mainland went on the advance to the state semi-finals.

“We have a great nucleus coming back,” Lane said. “We’re really not losing anything, but our DB’s and a couple of D-linemen. We’re really in sync. We have a lot guys that go make plays when we need it and we’re like family, we’re very close, so that might be the difference this year. “

“My goal this year is mainly to get more into the mental aspect of the game, as much as possible,” he said of his senior year. “My coach is a very smart coach and I’m trying to learn as much as I can get myself better prepared to go into the game.”

Lane said that he is a north/south runner. His fastest time in the forty is 4.27 seconds. And he is strong- squatting 550, power cleaning 330, and bench pressing 425.

He and former classmate, Caleb Brantley, who committed to Florida hours later, are already working to shore up their class.

“I’m the guy that’s going to get out there and be a good team recruiter and help build our team up to make a better team for us,” Lane said. “I’m working on Ryan Green and hoping that he comes to Florida. I’m trying to recruit as hard as I can.”

Mark McLeod is the host of “The Mark McLeod Show” and covers Gators football, recruiting, and baseball for ESPN Radio (Gainesville/Ocala). Mark is a member of the Football Writers Association of America. You can follow him on Twitter at @McLeodLive. E-mail Mark at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it