Can't miss: Kelvin Taylor, RB, Glades Day. He is a highly coveted talent who already has the physique to play in the SEC.
Surprise: Tashawn Bower, DE, Somerville, N.J. Bower reportedly called the Gators early Wednesday and committed, then flipped to LSU when he announced later in the day.
Even with the majority of Florida’s recruits holding longstanding commitments to the program, Gators coach Will Muschamp was nervous heading into Wednesday’s national signing day.
“Sometimes you can sway somebody pretty easy,” he said. “You know a lot of times when you’re recruiting a young man if it’s a commitment or it’s a reservation. You make reservations at a Marriott, but you change and go to the Hilton. Unfortunately some people make reservations, not commitments.”
All of Muschamp’s commits checked in on time. He completed a class of 24 high school players and four junior college transfers for a group that was rated in the top 10 by all three major recruiting outlets. Florida was No. 3 in Rivals’ rankings, No. 8 in Scout’s and No. 2 in ESPN’s.
The bulk of those recruits were in place months ago and created minimal drama for UF’s coaching staff.
“It’s a very committed class,” Muschamp said. “A lot of these guys have been committed to us a long time and never took other visits. There wasn’t a lot of flash in their recruiting process, and that’s the kind of guys you want.”
The two five-star prospects joining Florida are linebacker Alex Anzalone and cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III. Anzalone flipped from Notre Dame to the Gators just prior to enrolling at UF last month, while Hargreaves has been solid since the summer.
The Gators added three local players, including Glades Day running back Kelvin Taylor. He enrolled at UF last month and will go through spring practices with the team.
Taylor, the son of former Florida and NFL star Fred Taylor, should immediately compete for carries against a group of fairly inexperienced running backs. He ran for 12,121 yards and 191 touchdowns as a high school player.
“Kelvin never brought up star ratings or how many offers he had or wanted to take a bunch of different visits, wanted to talk to this coach or that coach,” Muschamp said. “None of that stuff really impressed Kelvin very much.”
Florida also picked up defensive tackle Jay-nard Bostwick from Centennial and offensive lineman Roderick Johnson of American Heritage.
Both players had interesting recruiting rides. Johnson committed to the Gators in March, withdrew in August, then renewed his pledge in December. Bostwick did not publicly commit to any school prior to signing with Florida. Miami, Alabama and Notre Dame were among the other programs chasing him.
“Guys think they made the right decision, and like most situations they start having buyer’s remorse a little bit on their decision,” Muschamp said. “I understand all that. That’s part of the process. You just continue to recruit the guy.”
The Gators loaded up with five wide receivers, hoping to bolster one of the weakest areas of their roster. Their top returning receiver is Quinton Dunbar, who had 36 catches for 383 yards and four touchdowns. No other player had more than 18 receptions last season.
The leading candidate to break into the lineup is Demarcus Robinson from Fort Valley, Ga., at 6-feet-2, 200 pounds. He enrolled last month and already is working out on campus.
Not surprisingly, the signing class included five offensive and seven defensive linemen. Muschamp, who constantly reiterates his belief that the “SEC is a line-of-scrimmage league,” wished he could have signed another two or three players up front.
The Gators’ new quarterback is Max Staver, a three-star prospect from Brentwood (Tenn.) Academy. They hoped to also pull in his teammate, cornerback Jalen Ramsey, but he signed with Florida State.
About the Author
