I was present as Jeoffrey Pagan (6-3, 270, Asheville, N.C./Asheville) told a small media contingent that he had reaffirmed his commitment to the Florida Gators following Friday Night Lights in Gainesville last night. Pagan, who made the return visit to Florida with his Mother in tow, says he will not take any more visits and is solid in his pledge to the Gators.
So, what does this development mean for Florida's direction in regards to the defensive line for the Class of 2011?
Obviously, Pagan is a big part of those efforts. A wide receiver as a sophomore, Pagan was shifted to the defensive line as a junior, and rewarded the Asheville High coaching staff with over 50 tackles (11 for loss) and five sacks as a result of the move. Those numbers may not necessarily jump out of the screen at you, but Pagan's potential as a defensive lineman is largely untapped. And with his big frame (Pagan is easily in the 270-pound range now), his versatility along the defensive line will give the Gators another formidable weapon up front.
Clearly, the efforts of Florida defensive line coach Dan McCarney are not finished on the trail, however.
In attendance at Friday Night Lights last night was Curt Maggitt (6-3, 210, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla./Dwyer), who worked out for the coaches, and received plenty of one-on-one attention from McCarney as well as Gator great Kevin Carter, who assisted with the defensive line prospects as well. Maggitt is a phenomenal pass-rusher (30 sacks between his sophomore and junior season), and he has been virtually the only target for Florida at the "FOX" (weakside) defensive end for the 2011 recruiting cycle.
It's always tough to recruit the defensive tackle position, but luckily for Florida, perhaps the best one in the country resides just a short 40-minute drive up I-75 from Gainesville. The Gators have been recruiting Timmy Jernigan (6-3, 280, Lake City, Fla./Columbia) since his freshman year of high school. He was good then, and he's just gotten bigger and better since that time. Although Jernigan was not present at Friday Night Lights (he participated in the National Select 7-on-7 Tournament with his teammates in Hoover, Ala. this weekend -- he played TE and LB), his Father did make an appearance, as he brought Tim's cousin -- 2012 prospect Dequan Ivery (6-0, 300) --- down to Gainesville to participate in the event.
As I hear it, Florida is still a strong number one for Jernigan right now, with LSU and FSU trailing at this point. Ever since taking in the Ed White-Columbia game last fall (a game in which Jernigan recorded 19 tackles, with 6.5 being behind the line of scrimmage), I have had Jernigan as the top prospect in the state of Florida. His ability to hold up at the point of attack and provide a presence against the run, coupled with his pass-rushing ability (which reminds me a bit of Warren Sapp in his early days at the University of Miami), make him the complete package at the defensive tackle position.
Landing the trio of Jernigan, Maggitt and Pagan would be considerably impressive coming off the class they signed in February. At that point, Florida could decide to call it a day on the defensive line. However, there are some other possibilities still remaining on the board. They include Todd Barr (6-1, 265, Lakewood, Calif./Lakewood), Devonte Brown, (6-4, 285, Fayetteville, N.C./Jack Britt), Anthony Chickillo (6-3, 225, Tampa, Fla./Alonso) and Ray Drew (6-5, 255, Thomasville, Ga./Thomas County Central), among others.
With Pagan solidifying his commitment to the Gators, he gives Florida the first piece in what will hopefully be the successful blockbuster that was the defensive line class that Urban Meyer was able to bring in at the beginning of the year. If the early returns are any indication, the Gators look to be headed in that direction for the Class of 2011 as well.
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