The Class of 1991: A D-Line haul for the ages

This is the second installment in our running anthology of posts looking back at past recruiting classes for the Florida Gators. Today's entry highlights the Class of 1991.

The first full recruiting class for Steve Spurrier, he left no stone unturned, and brought in the maximum allowed 25 prospects for a recruiting cycle, plus three junior college transfers. This group was ranked well within the top 10 in the country (Max Emfinger had it as the third-best recruiting class for 1991) and considered the top group in the SEC.

Although many point to the 1992 class as the impetus to the four year reign over the SEC from 1993-96 (as well as the National Championship to cap off that run), this group had a big hand in that succcess as well. In fact, it could be argued that this group is one of the more underrated classes in UF history.

Steve Spurrier announced a batch of 27 new Gators on Feb. 7, 1991. Two signees (Mark Campbell and Mark Grimes) came in after National Signing Day.

Darwin Anderson, Back, (6-0, 197), Winter Park

Jason Bartley, Back (6-0, 208), Jacksonville (Fletcher)

Luke Bencie, Quarterback (6-4, 201), Sarasota (Riverview)

Mark Campbell, Line (6-3, 275), Miami (Sunset)

Kevin Carter, Line (6-5, 235), Tallahassee (Lincoln)

Antwan Chiles, Quarterback (6-3, 235), Lauderdale Lakes (Cardinal Gibbons)

Marion Dixon, Line (6-5, 240), Largo

Shayne Edge, Kicker (6-1, 185), Lake City (Columbia)

McDonald Ferguson, Line (6-2, 235), Miami (North Miami)

Mark Grimes, Line (6-3, 230), Cookeville, Tenn. (Cookeville)

Ben Hanks, Back (6-2, 190), Miami (North Miami)

Lawrence Hatch (6-1, 190), Long Beach, Calif. (Costa Mesa C.C.)

Jack Jackson, Back (5-11, 175), Moss Point, Ms. (Moss Point)

Scott Joslyn, Line (6-4, 295), Orlando (Evans)

Ellis Johnson, Line (6-3, 275), Wildwood

Kevin Johnson, Line (6-3, 250), Vero Beach

Jeremy Kennedy, Back (6-4, 230), Oklahoma City, Okla. (Westmoore)

Larry Kennedy, Back (5-11, 185), Sarasota (Riverview)

Henry McMillian, Line (6-4, 270), Folkston, Ga. (Charlton County)

Jimmy Owens, (5-9, 170), (San Bernandino Valley College)

Sorola Palmer, Back (5-10, 170), Lacome, La. (Manderville)

Carlton Pouncy, Back (5-11, 185), Kissimmee (Osceola)

Matt Pearson, Back (6-1, 223), Mayo (Lafayette)

Anthony Riggins, Line (6-4, 215), Ft. Pierce (Central)

Alfred Smith, Back (6-3, 225), Brandon (Coffeyville C.C.)

Craig Weaver, Line (6-3, 304), Miami (Central)

Ed West, Back (5-10, 178), Miami (Carol City)

– The Gators led all teams with 12 signings among the state's Top 50 prospects. Florida State landed nine, despite being touted as having the better class. Miami nabbed six. Auburn was the most successful out-of-state program, with four top-50 prospects from the state of Florida. The Tigers dipped into their pipeline at Ft. Lauderdale Dillard for three of those players, with running back James Bostic (6-2, 215) and wide receiver Frank Sanders (6-3, 195) carving out big roles during their time on the Plains.

– Although Kevin Carter was generally considered to be the jewel of Florida's 1991 class, it was Scott Joslyn who earned the highest honors by being named first team All-American according to the USA Today.

– Three-quarters of Florida's recruiting class (75%) were native to the state of Florida (21 of 28).

Biggest hits: This was probably the best defensive line class recruited in the history of the University of Florida. Carter lived up to the hype as the top recruit in this class by earning All-SEC and All-American honors and being one of the highest-ever drafted Gators when he went sixth overall to the St. Louis Rams in 1995. Johnson was also an All-SEC honoree and first round NFL Draft pick in 1995 (Indianpolis Colts, 14^th overall). McMillian went in the sixth round to Seattle (180^th overall) that year, and Mark Campbell (78^th overall) would be Florida's top pick a year later by the Denver Broncos after earning All-SEC honors that year as well.

P Shayne Edge, LB Ben Hanks, WR Jack Jackson and DB Larry Kennedy also earned All-SEC honors during their stay in Gainesville, and were key contributors to SEC Championships in 1993 and 1994 (as well as 1995 for Hanks.) Kennedy, it should be noted, originally signed with Ohio State in 1990, but academic issues prevented him from enrolling in Columbus. He eventually ended up in Gainesville, and wound up a major factor in the secondary for the Gators from 1991-94.

Although he didn't sign with Florida in 1991, Chris Doering of P.K. Yonge would walk-on at UF and eventually develop into one of the top receivers in school history.

Biggest misses: Despite coming in with a massive hype, Scott Joslyn turned out to be a huge bust at Florida, making close to no impact on the UF line-up. Antwan Chiles got lost in the shuffle at quarterback, and when he was asked to move to linebacker (the position most recruiting services projected to be his best coming out of the high school ranks) Chiles elected to transfer to Liberty instead.

Derwin Anderson didn't qualify and eventually wound up at Kansas, where knee injuries derailed his career. Luke Bencie transferred to Michigan State after one season in Gainesville. Ed West left football to focus on track. Late signee Mark Grimes lasted one year in the program before moving on. Craig Weaver was an academic casualty and never suited up for the Gators. Owens was expected to have an immediate impact, but was quickly passed over by better players at UF.

The ones who got away: It's not hard to spot the two biggest misses for Florida in the Class of 1991. Derrick Brooks (6-1, 205) and Warren Sapp (6-3, 232) were two highly-regarded prospects who had Florida on their short lists, only to end up at Florida State and Miami, respectively. Brooks was the USA Today Defensive Player of the Year out of Pensacola Washington, and was sold on the idea of playing safety in Tallahassee. Brooks was subsequently moved to linebacker where he excelled at Florida State, and played out a Hall-of-Fame caliber career in Tampa Bay for the Buccaneers as well.

Sapp took a visit to Florida where he reportedly weighed in at close to 260 pounds, and was already growing out of the tight end position he was projected at by most services. Miami sold him on leaving the central Florida region to play for the 'Canes instead, and the rest is history.

The USA Today Offensive Player of the Year, Marquette Smith, also signed with Florida State out of Lake Howell in Winter Park. Smith got caught in a crowded backfield in Tallahassee and wound up transferring to UCF, where he finished his brief career in Orlando as the third all-time leading rusher in school history. He was a fifth-round pick of the Carolina Panthers in 1996, but never saw action in a regular season game as knee injuries prematurely ended his career. Ironically, Florida signed another 2,000-yard rusher from the Winter Park area to replace Smith in Darwin Anderson, but he never suited up for the Gators either.

Finally, the Gators landed a commitment at one point in the process from Jesse Mitchell (6-3, 217) out of Key West, widely regarded as the No. 2 defensive end prospect in-state. However, he elected to sign with Miami on National Signing Day instead. Still UF would seemingly get the last laugh, trading Mitchell for Mark Campbell, a one-time Miami commitment who signed with the Gators nearly a week after National Signing Day.

Michigan and Penn State shared the disputed crown for National Signing Day. Florida State, with a haul of 19 players, also landed a top-five class. DE Derrick Alexander, DB Devin Bush, OL Forrest Conoly (a former Gainesville resident), OL Greg Frey, OL Juan Laureano and OL Clay Shiver were among the major pick-ups for FSU in the 1991 class.

Have some other thoughts on this group? Add them in the comments below.