This is the conclusion to our first look at the Class of 2015 for the Gators. Yesterday was the offense, today is the defense. The talent for next year is shaping up – on paper, at least – to be a very impressive group overall. Keep in mind, it's very early, so the "needs" could change considerably from position-to-position over the next year. This is just an early projection of what Florida might be looking for, numbers-wise, at each position grouping on the roster.
Defensive End
Needs: 2-3
CeCe Jefferson (6-2, 245, Glen St. Mary Baker County) – Primarily plays defensive tackle at the high school level, but his size suggests that defensive end will be his likely position in college. Phenomenal pass-rusher. Has excelled since his freshman year, when he first emerged on the radar for the Gators. One of the top prospects in the country. Recorded 25 sacks through his first two seasons of varsity football, with two more to go.
Byron Cowart (6-3, 250, Seffner Armwood) – Currently plays nose guard for Armwood. More of a physical freak than a polished product at the moment. Needs some refinement as a player, but possesses all the tools to be a great one. Likely a strong-side end at the next level, but might have the frame to expand into a three-technique or hybrid player. Notched over 40 tackles (11 for loss), four sacks and an interception as a sophomore.
Jashon Cornell (6-3, 245, St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Durham Hall) – Considered the top pass-rushing prospect in the country. Florida on his short list early. Plays at a program that has been Notre Dame-friendly in the past. Would be an ideal fit at the "BUCK" position for Florida. 52 tackles, 16 sacks and three forced fumbles as a sophomore.
George Brown (6-6, 260, Cincinnati, Ohio/Winton Woods) – Two-way lineman that could also excel at offensive tackle. Seems to prefer defense at this point. It should be noted that Brown hails from the same program that produced former UF star defensive back Tony George.
Michael Barnett (6-4, 250, Dorchester, S.C./Woodland) – With Florida's ties to the Palmetto State, the Gators will make a serious run at Barnett, who could project at multiple slots along the defensive line. As a sophomore, he made 63 total tackles (17 for loss), nine sacks and two forced fumbles.
Shameik Blackshear (6-5, 235, Bluffton, S.C./Bluffton) – South Carolina commitment was credited with 97 tackles and five sacks as a sophomore. Widely considered one of the top defensive ends in the country for 2015. Will be hard to flip from the Gamecocks, but Brad Lawing and D.J. Durkin will likely get that opportunity as Blackshear has expressed a desire to take some visits.
Others to watch: Austin Bryant (Thomasville, Ga./Thomas County Central), Jalen Dalton (Clemmons, N.C./West Forsyth), Natrez Patrick (Atlanta, Ga./Mays), Russell Ude (Atlanta, Ga./Westminster), D'Andre Walker (Fairburn, Ga./Langston Hughes)
Analysis: Really quality group for whom Florida should be able to grab two or three good ones. A couple of these guys could very well project as defensive tackles at the next level. In any case, the Gators should be able to upgrade their pass rush in the 2015 cycle.
Defensive Tackle
Needs: 2-3
Kendrick Norton (6-2, 290, Jacksonville Trinity Christian) – Two-way player could really project on either side of the ball for the Gators. Has primarily played on offense at the prep level. Strong, powerfully-built lineman who has already picked up a ton of offers from schools across the South.
Trent Thompson (6-4, 290, Albany, Ga./Westover) – One of the top defensive tackle prospects in the country. UGA in good shape here, but Florida is working an "in" they have through Thompson in junior offensive lineman Trenton Brown. Excellent player who could plug in at either defensive tackle position. Over 60 tackles and five sacks for Thompson as a sophomore at Westover.
Albert Huggins (6-2, 280, Orangeburg, S.C./Orangeburg-Wilkinson) – Georgia is in a strong position here early, as they are for Thompson, but Florida is poised to make a run at both players. Huggins was credited with 70 tackles and seven sacks in 2012.
Rasheem Green (6-5, 270, Gardena, Calif./Junipero Serra) – One of the top prospects in the country for 2015. Could really project at either offensive tackle or defensive tackle. Through three games, Green already has 21 tackles and 5.5 sacks for Serra. The Gators' recruitment of senior linebacker Dwight Williams could very much have an impact on Green, and fellow junior prospect John Houston.
Tim Settle (6-3, 310, Manassas, Va./Stonewall Jackson) – Widely considered the top defensive tackle in the country for 2015. Very early, and the Gators aren't in a great position early on, but they should get at least an opportunity (or two) to sway this massive building block. Credited with over 70 tackles and three sacks as a sophomore.
Others to watch: Terry Beckner, Jr. (East St. Louis, Ill./East. St. Louis), Darian Roseboro (Lincolnton, N.C./Linconton), Shy Tuttle (Lexington, N.C./North Davidson), Christian Wilkins (Suffield, Conn./Suffield Academy)
Analysis: It's early, but Florida's two best bets at the defensive tackle position appear to be Norton and Thompson, followed by Green and Huggins. Sort of a strange position from a national perspective for 2015. Plenty of prospects out there, but not a lot with in-state or UF ties. Brad Lawing and the rest of the Florida staff will have to do some work to get these guys in the fold, although there will be plenty of other names who emerge over the coming months.
Linebacker
Needs: 3
Jeffery Holland (6-2, 225, Jacksonville Trinity Christian) – Quite simply, an all-around playmaker. Excellent pass-rusher, and could really fit at three or four positions on defense. May even grow into a part-time (or even full-time) BUCK on the next level. He's one of the top three to five prospects in the state for 2015. Holland already has four sacks through two games for the Conquerors.
Jaye Miner (6-3, 195, Wesley Chapel Wiregrass Ranch) – A player who has really emerged over the last year, Miner plays all over the back end of the defense for Wiregrass Ranch, but projects as an ideal outside linebacker in college. Miner has stuffed the stat sheet through three games – an incredible 50 tackles, two forced fumbles and 1.5 sacks for a 2-1 squad.
Ricky DeBerry (6-2, 230, Richmond, Va./St. Christopher's) – Already has an offer from the Gators, and there is some interest by the Gators in giving him a look at tight end. Notched 55 tackles, 7.5 sacks and an interception in 2012. Presumably, DeBerry would be a better fit at linebacker, but it is interesting to note Florida's expressed interest in trying DeBerry at tight end as well.
John Houston (6-3, 210, Gardena, Calif./Junipero Serra) – Talented, versatile linebacker could play inside or out at the college level. Has recorded 34 tackles through three games in 2013. Of note, Florida is heavily recruiting his linebacker running mate (Dwight Williams) as a part of the Class of 2014.
Others to watch: Montavious Atkinson (Fairburn, Ga./Langston Hughes), De'Amontae Jackson (Citra North Marion), Sherrod Pittman (Jacksonville First Coast), Dominic Sheppard (Miami Gulliver Prep), Roquan Smith (Montezuma, Ga./Macon County), Danny Thomas (Weston Cypress Bay)
Analysis: There is some good talent at the top, but this is one position that doesn't appear to have a lot of depth early on – one of the few in the Class of 2015. The Gators will likely have a much stronger need at the linebacker position next year after being relatively selective about extending offers to linebackers in the present recruiting cycle.
Cornerback
Needs: 2-3
Kevin Toliver (6-2, 185, Jacksonville Trinity Christian) – Big corner has earned comparisons to former Pompano Beach Ely cornerback Patrick Peterson (nee Johnson) with his combination of size and athleticism. Considered one of the top overall prospects in the country for the Class of 2015. LSU commitment, but will have attended each of Florida's first three games if he makes it to Gainesville for the Tennessee contest, as expected.
Tyrek Cole (5-11, 170, Miramar) – Highly-skilled and developed cornerback prospect. Considered one of the best in the country for 2015. Will Muschamp has already checked in with the talented prospect this season. Recorded nearly 30 tackles and a pair of interceptions as a sophomore.
Mike Hughes (5-10, 170, New Bern, N.C./New Bern) – The top out-of-state option for Florida, early on. Visited Gainesville for Friday Night Lights. Accounted for over 500 yards of offense and four touchdowns through his team's first two games. Also averages over 36 yards a punt. Very skilled, versatile athlete who could add a strong dose of speed to the secondary of his choice.
Jamel Dean (6-1, 175, Cocoa) – Another long, fast corner, although not as technically sound as Toliver. One of the fastest sprinters in the state among the junior class. Ohio State is high on his list, although Dean is from a UF-friendly area of Florida. Recorded 29 tackles and three interceptions as a sophomore.
Others to watch: Rashard Causey (Ft. Lauderdale University School), Von Davis (Mt. Dora), Minkah Fitzpatrick (Jersey City, N.J./St. Peter's Prep), Devin Munnerlyn (Citra North Marion), Kendall Sheffield (Missouri City, Tex./Fort Bend Marshall), Marcus Walker (Lake Wales)
Analysis: Certainly shaping up to be a strong year in Florida for corners in 2015. In fact, it's a shame UF doesn't have this group available to them in 2014, the year they really need to load up on numbers at the position. In any case, despite signing a big group in this recruiting cycle, I'd still be surprised if Travaris Robinson takes less than three corners next year, considering the quality available to them in the 2015 class.
Safety
Needs: 1
Shawn Burgess-Becker (6-2, 185, Coconut Creek Monarch) – Long, lean defensive back who could play all over the secondary at the next level, and possibly on offense as well. Recorded over 60 tackles and five interceptions during his sophomore campaign at Monarch. Projected as one of the top players in the state for 2015, regardless of position.
Kendrell McFadden (6-3, 175, Hollywood McArthur) – Highly-regarded defensive back. Really hasn't shown a ton of interest in Florida to date, but has to be considered one of the top players on the board at the position.
Jordan Cronkite (5-11, 195, Miami Westminster Christian) – Gifted two-way athlete that is averaging nearly 13 yards a carry on 36 rushing attempts, three games into the 2013 season. Could also certainly project to either side of the football at the next level.
Others to watch: Calvin Brewton (Miami Central), Jonathan Crawford (Largo), Hunter Dale (New Orleans, La./John Curtis), Ben Edwards (Jacksonville Trinity Christian), Jaquan Johnson (Miami Killian), Tavares McFadden (American Heritage-Plantation), Vernon Walker (Orlando Dr. Phillips)
Analysis: For the second year in a row, safety is not shaping up to be a major need area, especially if Florida locks down Jamal Adams in the Class of 2014. However, with the talent available at this position, it would be surprising if the Gators didn't grab at least one player. Among the "others to watch," Edwards could also get a look at linebacker, and would be a part of a strong contingent from Trinity Christian that UF may choose to pursue en masse. McFadden could get a look at corner as well.
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