A quick position-by-position look at the top prospects on the board for the Florida Gators at this early juncture for the recruiting class of 2015.
Quarterback
Needs: 1
Christian Alexander (6-3, 210, Lakeland Christian) – Plays for former UF quarterback Wayne Peace at Lakeland Christian. Big-bodied, strong-armed thrower with solid athleticism. Bit of an elongated delivery. Good production at the prep level (55.8% completion percentage, around 4,000 career yards passing, 49 touchdowns against just 16 interceptions.)
James Pensyl (6-5, 210, Land O'Lakes) – Tall, lanky lefty with a big arm. Athletic, good feet in the pocket, but not a huge threat as a runner. Fantastic start to his junior season (61.3% completion percentage, 813 yards, eight touchdowns against one interception on 93 passing attempts.)
Others to watch: Dwayne Lawson (Tampa Hillsborough), Torrance Gibson (American Heritage-Plantation)
Notes: Kind of wide-open at this spot right now, which is interesting considering quarterbacks are typically among the first prospects to give their commitments. 2015 is shaping up as a strong year for signal-callers in California, and I'm interested if the coaches with West Coast connections (Brian White and Brent Pease) tap into their contacts out there to make a run at a kid. As it stands, I expect the race to come down to Alexander and Pensyl. Gibson, like De'Andre Johnson and Deondre Francois, would seemingly be a better fit in more of a spread offense. Lawson is a player who impresses as an athlete – might even be a good fit at tight end – but I'm not sure he's a Florida-caliber player at quarterback for the moment.
Running Back
Needs: 1-2
Jacques Patrick (6-1, 220, Orlando Timber Creek) – Rushed for 2,032 yards (8.8 ypc) and 29 touchdowns as a sophomore. Great size, excellent speed. Could also project at linebacker, although he certainly seems to prefer offense. Is a Florida legacy through his grandmother, who ran track at UF.
Jordan Scarlett (5-11, 200, Ft. Lauderdale University School) – Already built like a college freshman, Scarlett is a thick, powerful, explosive runner. Excellent speed for his size. Teammate of UF pledge Quincy Wilson. Rushed for over 1,300 yards and 22 touchdowns in 2012 on a state championship team.
T.J. Simmons (5-11, 195, Lakeland Christian) – Like Alexander, plays for former UF quarterback Wayne Peace at Lakeland Christian. Sophomore campaign ended early due to a torn ACL. Off to a strong start in 2013. Very highly-regarded high school track athlete as well.
Others to watch: James Allen (Citra North Marion), Michael Ford (Tarpon Springs), Taj Griffin (Powder Springs, Ga./McEachern), Karan Higdon (Sarasota Riverview), Tim Irvin (Miami Westminster Christian), Ray Ray McCloud (Tampa Sickles)
Analysis: Plenty of names here. Florida should be able to meet their needs at the position moving into 2015, where they will have to replace at least Mack Brown. Patrick, Scarlett and Simmons make up what appears to be the top of the board, and UF will figure to eventually zero in on one of those guys. All three are extremely talented. There is enough depth shaping up at this spot that Florida should have no problems finding a quality second back in the class should they need to go that route.
Fullback
Needs: 1-2
Chandler Cox (6-1, 215, Apopka) – All-purpose threat plays QB and RB for Apopka. Great blocker. Could prove to be a multi-purpose threat in the mold of a Trey Burton.
Riley Nicholson (6-0, 220, Kissimmee/Osceola) – Primarily an outside linebacker at the high school level, Nicholson has the frame and size to make a move to fullback at the next level. Very talented defensive playmaker for a top program at Osceola. Has notched 28 tackles, one sack and a forced fumble through three games for the Kowboys. Could be a fit on either side of the ball at the next level.
Analysis: This is such a specialized position in football these days, that the process of uncovering fullback prospects will likely take a while for Florida. A player who might play fullback at UF could potentially play just about any position on the field at the high school level. Even offensive or defensive line. It would stand to reason that Florida might exercise some considerable patience as they look over their options to replace Hunter Joyer and Gideon Ajagbe down the line.
Wide Receiver
Needs: 2-3
De'Vante Phillips (6-1, 190, Miami Central) – Presently the only commitment for Florida in the 2015 class. Good physical tools and comes from a program known for producing excellent talent. Teammate of UF commit Dalvin Cook. Nearly 500 yards receiving and five touchdowns as a sophomore on a state championship squad.
George Campbell (6-3, 185, Tarpon Springs East Lake) – Michigan commitment. Incredible physical specimen, but still lacks consistent hands. Could also project as a safety on defense. Florida will continue to recruit Campbell, although I tend to think he will be a difficult target to flip from the Wolverines. Recorded 30 receptions for 766 yards and five touchdowns as a junior. Also notched 56 tackles and an interception on defense.
John Burt (6-3, 180, Tallahassee/Lincoln) – Long, lanky big-play threat. Emerged last year as a top receiver prospect on a team that sent two receivers to BCS schools in Reggie Davis (Georgia) and Taj Williams (Indiana.) Excellent start to the season with eight receptions for 264 yards (32.6 avg.) and four touchdowns.
Deon Cain (6-2, 185, Tampa Bay Tech) – As posted last week, Cain has been off to an excellent start at the quarterback position for Tech. A standout at Florida's Friday Night Lights camp, Cain figures to make the transition to receiver on the next level.
Devante Peete (6-5, 200, Ft. Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas) – Another big-bodied receiver who is already drawing plenty of interest at Aquinas. Has earned early comparisons to Plaxico Burress with his big frame and athleticism.
Others to watch: Almonzo Brown (Suwanee, Ga./North Gwinnett), Austin Brown (Vernon), Ryan Davis (St. Petersburg Lakewood), Kaleel Gaines (Frostproof), Nyheim Hines (Garner, N.C./Garner), Kalif Jackson (Neptune Beach Fletcher), Tavares Martin (Greenacres John I. Leonard)
Analysis: Like the RB position, it's a strong year in-state. Numbers shouldn't be a huge need here. Florida can certainly get away with two receivers in 2015 – assuming it's two good ones. Plenty of size available at this spot. Would be interesting to see if UF targets some slot options, and who those players might be who will emerge on the board down the road.
Tight End
Needs: 1
Devonaire Clarington (6-5, 220, Miami Westminster Christian) – Big receiving threat who is more receiver than tight end at the moment. Raw, but possesses top-flight tools as a prospect. Has grabbed 12 receptions for 181 yards and four touchdowns through three games this season.
Garrett Williams (6-4, 225, Orlando First Academy) – Talented two-way player has excelled on both sides of the ball as the prep level. Already claims numerous offers from programs around the South.
Others to watch: Jaason Lewis (Ocean Lakes, Va./Ocean Lakes), Jalen Wilkerson (Douglas, Ga./Coffee County)
Analysis: It's early, but the top two prospects in the state appear to be leaning elsewhere at the moment with Clarington favoring Miami and FSU legacy Williams appearing to be a strong candidate to end up in Tallahassee. The Gators will have to drum up some other names at the position over the next several months, although I do expect Clarington to continue being a major target of South Florida recruiting ace Travaris Robinson.
Offensive Line
Needs: 4-5
Martez Ivey (6-5, 275, Apopka) – Possibly the top prospect in the state of Florida for 2015, and considered a strong lean to UF early on. This is a guy the Gators need to lock down.
Mitch Hyatt (6-6, 270, Suwanee, Ga./North Gwinnett) – Considered the nation's top offensive line prospect for 2015. Florida coaches were in attendance for his game against Lorenzo Carter and Norcross last week. Considered a Clemson lean, but Florida will try and make a run at possibly the nation's top prospect for next year.
Jake Fruhmorgen (6-5, 280, Tampa Plant) – Despite the fact Fruhmorgen is an Alabama legacy, he's expressed an interest in staying in-state for college. The Gators have positioned themselves quite well early on for the Tampa-area product.
Tristen Hoge (6-5, 290, Pocatello, Idaho/Highland) – Hoge recently made it to Gainesville for a multi-day visit. With Brent Pease's Idaho connections, the Gators figure to have a shot they might not normally have with a prospect from that particular region of the country.
Matthew Burrell (6-5, 290, Woodbridge, Va./C.Y. Hylton) – No offer, but he's a top-100 caliber national prospect who claims early interest in the Gators. He's coached by former UF and Denver Broncos safety Tony Lilly, also a native of Woodbridge.
Christian Pellage (6-7, 250, Brooksville Nature Coast) – Also projected as a defensive end, those close to his recruitment believe Pellage is primed to play offensive tackle at the next level with his frame and growth ability. Definitely a name that is primed to be on the rise over the next several months.
Luke Hiers (6-3, 295, Lake Wales) – Tim Davis has expressed a desire to go out and get a center in each recruiting class. Hiers would seem to be the most likely prospect to receive such consideration in the 2015 class from the Gators early on.
Others to watch: Zack Bailey (Summerville, S.C.), Chuma Edoga (Powder Springs, Ga./McEachern), Ryan Fines (Bradenton Manatee), Isaiah Prince (Greenbelt, Md./Roosevelt), Drew Richmond (Memphis, Tenn./University), Brandon Sandifer (Warner Robins, Ga./Northside), Alec Shriner (Oviedo), Tyree St. Louis (Bradenton IMG Academy), Nick Wilson (Alpharetta, Ga./Milton)
Analysis: The pieces are there for Florida to put together a really stellar group up front. If numbers are an issue in 2015, UF can address that as well. But the key is quality, and there are plenty of quality prospects out there – with serious interest in the Gators – in looking ahead to next year.
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