Ten Florida receivers who have shined this fall

We're just past the midway point of the high school season for Florida. Most teams now have six games in the books, and some players in the passing game have really started to break away from the pack. Here's eight ten receivers (well, actually, nine receivers and a tight end) who have emerged this fall. Some were already well-known coming into the season. Some of the others? Well, they weren't quite as well known before this fall.

Now, keep in mind, I'm not advocating that these are the eight best wide receiver prospects in Florida. There have been a number of top prospects (Ermon Lane, Ja'Von Harrison, Corey Holmes and Artavis Scott among them) whose numbers haven't matched those of the players in this post for one reason or another. However, the below-listed prospects have raised their level of play this fall, without a doubt.

Ryan Sousa (6-0, 177, Lake Nona) – The prolific senior out of the Orlando area continues to put up big numbers. Sousa had over 2,400 receiving yards and 30 touchdowns over the past two seasons, and his numbers continue to trend up for Lake Nona. Through six games this fall, Sousa has grabbed 59 receptions for 901 yards (15.3 ypc) and 10 scores. FSU commitment.



Natrelle Jamerson (6-0, 175, Ocala Vanguard) – Jamerson has been a part of a prolific offensive attack for the Knights this fall. Through six games, Jamerson has 39 receptions for 785 yards (20.1 ypc) and eight scores. Tight end Elkanah Dillon has also been very effective for the Vanguard passing game this season, as the Knights are 3-3 on the season.



Mike Boone (5-9, 175, Glen St. Mary Baker County) – Following a 46-7 victory against Paxon on Friday night, the FIU pledge had nabbed 48 receptions for 841 yards (17.5 ypc) and 11 scores through seven games for 5-2 Baker County.



Jordan Franks (6-4, 210, Crawfordville Wakulla) – The senior tight end has thrived with brother Feleipe throwing him passes this fall. Franks had notched 40 receptions for 742 yards (18.6 ypc) and seven scores for the 6-1 War Eagles, before a 28-7 victory over Starke Bradford on Friday night.



Anthony "Shug" Rhynes (5-11, 190, Tampa Middleton) – Rhynes' performance has been overshadowed by the fact he competes on a 1-5 team. Still, the senior receiver had 23 receptions for 811 yards and seven scores following into a 26-21 victory for Middleton on Friday night against Blake, the Tigers' first victory of the season. Rhynes had a 70-yard pass reception for a score in the game.

Travis Rudolph (6-1, 188, West Palm Beach Cardinal Newman) – The Under Armour All-American has put together good numbers on the ground and as a receiver over the past three seasons. But nothing like he's done so far this fall. Through seven games, Rudolph already has career highs of 36 receptions, 762 yards (21.2 ypc) and 11 touchdowns for the 4-2 Crusaders. Rudolph has certainly emerged as one of the top prospects in the state of Florida at the wide receiver position, if not the best.



J.C. Jackson (5-10, 185, Immokalee) – After another big game for the Florida commitment on Friday night in a win over Naples, Jackson now has 18 receptions for 615 yards (34.2 ypc) and 9 scores for Immokalee, despite the fact he's only played in five games for the Indians, who are now 5-2 on the season. Jackson now has two games of 200+ receiving yards in the last three weeks for Immokalee.



Stephen Denmark (6-3, 200, Tallahassee Rickards) – Denmark has been a standout on a surprising 6-0 Rickards squad. He has 23 receptions for 632 yards (27.5 ypc) and eight scores for the season. He also added an 85-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against FAMU High on Thursday, demonstrating why his stock should continue to rise over the course of this season and heading into the weeks leading up to National Signing Day.

Garrett Johnson (5-10, 168, Winter Garden West Orange) – The explosive slot receiver has been incredibly productive once against for West Orange this fall, nabbing 38 receptions for 607 yards (16.0 ypc) and nine touchdowns for the 6-1 Warriors before a 56-7 win over Cypress Creek on Friday night. Johnson had a 63-yard reception for a touchdown and also returned a punt 68 yards for a touchdown in that contest as well. Johnson is committed to Kentucky.



Ny'Qwan Murray (5-11, 170, Orlando Oak Ridge) – The central Florida speedster recently picked up his first FBS offer from Cincinnati. Murray had 41 receptions for 788 yards (19.2 ypc) and 10 scores before a 23-20 win over Ocoee to move their record to 4-3 on the year. Murray had a 99-yard TD reception against East Ridge earlier this season, which is linked below.

Gators Recruiting News & Notes, 10/11

It's been sort of a quiet week on the recruiting trail. Not a whole lot of Florida-related notes to write about, or anything of note from the national perspective that grabbed my attention. However, here's a couple of tidbits to chew on as we head towards an excellent slate of games on Saturday:

– Rivals reported earlier this week that Auburn commit Tre Williams (6-2, 225, Mobile, Ala./St. Paul's) will use an official visit to see check out Florida. Is there anything to see here? Maybe, but it's unlikely. Williams name has been continuously been mentioned in connection with UF for months. But nothing has really came of it. Unless Williams makes more than one visit to Gainesville before National Signing Day, this is likely just a trip to have something to compare Auburn with.

Throw in the fact that Nyles Morgan (6-2, 230, Crete, Ill./Crete-Monee) has expressed interest in taking an official visit to Florida as well, and the linebacker board has expanded a bit for the Gators. Raekwon McMillan and Clifton Garrett remain the top two prospects on the board for Florida. But all four players have to be considered long shots for the Gators at this point. So, this begs the question: assuming the Gators miss on all four of these guys, will they elect to take a guy like Dwight Williams (6-1, 205, Gardena, Calif./Junipero Serra)? Or will they make a late run at one of the in-state linebackers instead? There are some impressive looking players from around the Sunshine State. Josh Black, Jakob Johnson, Xavier Preston, Sharieff Rhaheed are among the in-state prospects worthy of an offer, in my view (Johnson could also get a look at defensive end or in a role similar to that of Ronald Powell). It should also be noted that current commitment Justus Reed could also get a look at playing linebacker or a hybrid role not all that dissimilar from current UF player Neiron Ball.

There's still a long ways to go. The need for numbers isn't there after signing four linebackers last year, but I still expect the Gators to add someone to the fold at the position for the Class of 2014. The only question now is, who will it be?

– Five-star WR commit Ermon Lane of Homestead was ejected for reportedly throwing a punch in a 45-0 win over Palmetto on Thursday night.

Ermon Lane talking with #Homestead AD Newsome and HC Coffey after being ejected in the first. pic.twitter.com/vjOMouz2vr
— Chris Green (@cgreensdnl) October 10, 2013

If the ejection is upheld as is, Lane would face a six-week suspension, which is the typical measure handed down by the FHSAA for such an incident. An appeal in the matter is likely, given the circumstances however, as Lane claims he was simply trying to jar the ball loose from an opponent while playing safety on defense. A reasonable argument, I suppose, without having been there to personally witness the incident, myself.

However, if the six-week suspension is upheld, Lane has very possibly played his final game at the high school level.

– The mystery player of Florida's 2014 class to date has been Casper (Wyo.) Natrona County lineman Taven Bryan. This of course, is owed mostly to the fact there have only been a handful of major recruits to come out of Wyoming over the past couple of decades (with Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Brett Keisel likely being the only one you've ever heard of). While stats on Bryan are hard to come across (he mostly plays offensive line at the high school level), there are a few notes to pass along in regards to his team.

A good analogy for the natives here, is that Natrona County would be to Wyoming, what Lake City Columbia is to the state of Florida. The Fillies were the winningest program in state history coming into the season, with an all-time record of 550-271-27 (good for a .665 winning percentage). They are the defending 4A state champions and have won or split 16 titles in their illustrious history.

However, Natrona has lost three games so far this season. All by a single point, and all three in overtime (the season-opener saw the Fillies drop a 42-41 decision to Cheyenne East in triple overtime, in fact). After beginning the season 3-3, they now have a tough road ahead following an early-season slump that has seen the program match their loss total over the previous three seasons in just six games this fall.

Bryan, a first-team Class 4A All-State selection as an offensive lineman a year ago (4A is the largest classification in Wyoming prep football), will be Florida's first ever signee from the state of Wyoming, to my knowledge. While he's projected as a player who could end up on either side of the football, he might just be the guy out of this class who ends up as the prospect who projects best at the center position for the Gators moving forward (a spot offensive line coach Tim Davis has said he wants to address in every recruiting class). Or maybe he does, in fact, end up the second coming of Keisel in the Swamp. Time will tell on that one.

– And if you missed it yesterday, Kevin Bronson has possibly emerged as on the board for Florida as a big end or quick tackle prospect for this recruiting class after the Gators came up short on a few names early on in the process of the Class of 2014.

Kevin Bronson on the radar for UF?

Kevin Bronson is now claiming an offer from Florida. This is an interesting one.

Village Academy HC Don Hanna says #Florida has offered DE Kevin Bronson. #Gators
— Wells Dusenbury (@DuseReport1063) October 10, 2013

Of course, we have to keep in mind that in recruiting, these reports are always dubious, since the offer from the school in question can only be confirmed through "unofficial" channels. However, Bronson has been on the radar for UF for some time now. Even if Florida hasn't truly extended a tender to Bronson, there is no doubt at this point that he is a target for the Gators as we continue moving towards National Signing Day.

Now, Bronson is an intriguing prospect to me. He could project all across the board. Possibly as a bigger fullback/H-Back type on offense (think J.C. Copeland of LSU), but also as an offensive lineman. However, his future is most likely on defense. I've posted on here recently that Florida needs to find someone in the Dominique Easley mold moving forward. Obviously, replacing Easley is out of the question, but landing a defensive lineman for the future who has a good first step and quickness while not sacrificing much in terms of size is a must. Bronson is already pushing 250 pounds on a 6-foot-3 frame. He appears to have the build to play in the 280-290 pound range one day as well.

It should be noted that Bronson has a pretty solid offer list to date. N.C. State, Wake Forest and West Virginia were among the other programs to extend tenders to Bronson throughout the recruiting process to date.

Top 5 for Kevin Bronson: #Gators #Arkansas #Rutgers #USF #UCF. Bronson plans on making decision after the season.
— Wells Dusenbury (@DuseReport1063) October 10, 2013

Bronson isn't highly-rated. This development isn't going to move the meter a whole lot in terms of the Florida recruitniks out there. But I like it. These are the type of prospects the Gators prefer to bring in. Football players who can project across multiple spots across both sides of the ball. From looking at the board, it was clear that the Gators need to drum up some additional names at a few spots. We've seen a couple of names emerge at wide receiver in recent weeks in Ja'Von Harrison and Eric Lauderdale. Now Bronson is a name that pops up along the defensive line. I suspect we'll see other names emerge all across the board over the coming weeks as well. History tells us we will and the particular nature of this class for 2014 (which is strong for in-state talent, but lacking the "elite" names at the top) suggests Florida was going to have to be a bit more patient wading through this cycle, as opposed to the last two years.

Here's a highlight video of Bronson that has been posted on YouTube, by the way. Bit of a mess. Good luck trying to watch it, sort through it and figure out where Bronson is on each play:

Florida's run of success at the tight end position

Since 2000, the Gators have actually put together a pretty good record of placing tight ends into the NFL. As for how well they've stacked up with other teams over that time frame, here's the list of college programs to have at least five tight ends drafted over the last 14 years:

Miami, (Fla.): 9
Notre Dame: 8
Iowa: 7
Florida: 6
Penn State: 6
Stanford: 6
Virginia: 6
Wisconsin: 6
Georgia: 5
Oregon: 5
Tennessee: 5

213 tight ends been selected in the NFL Draft between 2000 and 2013. Among the interesting trends and numbers to develop over that time period:

– Nebraska-Omaha (2) has produced more picks than Nebraska (1). On a similar note, Texas A&M and Texas A&M-Kingsville have both produced the same number of draftees (1).

– Florida State hasn't seen a single tight end drafted since 2000. In fact, you have to go all the way back to 1994 (Lonnie Johnson) to find a tight end from FSU who was drafted into the NFL.

– Idaho (3) and Rice (3) have been surprising fertile grounds for developing tight ends in recent years as well.

The six Florida tight ends to hear their name called since 2000 are as follows:

2000 Erron Kinney (3rd Round, 68th overall, Tennessee Titans)
2003 Aaron Walker (5th Round, 161st overall, San Francisco 49ers)
2004 Ben Troupe (2nd Round, 40th overall, Tennessee Titans)
2009 Cornelius Ingram (5th Round, 153rd overall, Philadelphia Eagles)
2010 Aaron Hernandez (4th Round, 113rd overall, New England Patriots)
2013 Jordan Reed (3rd Round, 85th overall, Washington Redskins)

Although Steve Spurrier was not known for going to the tight end much during his time in Gainesville (aside from Kirk Kirkpatrick's All-SEC campaign during Spurrier's first year as coach at UF in 1990), the first three tight ends drafted (Kinney, Walker, Troupe) were all brought in during his tenure as coach.

The success of this group is a mixed bag. Despite playing just three seasons, Hernandez is actually the most prolific of this group. Kinney lasted the longest at the pro level, playing all seven of his NFL seasons in Tennessee. Walker and Troupe bounced around with multiple teams, never really catching on with any one squad. Ingram never played in a regular season game due to lingering knee issues resulting from his days at Florida. Reed is off to a good start, just four games into his rookie campaign in Washington.

Certainly, the tight end position for UF is a weakness that will have to be corrected in the following months. However, the good news for the Florida staff is that the statistics above provide an easy selling point to the top recruits they are pursuing (Bryce Dixon and Deandre Goolsby among them) that Florida has done a good job in recent years of evaluating and developing players at the position, and getting them in a position to move on to the next level and be productive as well.

Four offers for LB Jakob Johnson

A few weeks ago, we brought you the tale of German transplant Jakob Johnson, whose name was just beginning to generate a buzz in recruiting circles. Johnson, as you may remember, made the decision to come over to the States in the summer to play his senior year of prep football at Ribault High School in Jacksonville.

Well, the story continues to be written. It turns out that, as expected, Johnson's stock continues to rise.

#Wisconsin #Badgers just offered me
— JakobJohnson (@JohnsonJakob) October 7, 2013

It should be noted that Wisconsin already has a commitment from Ribault quarterback D.J. Gillins, also a new addition at Ribault this fall, after previously playing at Eagle's View Academy in Jacksonville.

Justin Barney, a Preps writer for the Florida Times-Union also gave a positive review of Johnson's play in during a 42-29 victory for Bishop Kenny over Ribault on Friday.

@justinlwells He looks good. Definitely passes the eye test. Dropped an INT late in 2nd half; better coming up to play the run.
— Justin Barney (@JustinBarneyTU) October 5, 2013

The offer from Wisconsin gives Johnson four now, as he previously picked up tenders from Idaho, Tennessee and Tulane as well. In addition, Johnson visited Florida State on Saturday for the Seminoles' 63-0 win over Maryland at Doak Campbell Stadium, proving he's on the radar for a whole bunch of schools other than just the four who have throw their hat in the ring so far.

Many schools probably want to see as much tape as possible before offering a prospect who is new to the States, and that makes sense. Still, I'm not sure how long some programs can stand to wait before pulling the trigger on the offer if they are taking a look at Johnson. He does plan to enroll early at the school of his choice, so his time frame on making a decision is obviously a bit more accelerated than some.

Going back to the positives for Johnson here. The size is ideal (6-4, 240). He's comfortable in space, enough so that I don't think it's out of the question he could play the MIKE in a 4-3, although he figures to probably be a better fit at linebacker in a 3-4 scheme. He's got a big frame, enough that some more certainly isn't out of the question, meaning a transition to the defensive front is possible too.

Then, throw in the fact that he can be on campus in January. If there's concern about his knowledge of the game or adjusting to playing the ball at this level in America, he will get an entire spring practice under his belt before his freshman season. There are a bunch of positives here. Johnson's best days on the gridiron are clearly way out in front of him.

And with the Big Three schools now apparently moving into the mix as well (Florida State and Miami have expressed interest, still no word on Florida yet), the pursuit of Jakob Johnson could get very intriguing over the next several weeks as he continues to take visits and consider his options at the next level.

Winning now: Looking to the JUCO ranks

If you spend a few minutes looking over the Florida football roster, it's abundantly clear they are built to win, and possibly win big in 2014. A large junior class (currently at 22, but likely to lose a couple of guys to the NFL after this season) supports this notion. The Gators are deep and talented at a number of positions: UF will likely return two quarterbacks with at least 10 games of starting experience in Jeff Driskel and Tyler Murphy next year, several talented and proven running backs including Matt Jones and Mack Brown, a large number of offensive and defensive linemen are slated to return, proven linebackers in Antonio Morrison and Michael Taylo will be back, along with a host of gifted young players at both wide receiver and in the secondary.

However, there are shaping up to be some holes on the depth chart as well. The Gators could realistically dip into the JUCO ranks at a number of positions in an effort to shore up some spots on the roster. Let me be clear, I'm not advocating for a widespread addition of talent from the junior college ranks. However, there are five spots where Florida could bring in a transfer and it would make a lot of sense from the perspective that those players would come in handy since UF has a chance to potentially win it all next season.

1. Cornerback: If both Loucheiz Purifoy and Marcus Roberson head off to the NFL next year, there will be a major hole on the depth chart at cornerback. Florida is targeting a wide range of corners from the high school ranks, and will likely end up signing 4-5 players from the prep ranks that end up on the back end for the Class of 2014. But in this scenario, there would be just two true cornerbacks on the roster returning in sophomore Vernon Hargreaves and redshirt freshman Nick Washington. Sure, senior Cody Riggs (playing safety this year) and junior Brian Poole (who has mostly been used as a nickelback) have experience at the position as well. I'm not sure either guy can be relied on to hold down a corner position for the entire season, however. The right guy from the JUCO ranks (former five-star recruit Tee Shepard, now at Holmes C.C. in Mississippi, perhaps?) could make a lot of sense for the Gators in 2015.

2. Wide Receiver: The Gators have seen a rejuvenation in the wide receiving corps this fall. A lot of this success is likely owed to new wide receivers coach Joker Phillips, who has his unit playing beautifully. Of the top three receivers on the team, two of them (Trey Burton and Solomon Patton) will be gone after the season. While the Gators have a couple of talented young players waiting in the wings (Ahmad Fulwood and Demarcus Robinson), it wouldn't be a bad idea to add a talented JUCO player to the mix as well, just to give a little additional depth

3. Defensive Line: Considering the huge, gaping hole at defensive tackle between Darious Cummings and Leon Orr and the three highly-touted freshmen tackles signed this past February (Bostwick, Brantley and Riles), signing a junior college defensive lineman would make a lot of sense. Even if, say, Jonathan Bullard made the transition to more of a defensive tackle next fall, then grabbing a JUCO end would make a lot of sense. It appears to be a strong year for prospects on the defensive front. Florida has already made a run at DaVonte Lambert (Tennessee) and Abu Lamin (South Carolina). It's clear that it's an idea both Will Muschamp and Brad Lawing are open to – if they can the right guy, that is.

4. Offensive Line: The numbers really shouldn't figure to be an issue looking ahead to next year. The left side of the line (Humphries at tackle, Garcia at guard) is strong and should remain intact heading into 2014. There are a number of options who should be able to fill the other three positions (Brown, Green, Moore and Silberman jump to the forefront) and a couple of young guys should make the next step and jump into the mix for a starting job and/or considerable playing time (namely Octavious Jackson and Trip Thurman). However, throwing another transfer lineman into the mix who could push the others are the roster for a starting spot wouldn't be the worst outcome in the world.

5. Tight End: If you consider the complete lack of production at this spot, it makes a lot of sense. However, the fact of the matter is there just aren't a lot of realistic options out there for the 2014 class. Jean Sifrin (6-7, 255, El Camino College) is a native of Miami and claims some major offers (Oklahoma being the biggest). Braedon Bowman (6-4, 225, Scottsdale C.C.) is putting together a big-time campaign this fall, but I'm not sure he's exactly an SEC-caliber player. There's also Ricky Parks, the former highly-touted recruit from Auburn, who is at Northeast Mississippi C.C., but it's not clear yet when he will have the credits in order to transfer to a four-year school. All things considered, Florida appears to be focused primarily towards going the high school route in signing two tight ends for 2014, and that's appears to be the right idea as of now.

Again, the point isn't that Florida needs to take JUCO players at all of these spots. But it would make sense for UF to take a junior college transfer at any one of these positions. My hunch is that UF will eventually land 2-3 in this class, and it's hard to believe they won't come from the above-listed spots on the roster.

Post-Arkansas Recruiting Thoughts

Just running off at the keyboard for a bit in the aftermath of Florida's 30-10 victory against the Razorbacks on Saturday, moving the Gators to 4-1 on the season (3-0 in the SEC).

First, the good news:

– The top offensive line target on the board for Florda, David Sharpe, finally showed up for a game in the Swamp this fall. It appears he enjoyed himself as well.

Enjoyed the Florida Game alot
— David Sharpe (@SHARPECITYY) October 6, 2013

In any case, the Gators appear to have done what they needed to do with this unofficial visit: "stop the bleeding," so to speak. The momentum has been quickly moving away from UF in recent weeks and more towards Clemson and Georgia. Now, it appears Florida has put themselves firmly back in the mix. But where things go with Sharpe from here is anyone's guess. Is this the weekend where Florida starts to turn the tide back in their favor? Or is this just a slight detour in the road towards Sharpe ending up at Georgia (or somewhere else)? Only time will tell.

Again, the Gators need at least one more body up front on offense in this class. At this point, they obviously can't put all their eggs in Sharpe's basket if they want to achieve the numbers they are looking for on the O-Line. But he is a critical prospect in Florida's recruiting efforts down the stretch. That much is clear. Unless a Damian Prince (or like-minded prospect) emerges as a serious target, of course. But for now, we'll consider Sharpe to be the only big-time OL prospect for whom the Gators are currently a serious option for.

– After extending an offer to Tennessee wide receiver commitment Eric Lauderdale last week, the talented JUCO prospect has already backed off of his pledge to the Vols on Sunday night:

After going over a few things, I feel like the best decision for me & my family is to back away from my commitment to Tennessee...
— Eric Lauderdale (@e_lauderdale) October 7, 2013

Considering Lauderdale has already publicly discussed making a visit to UF in the wake of the offer from Florida assistant coach Joker Phillips, this has to be considered a pretty good development for the Gators. It seems safe to say that Florida is trending up here.

Now, the bad news:

– This shouldn't come as a huge surprise. There was the news from late last week that Dalvin Cook is going to take an official visit to Arkansas. Now, Florida's other five-star skill commitment is in the process of setting up a couple of trips as well:

#Gators WR commit Ermon Lane plans to officially visit #FSU & # Alabama. Says commitment at 95%. See #FSU as the #Gators competition only.
— Gerry Hamilton (@HamiltonESPN) October 6, 2013

Whereas Cook has visited Texas, USC and now Arkansas – teams not generally thought to be any real threats at making a run for his signature – Ermon Lane plans to visit Alabama and Florida State. Those two programs obviously have a better chance at swaying Lane off of his pledge to UF. What the Crimson Tide have done over the past five years speaks for itself. And the early-season play of Jameis Winston is obviously catching the eye of some recruits (especially ones who play offense) as well.

This is definitely something worth watching down the stretch. With the need for skill players in this class (no less than eight prospects between RB, WR and DB ... and very likely more), the Gators have to be careful to make sure they hit their marks on the recruiting trail. With J.C. Jackson also apparently being a bit shaky in his commitment these days, Will Muschamp might have to take a step back and re-evaluate where some things are in regards to the Class of 2014 and the skill positions on both offense and defense.

On to some other items:

– It's kind of interesting to note how Florida's offense has played this year, and how that could (positively) effect recruiting. Despite all the hemming and hawing from the UF fanbase, this unit is on par to put together their best showing since 2009. Surprisingly, the running game has not been what is was last season. Despite a backfield stocked with talent (on paper), the results really haven't been there through four games – and that should be appealing to a talent like Dalvin Cook – who could come to Gainesville and step into a prominent role immediately.

As for the passing game, suddenly things have opened up with Tyler Murphy running the show. The Gators are throwing it around a bit more, and the three upperclassmen (Burton, Dunbar and Patton) have all made huge jumps under Joker Phillips. Phillips can also point to his immediate success working with the UF receivers as Florida attempts to hold on to Ermon Lane and reel in a couple of other top-notch prospects as well.

– Florida has now offered a JUCO receiver (the aforementioned Lauderdale) and I've previously pointed out that offering a JUCO defensive back might not be the worst idea, either. The Gators may have the answer for one of those upcoming needs already on the roster: Valdez Showers. Although he's now listed as a running back, Showers is more of an "offensive weapon" (to steal a term from the Jaguars, in regards to Denard Robinson) than a true member of the backfield. Perhaps next year, he makes a move to playing full-time as a receiver (while possibly still getting a few carries as well). With Burton and Patton gone after 2013, someone will need to step up in providing a presence in the passing game over the middle.

But Showers was originally recruited to play defense, and I wouldn't completely rule out the possibility that maybe he makes a return to that side of the football next year, considering where the numbers will be in the secondary if both Purifoy and Roberson elect to go pro. In any case, Showers is a versatile weapon whose value will become much more defined next year because of his ability to fill so many different roles effectively on the football field.

– The Gators have not signed a player out of the Mississippi prep ranks since Robert Gillespie in 1998. It should be noted that Will Muschamp attempted to hire Gillespie as an assistant when he first got on at Florida, but was rebuffed, as Gillespie elected to stay at West Virginia. With Mississippi State's struggles this season, now seems like as good of a time to strike as any in the Magnolia State. Florida used uncertainty surrounding Gene Chizik's future at Auburn last fall to make a run at AU pledge Jarrad Davis. Chizik was eventually fired, and Davis would go on to sign with UF (he has been an integral part of the special teams units for UF this fall). The guy I would be eyeing if I was a member of the UF staff? Greenville Weston linebacker Gerri Green. Checking in at 6-foot-5, 215 pounds, Green reportedly runs in the 4.5 range. Green could play linebacker, or could grow into an athletic rush end as well. In any case, he's a long, fast, athletic defensive front-seven player, which is exactly what Florida has been in the market for over the past couple of years.

Another school's commitment list who could eventually come in the crosshairs: Tennessee. The Vols gambled and it nearly paid off big when UT brought in a bunch of commits for a weekend showdown with Georgia. Tennessee fought valiantly and lost, but their performance against the Bulldogs bought some time with recruits – especially those in attendance on Saturday. However, Butch Jones still lacks a signature win in Knoxville, and may not get it this year. The Vols could easily fall to 3-7 by the middle of November following a slate which includes Alabama, South Carolina, and an improved Mizzou and Auburn over the next four games. If the Gators find someone else committed to Tennessee worth pursuing –  as they already seem to be reeling in the former JUCO WR commit Lauderdale –  then it would come as no surprise at all to see UF make that move to pursue. DaVonte Lambert, in particular, may be someone whom the Gators decide not to give up on until the LOI paperwork is in to the school of his choice.