Defensive Line
Committed to Florida:
Earl Okine - The big Gainesville product will be the first signee to stay at home and play for the Gators since Eric Rutledge out of P.K. Yonge in 2004. Okine is tall and rangy, very similar to Jarvis Moss, but perhaps lacking Moss’s unbelievable first step. He is clearly one of the top DE’s in the Southeast, and with the possibility of his enrolling early, will make an immediate impact for the Gators.
Chaz Sutton - Sutton quickly brought the process to an end,confirming his commitment to the Gators at Friday Night Lights. He may not be as impressive as Keith Wells, in terms of the eyeball test, but the staff thinks Sutton will have an immediate impact in Gainesville. Sutton posses great athleticism for a player his size, and could even bulk up into a Ray McDonald-type of hybrid DE/DT role while he is in Gainesville.
End
William Green - Has everything you want in a FOX end. Long, athletic, and quick off the ball. Green is exactly the type of playmaker that this staff wants coming off the weakside. While Alabama will be tough to beat, Green has sure had a lot of good things to say about the Gators…
Other schools of interest: Alabama, Auburn, and Florida State
Chancey Aghayere - A big end who looks every bit the part of a five-star prospect. Aghayere is a former high school teammate of Brandon Antwine. Despite the fact that both of his parents graduated from UT, the Gator staff still has a relatively good shot at pulling this blue-chip prospect right from under the noses of Mack Brown and company.
Other schools of interest: Texas
Robert Quinn - The former linemate of Carlos Dunlap is finding that his recruiting is going just as strongly as that of the former five-star Florida signee. Quinn played DE and LB for Fort Dorchester last year, but as Quinn approaches 260 heading into his senior campaign, he is realistic in expecting he will play with a hand down in college. Dunlap’s presence should help here, but Quinn has been surprisingly cool on the Gators thus far…
Other schools of interest: Alabama, Florida State, South Carolina, and Tennessee
Quinton Coples - Coples is a very intriguing player, who has a high level of interest in the University of Florida. In most years, he may already be a Gator, but as the staff picked up a quick commitment from a player very similar to Coples in Earl Okine. Because of this, it seems likely to expect he stays a little closer to home.
Other schools of interest: North Carolina and Ohio State
Tackle
Justin Thompson - The Miami commitment would have to be classified as soft at this point. He has shown interest in several other schools, and may be a little turned off by the number of tackles Miami is planning on bringing in for 2008. Thompson would add a veteran presence to a young defensive line.
Other schools of interest: Miami, also looking at Ohio State and LSU…
Jeremy Lewis - Another top defensive tackle committed to the ‘Canes. There are rumblings that the UF staff is beginning to pick up their interest in Lewis, and that he is definitely open to an offer if they are to extend it. Not sure how true these “rumors” are, but they have seemed to pick up steam as time goes on. It will be interesting to see if Florida does get involved here.
Other schools of interest: Miami commitment
Marty Everett - Physical prowess isn’t the issue. Everett isn’t a big-time playmaker from the DT position. What he is…is a massive presence who disrupts offensive linemen, and shields linebackers to allow them to make plenty of big plays. Everett has a few issues to take care of. If he does so…he could certainly be a Gator on National Signing Day.
Other schools of interest: Tennessee and UCF, among others
Charles Deas- The massive JUCO prospect would provide an older and MASSIVE presence in the middle for the Gators. Florida has been in contact with Deas virtually ever since he failed to qualify for LSU coming out of high school in 2005. He could very well end up in this class.
Other schools of interest: Auburn, Florida, and Florida State
Don’t count on it: Marcus Forston, Moses McCray, Keith Wells and Micanor Regis
Others to watch: Masengo Kabongo, Brandon Lang, Damion Square, Brandon Thompson, and Kyrhi Thornton
Analysis: Sutton and Okine are committed. As of right now I believe the staff is feeling good about Green and Aghayere. Both are expected to make decisions in the near future. Missing on either wouldn’t be a huge blow, as there are plenty of DE and DT prospects on the board who would be more than willing to fill out the D-Line class for the Gators.
Linebacker
Playing inside
Brendan Beal - The big New Jersey product is strong enough to play in the middle, but his athleticism suggests OLB or even DE isn’t out of the realm of possibility, either. USC is in good shape here, but Florida is working Beal hard. He is scheduled to be in Gainesville on an official visit the weekend of the Tennessee game (September 14th).
Other schools of interest: Boston College, LSU, and Southern California
J.B. Fitzgerald- Fitzgerald has DE size (6’4”, 225), but definitely looks the part of a LB on film. Michigan has really made some in-roads into New Jersey this year, and seemed headed toward landing Fitzgerald as well…until a June visit to Gainesville blew him away. Look for this one to be a heated battle for quite some time.
Other schools of interest: Michigan and Rutgers
Jonathan Meyers - Meyers is listed here as a linebacker, although he is probably slotted as a guy who could play either way as of now. Meyers has good speed and impresses on film. As a player, he reminds me quite a bit of James Bates (although he might have a ways to go to match Bates as an off-field personality). Meyers definitely seems to be a possibility for this class, but he’s been awful quiet as of late…
Other schools of interest: Michigan and Nebraska, among others…
Marlon Walls - Walls was very impressed by his trip to Gainesville, and the staff felt likewise. Walls is smaller than he is listed by Rivals, but would be a good fit at any of the three LB spots on defense. Can’t help but think the staff would probably take some other guys before him, however…
Other schools of interest: Tennessee, Auburn, and Louisville
On the outside
Marcus Robinson - Robinson has everything you look for in an outside linebacker. With equal proficiency, he can rush the passer, play the run, and drop back into coverage on larger WR’s and TE’s. Basically put, Robinson is the entire package. While he is committed to Miami, it should be considered a soft one, at that. The Florida staff will do everything in their power to steal him from the ‘Canes.
Other schools of interest: Miami commitment, also looking at Florida State and Southern California
Jerrell Harris - Other than Robinson, Harris was the most impressive LB prospect at Friday Night Lights. While Harris is obviously raw, he has all the tools (just as Robinson does), he just hasn’t quite put them all together at this point. He came away listing Florida as his leader, but it’s a long way until Signing Day.
Other schools of interest: Wide open…
Ramon Buchanon - There is a lot going on behind the scenes with this one. His recruitment has become very fishy to say the least. He came away very impressed by Friday Night Lights. His size suggests a move to safety (a la` Reggie Nelson) may be necessary at the college level.
Other schools of interest: (soft) Miami commitment
Malcolm Munroe -The younger brother of Florida safety Dorian Munroe would be a great fit in the middle or on the outside. A little on the lean side at 6’3”, and 205 pounds, Munroe could be eased into the rotation slowly as he puts on weight. A UF offer would certainly catch his eye if he receives it…
Other schools of interest: Auburn, Clemson, Georgia Tech, South Carolina, and UCF
Don’t count on it: Arthur Brown, Shayne Hale, Lynn Katoa, Lerentee McCray, and Etienne Sabino
Others to watch: Ryan Baker, Sergio Joyner, and Robert Sands
Analysis: A lot depends on what the staff plans to do with Finley. If they believe keeping him in the secondary is the best move, then I could see some combination of Buchanon, Harris, Fitzgerald, and Meyers signing with the Gators. If Finley is projected at LB, combining him with a fellow Alabama prospect in Harris seems very possible. The staff would then likely look to recruit Buchanon to play SS (where he would probably be a better fit, anyways)…
Defensive Back
Committed to Florida:
Dee Finley - The big safety prospect out of Auburn, Alabama, is one of the top defensive prospects in the entire country. His length and range make him a great center fielder, but he isn’t afraid to come up and stick you either-which makes strong safety, and even outside linebacker a possibility as well. At 6’3”, and 200 pounds or so, Finley is yet another in a line of very versatile, athletic prospects that Urban Meyer and his staff identifies as football players first, and find positions for when they get them on campus.
Cornerback
Brandon Harris - Harris had an excellent showing at FNL. I have it on good authority the Gators are in better position than a lot of people realize here. I’m not going to go so far as to say that Harris will sign with Florida. I will say the Gators will be in this one until the end.
Other schools of interest: Miami
Patrick Nixon - He plays free safety for Ed White, but should transition nicely to the corner position in college. He possesses excellent ball skills, and his break on the receiver on video is reminiscent of Reggie Nelson during his time at Florida. His ties to Ed White and former coach Dan Disch could hurt Florida here, but he does have a high interest in the Gators.
Other schools of interest: Florida State and Illinois
Jeremy Brown - Think of Ryan Smith, that’s what Brown brings to the table. Lanky, but fast and with very good ball-skills…Brown is dangerous enough with the rock in his hands, that you have to think about getting him the ball somehow, if only in a returner capacity. Brown’s recruitment has gotten weird in recent weeks. I can’t get a real good feel for him. He could lose a spot at Florida if he continues to look around…
Other schools of interest: Notre Dame, UGA, UNC, and Auburn
Janorris Jenkins - While Jenkins has been simply superb for the Blue Devils the past two years…it was his play at FNL that has really caught the eye of the coaches. Jenkins is PHYSICAL, and not afraid to hit a WR in the mouth.
Other schools of interest: Auburn and Clemson
Don’t count on it: T.J. Bryant and Patrick Johnson
Others to watch: George Baker, Jarred Holley, Charles Whitlock
Analysis: There are a lot of great prospects on board at corner, especially considering Florida will likely only take two, maybe three at the position for ‘08. Lots of depth on the board, to be sure. As of now, any of these four, plus Burton Scott are realistic possibilities. After FNL, my personal belief is that Jenkins moved up to go with Burton Scott as the corners for this class. Obviously, the staff is still waiting on Brown, Nixon is very much a possibility, and the staff likes Brandon Harris a lot as well. How thing play out at corner should be among the most interesting storylines as we head towards National Signing Day.
Safety
Will Hill - “The Thrill” is one of the top prospects on our board at any position. Hill could have an impact in Gainesville at wide receiver or corner, although most believe he will end up at free safety. The comparisons to Reggie Nelson are bound to happen…although Hill is considerably bigger than “The Eraser.” Florida looks to be in REALLY good shape here, after his trip to Gainesville for Friday Night Lights. He will take an official the weekend of the Tennessee game (September 14th)
Other schools of interest: Michigan, Florida State, USC, and Rutgers
D’Anton Lynn - Is a name which has only recently popped up on the board. The Texas prospect recently had a big camp out at USC, where he was reportedly offered by the Trojans. Expect this three-star prospect to make a big leap in the rankings during the next go around. He was supposed to be in Gainesville for Friday Night Lights, but couldn’t make it. He is expected to take an unofficial visit to Florida before the start of the season.
Other schools of interest: Nebraska, Southern California, and Texas Tech
Spencer Adams - The North Carolina prospect has rapidly climbed our board. Supposedly this kid has impressed the staff a LOT. He’s a high school teammate of Robert Blanton, and like Blanton, a little on the skinny side (Adams is about 180 pounds). However, Adams is blazing fast…could be a big-time play maker at free safety. National champ in the hurdles.
Other Schools of interest: Clemson, Michigan, Miami, North Carolina, and N.C. State
Others to watch: Jordan Byas, P.J. Smith, and Brynden Trawick
Analysis: While Finley was a player who most originally pegged as a linebacker, he could really go either way. For now we’ll just say safety, and if he grows out of the position, that’s a bridge that will be crossed at a later date. All of these above-listed prospects would be a nice fit alongside Finley in the secondary, but there’s likely only room for one.
Athlete
Burton Scott - Scott plays all over the field for Vigor (Ala.), but primarily makes his impact as an option QB. Scott is very reminiscent of Peter Warrick coming out of high school, from his size, to his high school position, to the fact neither player is considered a “burner,” when timed in the forty. Scott has been very impressed with Florida’s pursuit of him to date, and Florida has put themselves in a great position to land him.
Other schools of interest: Alabama and Auburn
Jeff Demps - Along with Harry Adams, Demps is the other guy on the board who has a top gear that simply can’t be matched. Both prospects are not only highly coveted on the football field, but would have an immediate impact for the Florida track squad as well. Demps plays RB on the high school level, but would likely play as a returner, and in a hybrid RB/WR role in Gainesville. He’s being recruited for offense, but corner isn’t out of the realm of possibility either, and he has been told as much. Demps will be at Friday Night Lights with his high school coaches.
Other schools of interest: Florida State, Tennessee, and Virginia Tech
Mark Barron - Alabama product visited FNL along with teammate Destin Hood and Burton Scott. Florida projects him as a safety, although RB and WR are certainly possibilities as well. It seems unlikely he ends up a Gator, but Florida is recruiting him on the off chance he does decide Gainesville is the place for him.
Other schools of interest: Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, LSU, and Tennessee
Darren Sewell - The Palm Bay product is more than just a teammate of Ramon Buchanon. He’s a very versatile player who is being recruited by Florida as a safety, but could end up at a number of positions.
Other schools of interest: Arkansas, Central Florida, Rutgers, and South Carolina
Adrian Bushell - Formerly of Monsignor Pace in Miami, Bushell is one of the top corner prospects on the Florida board. WR is also an option, but corner seems to be his most likely landing spot. Cyrus Gray would be welcomed along with Bushell as a package deal out of DeSoto, but Gray will be the harder to pull of the two. Florida leads for Bushell after a recent visit he took to Gainesville. It will be interesting to see if that lead holds…
Other schools of interest: Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas A&M
Others to watch: Harry Adams, Xavier Avery, Ralph Bolden, Robby Green, and Jericho Nelson
Analysis: Of this group, Scott and Demps seem most likely to end up Gators. Both could end up on either side of the ball, but Demps would probably come in as a slot guy, while Scott appears to be headed for the defensive side of the ball at this point.
Special Teams
Committed to Florida:
Caleb Sturgis - The St. Augustine product got the green light to commit after coming to Friday Night Lights. With kickoffs being moved back to the 30-yard line, a strong leg like Sturgis will certainly come in handy. I’m sure missing a few chip-shot field goals over the course of the 2006 season might have had something to do with Coach Meyer taking a kicker at this early point in the process as well.
Committed to Florida:
Earl Okine - The big Gainesville product will be the first signee to stay at home and play for the Gators since Eric Rutledge out of P.K. Yonge in 2004. Okine is tall and rangy, very similar to Jarvis Moss, but perhaps lacking Moss’s unbelievable first step. He is clearly one of the top DE’s in the Southeast, and with the possibility of his enrolling early, will make an immediate impact for the Gators.
Chaz Sutton - Sutton quickly brought the process to an end,confirming his commitment to the Gators at Friday Night Lights. He may not be as impressive as Keith Wells, in terms of the eyeball test, but the staff thinks Sutton will have an immediate impact in Gainesville. Sutton posses great athleticism for a player his size, and could even bulk up into a Ray McDonald-type of hybrid DE/DT role while he is in Gainesville.
End
William Green - Has everything you want in a FOX end. Long, athletic, and quick off the ball. Green is exactly the type of playmaker that this staff wants coming off the weakside. While Alabama will be tough to beat, Green has sure had a lot of good things to say about the Gators…
Other schools of interest: Alabama, Auburn, and Florida State
Chancey Aghayere - A big end who looks every bit the part of a five-star prospect. Aghayere is a former high school teammate of Brandon Antwine. Despite the fact that both of his parents graduated from UT, the Gator staff still has a relatively good shot at pulling this blue-chip prospect right from under the noses of Mack Brown and company.
Other schools of interest: Texas
Robert Quinn - The former linemate of Carlos Dunlap is finding that his recruiting is going just as strongly as that of the former five-star Florida signee. Quinn played DE and LB for Fort Dorchester last year, but as Quinn approaches 260 heading into his senior campaign, he is realistic in expecting he will play with a hand down in college. Dunlap’s presence should help here, but Quinn has been surprisingly cool on the Gators thus far…
Other schools of interest: Alabama, Florida State, South Carolina, and Tennessee
Quinton Coples - Coples is a very intriguing player, who has a high level of interest in the University of Florida. In most years, he may already be a Gator, but as the staff picked up a quick commitment from a player very similar to Coples in Earl Okine. Because of this, it seems likely to expect he stays a little closer to home.
Other schools of interest: North Carolina and Ohio State
Tackle
Justin Thompson - The Miami commitment would have to be classified as soft at this point. He has shown interest in several other schools, and may be a little turned off by the number of tackles Miami is planning on bringing in for 2008. Thompson would add a veteran presence to a young defensive line.
Other schools of interest: Miami, also looking at Ohio State and LSU…
Jeremy Lewis - Another top defensive tackle committed to the ‘Canes. There are rumblings that the UF staff is beginning to pick up their interest in Lewis, and that he is definitely open to an offer if they are to extend it. Not sure how true these “rumors” are, but they have seemed to pick up steam as time goes on. It will be interesting to see if Florida does get involved here.
Other schools of interest: Miami commitment
Marty Everett - Physical prowess isn’t the issue. Everett isn’t a big-time playmaker from the DT position. What he is…is a massive presence who disrupts offensive linemen, and shields linebackers to allow them to make plenty of big plays. Everett has a few issues to take care of. If he does so…he could certainly be a Gator on National Signing Day.
Other schools of interest: Tennessee and UCF, among others
Charles Deas- The massive JUCO prospect would provide an older and MASSIVE presence in the middle for the Gators. Florida has been in contact with Deas virtually ever since he failed to qualify for LSU coming out of high school in 2005. He could very well end up in this class.
Other schools of interest: Auburn, Florida, and Florida State
Don’t count on it: Marcus Forston, Moses McCray, Keith Wells and Micanor Regis
Others to watch: Masengo Kabongo, Brandon Lang, Damion Square, Brandon Thompson, and Kyrhi Thornton
Analysis: Sutton and Okine are committed. As of right now I believe the staff is feeling good about Green and Aghayere. Both are expected to make decisions in the near future. Missing on either wouldn’t be a huge blow, as there are plenty of DE and DT prospects on the board who would be more than willing to fill out the D-Line class for the Gators.
Linebacker
Playing inside
Brendan Beal - The big New Jersey product is strong enough to play in the middle, but his athleticism suggests OLB or even DE isn’t out of the realm of possibility, either. USC is in good shape here, but Florida is working Beal hard. He is scheduled to be in Gainesville on an official visit the weekend of the Tennessee game (September 14th).
Other schools of interest: Boston College, LSU, and Southern California
J.B. Fitzgerald- Fitzgerald has DE size (6’4”, 225), but definitely looks the part of a LB on film. Michigan has really made some in-roads into New Jersey this year, and seemed headed toward landing Fitzgerald as well…until a June visit to Gainesville blew him away. Look for this one to be a heated battle for quite some time.
Other schools of interest: Michigan and Rutgers
Jonathan Meyers - Meyers is listed here as a linebacker, although he is probably slotted as a guy who could play either way as of now. Meyers has good speed and impresses on film. As a player, he reminds me quite a bit of James Bates (although he might have a ways to go to match Bates as an off-field personality). Meyers definitely seems to be a possibility for this class, but he’s been awful quiet as of late…
Other schools of interest: Michigan and Nebraska, among others…
Marlon Walls - Walls was very impressed by his trip to Gainesville, and the staff felt likewise. Walls is smaller than he is listed by Rivals, but would be a good fit at any of the three LB spots on defense. Can’t help but think the staff would probably take some other guys before him, however…
Other schools of interest: Tennessee, Auburn, and Louisville
On the outside
Marcus Robinson - Robinson has everything you look for in an outside linebacker. With equal proficiency, he can rush the passer, play the run, and drop back into coverage on larger WR’s and TE’s. Basically put, Robinson is the entire package. While he is committed to Miami, it should be considered a soft one, at that. The Florida staff will do everything in their power to steal him from the ‘Canes.
Other schools of interest: Miami commitment, also looking at Florida State and Southern California
Jerrell Harris - Other than Robinson, Harris was the most impressive LB prospect at Friday Night Lights. While Harris is obviously raw, he has all the tools (just as Robinson does), he just hasn’t quite put them all together at this point. He came away listing Florida as his leader, but it’s a long way until Signing Day.
Other schools of interest: Wide open…
Ramon Buchanon - There is a lot going on behind the scenes with this one. His recruitment has become very fishy to say the least. He came away very impressed by Friday Night Lights. His size suggests a move to safety (a la` Reggie Nelson) may be necessary at the college level.
Other schools of interest: (soft) Miami commitment
Malcolm Munroe -The younger brother of Florida safety Dorian Munroe would be a great fit in the middle or on the outside. A little on the lean side at 6’3”, and 205 pounds, Munroe could be eased into the rotation slowly as he puts on weight. A UF offer would certainly catch his eye if he receives it…
Other schools of interest: Auburn, Clemson, Georgia Tech, South Carolina, and UCF
Don’t count on it: Arthur Brown, Shayne Hale, Lynn Katoa, Lerentee McCray, and Etienne Sabino
Others to watch: Ryan Baker, Sergio Joyner, and Robert Sands
Analysis: A lot depends on what the staff plans to do with Finley. If they believe keeping him in the secondary is the best move, then I could see some combination of Buchanon, Harris, Fitzgerald, and Meyers signing with the Gators. If Finley is projected at LB, combining him with a fellow Alabama prospect in Harris seems very possible. The staff would then likely look to recruit Buchanon to play SS (where he would probably be a better fit, anyways)…
Defensive Back
Committed to Florida:
Dee Finley - The big safety prospect out of Auburn, Alabama, is one of the top defensive prospects in the entire country. His length and range make him a great center fielder, but he isn’t afraid to come up and stick you either-which makes strong safety, and even outside linebacker a possibility as well. At 6’3”, and 200 pounds or so, Finley is yet another in a line of very versatile, athletic prospects that Urban Meyer and his staff identifies as football players first, and find positions for when they get them on campus.
Cornerback
Brandon Harris - Harris had an excellent showing at FNL. I have it on good authority the Gators are in better position than a lot of people realize here. I’m not going to go so far as to say that Harris will sign with Florida. I will say the Gators will be in this one until the end.
Other schools of interest: Miami
Patrick Nixon - He plays free safety for Ed White, but should transition nicely to the corner position in college. He possesses excellent ball skills, and his break on the receiver on video is reminiscent of Reggie Nelson during his time at Florida. His ties to Ed White and former coach Dan Disch could hurt Florida here, but he does have a high interest in the Gators.
Other schools of interest: Florida State and Illinois
Jeremy Brown - Think of Ryan Smith, that’s what Brown brings to the table. Lanky, but fast and with very good ball-skills…Brown is dangerous enough with the rock in his hands, that you have to think about getting him the ball somehow, if only in a returner capacity. Brown’s recruitment has gotten weird in recent weeks. I can’t get a real good feel for him. He could lose a spot at Florida if he continues to look around…
Other schools of interest: Notre Dame, UGA, UNC, and Auburn
Janorris Jenkins - While Jenkins has been simply superb for the Blue Devils the past two years…it was his play at FNL that has really caught the eye of the coaches. Jenkins is PHYSICAL, and not afraid to hit a WR in the mouth.
Other schools of interest: Auburn and Clemson
Don’t count on it: T.J. Bryant and Patrick Johnson
Others to watch: George Baker, Jarred Holley, Charles Whitlock
Analysis: There are a lot of great prospects on board at corner, especially considering Florida will likely only take two, maybe three at the position for ‘08. Lots of depth on the board, to be sure. As of now, any of these four, plus Burton Scott are realistic possibilities. After FNL, my personal belief is that Jenkins moved up to go with Burton Scott as the corners for this class. Obviously, the staff is still waiting on Brown, Nixon is very much a possibility, and the staff likes Brandon Harris a lot as well. How thing play out at corner should be among the most interesting storylines as we head towards National Signing Day.
Safety
Will Hill - “The Thrill” is one of the top prospects on our board at any position. Hill could have an impact in Gainesville at wide receiver or corner, although most believe he will end up at free safety. The comparisons to Reggie Nelson are bound to happen…although Hill is considerably bigger than “The Eraser.” Florida looks to be in REALLY good shape here, after his trip to Gainesville for Friday Night Lights. He will take an official the weekend of the Tennessee game (September 14th)
Other schools of interest: Michigan, Florida State, USC, and Rutgers
D’Anton Lynn - Is a name which has only recently popped up on the board. The Texas prospect recently had a big camp out at USC, where he was reportedly offered by the Trojans. Expect this three-star prospect to make a big leap in the rankings during the next go around. He was supposed to be in Gainesville for Friday Night Lights, but couldn’t make it. He is expected to take an unofficial visit to Florida before the start of the season.
Other schools of interest: Nebraska, Southern California, and Texas Tech
Spencer Adams - The North Carolina prospect has rapidly climbed our board. Supposedly this kid has impressed the staff a LOT. He’s a high school teammate of Robert Blanton, and like Blanton, a little on the skinny side (Adams is about 180 pounds). However, Adams is blazing fast…could be a big-time play maker at free safety. National champ in the hurdles.
Other Schools of interest: Clemson, Michigan, Miami, North Carolina, and N.C. State
Others to watch: Jordan Byas, P.J. Smith, and Brynden Trawick
Analysis: While Finley was a player who most originally pegged as a linebacker, he could really go either way. For now we’ll just say safety, and if he grows out of the position, that’s a bridge that will be crossed at a later date. All of these above-listed prospects would be a nice fit alongside Finley in the secondary, but there’s likely only room for one.
Athlete
Burton Scott - Scott plays all over the field for Vigor (Ala.), but primarily makes his impact as an option QB. Scott is very reminiscent of Peter Warrick coming out of high school, from his size, to his high school position, to the fact neither player is considered a “burner,” when timed in the forty. Scott has been very impressed with Florida’s pursuit of him to date, and Florida has put themselves in a great position to land him.
Other schools of interest: Alabama and Auburn
Jeff Demps - Along with Harry Adams, Demps is the other guy on the board who has a top gear that simply can’t be matched. Both prospects are not only highly coveted on the football field, but would have an immediate impact for the Florida track squad as well. Demps plays RB on the high school level, but would likely play as a returner, and in a hybrid RB/WR role in Gainesville. He’s being recruited for offense, but corner isn’t out of the realm of possibility either, and he has been told as much. Demps will be at Friday Night Lights with his high school coaches.
Other schools of interest: Florida State, Tennessee, and Virginia Tech
Mark Barron - Alabama product visited FNL along with teammate Destin Hood and Burton Scott. Florida projects him as a safety, although RB and WR are certainly possibilities as well. It seems unlikely he ends up a Gator, but Florida is recruiting him on the off chance he does decide Gainesville is the place for him.
Other schools of interest: Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, LSU, and Tennessee
Darren Sewell - The Palm Bay product is more than just a teammate of Ramon Buchanon. He’s a very versatile player who is being recruited by Florida as a safety, but could end up at a number of positions.
Other schools of interest: Arkansas, Central Florida, Rutgers, and South Carolina
Adrian Bushell - Formerly of Monsignor Pace in Miami, Bushell is one of the top corner prospects on the Florida board. WR is also an option, but corner seems to be his most likely landing spot. Cyrus Gray would be welcomed along with Bushell as a package deal out of DeSoto, but Gray will be the harder to pull of the two. Florida leads for Bushell after a recent visit he took to Gainesville. It will be interesting to see if that lead holds…
Other schools of interest: Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas A&M
Others to watch: Harry Adams, Xavier Avery, Ralph Bolden, Robby Green, and Jericho Nelson
Analysis: Of this group, Scott and Demps seem most likely to end up Gators. Both could end up on either side of the ball, but Demps would probably come in as a slot guy, while Scott appears to be headed for the defensive side of the ball at this point.
Special Teams
Committed to Florida:
Caleb Sturgis - The St. Augustine product got the green light to commit after coming to Friday Night Lights. With kickoffs being moved back to the 30-yard line, a strong leg like Sturgis will certainly come in handy. I’m sure missing a few chip-shot field goals over the course of the 2006 season might have had something to do with Coach Meyer taking a kicker at this early point in the process as well.
