Florida Gators 2010 Recruiting Class

[Escambia94]

For historical sake, here is the 2010 recruiting class, ranked number 1 even though it lacked a solid QB recruit. This class of 28 had 11 early enrollees (in italics) to help cover for the small class of 2009 (16 recruits, 6 EEs). This class had 15 athletes ranked as ESPN top 150 (in bold), with 12 of them on defense. This was Urban Meyer's last class before officially leaving Florida in January 2011.

This class had 4 five-star, 10 four-star, and 13 three-star athletes. 1 five-star, 3 four-star and 6 three-star athletes transferred out of this class. 3 of the athletes in this class transferred out after graduating.

1. Neiron Ball DE/OLB 6-3 196 Jackson, GA (Jackson H.S.) 3*
   • Medical redshirt 2012 (arteriovenous malformation (AVM))
   • Graduated May 2014
   • 2015 NFL Draft, round 5 to the Oakland Raiders
   • Medically induced coma due to recurring issues with arteriovenous malformation (AVM) in September 2018.
2. Trey Burton QB 6-3 214 Venice, FL (Venice Senior H.S.) 3*
   • Switched to WR/TE/FB hybrid
   • Graduated December 2013
   • 2014 NFL Draft, UDFA to Philadelphia
   • Threw a TD pass for the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII
3. Gerald Christian TE 6-3 232 Palm Beach Gardens, FL (William T. Dwyer H.S.) 4*
   • Transferred to Louisville
4. Robert Clark WR/KR 5-9 161 Palm Beach Gardens, FL (William T. Dwyer H.S.) 3*
   • Transferred to Louisville
5. Matt Elam S 5-10 199 Palm Beach Gardens, FL (William T. Dwyer H.S.) 5*
   • 2010 US Army All American
   • 2012 First Team All American, All SEC; semifinalist for Thorpe Award and Bednarik Award
   • 2010-2013 statistics at Florida:
     • 39 games, 26 starts, 124 solo tackles, 52 assists, 5 sacks, 23.5 TFL, 6 INTs,
   • 2013 NFL Draft, round 1 pick to Baltimore Ravens
   • 2013-2016 Baltimore Ravens
     • 41 games, 26 starts, 131 tackles, 89 solo, 42 assists, 0.5 sacks, 1 INT
   • 2017 arrested in Miami for possession of controlled substance (cannabis) with intent to sell or deliver; arrested in Delray for battery and theft of his girlfriend
   • 2018 CFL Saskatchewan Roughriders (strong-side linebacker)(with Louchiez Purifoy)
     • 31 tackles, 1 INT
6. Jordan Haden S 6-2 202 Fort Washington, MD (Friendly H.S.) 3*
   • Transferred to Toledo
7. Leon Orr DT 6-5 344 New Port Richey, FL (Gulf H.S .) 4*
   • Arrested for marijuana possession and driving on suspended license in 2011
   • Gained playing time in 2013 due to injuries
   • Graduated May 2014
   • Left team in November 2014
   • 2015 NFL Draft, UDFA to Oakland Raiders
   • 2016 traded to Miami Dolphins, arrested on charges of marijuana possession, possession of a controlled substance, possession of an unregistered firearm
   • 2018 signed with AAF Orlando Apollos
8. Solomon Patton WR 5-9 167 Mobile, AL (Murphy H.S.) 4*
   • Contributed mostly on special teams until 2013
   • 2014 NFL draft, UDFA to Tampa Bay Buccaneers
   • 2014 practiced with Tampa Bay and Arizona Cardinals
   • 2015 claimed by Denver Broncos, but never signed to 53-man roster
   • 2016 CFL Winnipeg Blue Bombers
9. Joshua Shaw CB 6-3 186 Palmdale, CA (Palmdale H.S.) 4*
   • Transferred to UCLA
10. Ian Silberman OL 6-5 260 Orange Park, FL (Fleming Island H.S.) 4*
    • 4* recruit, 2009 USA Today All American, 2010 Under Armour All American
    • Limited action in four years at UF, graduated Dec 2013 with bachelor of arts degree in Family, Youth, and Community Science
    • Graduated Dec 2013 and transferred to Boston College for his final year of eligibility. Originally intended to transfer to Louisville to rejoin Charlie Strong, but elected to transfer with Tyler Murphy to Boston College and rejoin Steve Addazio.
    • 2014 3rd Team All ACC
    • 2015 NFL draft, 6th round draft pick to the San Francisco 49ers
    • 2016 New England Patriots
    • 2017 Oakland Raiders, Indianapolis Colts, and Cleveland Browns
    • 2018 Oakland Raiders, Tennessee Titans, and Carolina Panthers
11. Jaylen Watkins CB 6-0 174 Cape Coral, FL (Cape Coral H.S.) 4*
    • Played extensively at UF, graduated Dec 2013
    • 2014 NFL Draft, round 4 pick to Philadelphia Eagles
    • 2014-2017 Philadelphia Eagles (Super Bowl LII)
    • 2018 Los Angeles Chargers (IR, torn ACL)
12. Gideon Ajagbe LB 6-2 197 Coconut Grove, FL (Ransom Everglades School) 3*
    • Medical redshirt 2010, limited action in 2011, did not see field in 2012, moved to FB in 2013
    • Graduated Dec 2013
13. Mack Brown RB 5-11 190 Lithonia, GA (King H.S.) 3*
    • Limited action at UF until 2014
14. Adrian Coxson WR 6-2 195 Baltimore, MD (City College High) 3*
    • Transferred to Maryland, then transferred to Stony Brook
15. Jonathan Dowling S/WR 6-4 185 Bradenton, FL (Southeast H.S.) 5*
16. Quinton Dunbar WR 6-3 170 Miami, FL (Booker T. Washington H.S.) 3*
    • 2010-2014
      • 39 games, 111 receptions, 1500 yards
    • 2015 NFL Draft, UDFA to Washington Redskins
    • 2015 moved to cornerback, 5th on depth chart
    • 2016 moved up to 3rd on depth chart. Had a daughter, Denim.
    • 2017 promoted to nickelback/ 3rd CB (coached by former Gator CB coach Torrian Gray)
    • 2018 signed 3-year, $10.5M contract ($5.25 guaranteed, $3M signing bonus). Promoted to starting cornerback opposing Josh Norman.
17. Chris Dunkley WR 5-11 170 Pahokee, FL (Pahokee H.S.) 4*
    • Repeatedly got into legal trouble, transferred to USF
18. Dominique Easley DT 6-3 270 Staten Island, NY (Curtis H.S.) 5*
    • 5* recruit and 2010 Under Armour All American. #1 DT in the nation.
    • Impact player. Switched back and forth from DT to DE. 26 tackles, 4 sacks in 2012. Injured in 2013 and left Florida
    • 2014 NFL Draft, 1st round pick to New England Patriots, placed on IR in December, part of Super Bowl XLIX team
    • 2015 promoted to starting DT, released at end of season. Converted to Islam.
    • 2016 signed with Los Angeles Rams
    • 2017 tore ACL (4th time) and missed season
    • 2018 signed one-year contract with Rams, placed on IR in October, part of Super Bowl LIII team
19. Sharrif Floyd DT 6-3 311 Philadelphia, PA (George Washington H.S.)
    • 2009 US Army All American (could not afford travel costs, held fundraiser), 2010 USA Today All American. #1 DE in the nation.
    • Impact player. Highest rated player to join Florida since Percy Harvin. 115 tackles, 26 TFL, 9.5 sacks, 1 FF, 1 PD, 3 blocked FG
    • 1st Team All American, All SEC in 2012.
    • 2013 NFL Draft, 1st round pick to Minnesota Vikings (one of three 1st round picks for Minnesota)
    • 2014 finished with most QB hurries amongst Vikings DTs with 20
    • 2015 promoted to first team DT
    • 2016 injured and played sparingly
    • 2017 diagnosed with nerve injury after 2016 knee surgery, placed on reserve/non-football injury list
20. Chaz Green OL 6-6 290 Tampa, FL (Tampa Catholic H.S.) 4*
    • Impact player. 2011 Freshman All American.
    • Missed 2013 due to injury.
    • 2015 NFL Draft, 3rd round pick to Dallas Cowboys
    • 2015-2017 Dallas Cowboys
    • 2018 New Orleans Saints & Oakland Raiders
21. Darrin Kitchens LB 6-3 215 Homestead, FL (Homestead H.S.) 3*
    • Backup player with the heart of a lion. Sang the alma mater with the band after the 2013 Sugar Bowl loss.
    • Played extensively in 2013 due to injuries
    • Graduated Dec 2013.
22. Michael McFarland TE 6-6 230 Tampa, FL (Blake H.S.) 3*
    • Limited playing time at UF. Transferred to USF in 2011.
23. Tyler Murphy QB 6-2 190 Wethersfield, CT (Wethersfield H.S.) 3*
    • Scout team and backup QB, started in 2013 after injuries to Jeff Driskel until injured
    • Graduated Dec 2013 and transferred to Boston College in his final year of eligibility
24. Ronald Powell DE 6-4 250 Moreno Valley, CA (Rancho Verde H.S.) 5*
    • 2009 EA Sports All American, 2010 Under Armour All American, 2010 US Army All American (MVP), #1 prospect regardless of position
    • Impact player. Medical redshirt in 2012. 2 ACL injuries in college.
    • 2014 NFL Draft, 5th round pick to New Orleans.
    • 2015 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
    • 2016 Chicago Bears & Seattle Seahawks
    • 2018 AAF Orlando Apollos
25. Cody Riggs CB 5-10 165 Fort Lauderdale, FL (St. Thomas Aquinas H.S.) 4*
    • Impact player
    • Graduated May 2014
    • Transferred to Notre Dame
    • 2015 NFL Draft, UDFA to Tennessee Titans
    • 2016-2017 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
    • 2018 AAF Orlando Apollos
26. Michael Taylor LB 6-1 213 Atlanta, GA (Westlake H.S.) 4*
27. Lynden Trail DE 6-7 220 Miami, FL (Booker T. Washington H.S.) 3*
    • Failed to crack starting lineup. Good kid. Transferred to Norfolk State in 2011.
    • FCS All-American and 2013 defensive player of the year in MEAC
    • 2015 NFL Draft, UDFA to Houston Texans
    • 2015-2016 Washington Redskins
    • 2018 CFL Hamilton Tiger-Cats
28. Travon Van ATH 5-11 200 Lemon Grove, CA (Helix H.S./Milford Academy) 3*

• Did not academically qualify. Transferred to Marshall, then Montana

 

[DRU2012]

...OR is THIS "The One"?!! I'm tellin' ya, this is getting hard to sort out--Is the TRUTH more a matter of "cumulativge failure and attrition", after all? Or maybe I am just not reading between-the-lines on these lists...but it OUGHT to be ONE of those 3 (again: 08-09-10), if there really WAS a "Stupendous Let-Down of a Class"...

 

[Escambia94]

So far I give this class a 1.79 GPA, a D.

These guys get an A for meeting or exceeding expectations set by star rating or known potential:

1. Trey Burton
2. Matt Elam
3. Dominique Easley
4. Shariff Floyd
5. Chaz Green

These guys get a B for sometimes doing well, or overcoming medical issues to some degree without making big impact:

1. Neiron Ball
2. Jaylen Watkins
3. Quinton Dunbar
4. Darrin Kitchens
5. Ronald Powell
6. Cody Riggs

These guys get a C for meeting expectations as lower-rated athletes, doing well on scout team only, or being quiet with rare on-field opportunities:

1. Solomon Patton
2. Ian Silberman
3. Gideon Ajagbe
4. Tyler Murphy
5. Michael Taylor

These guys get a D for underperforming or only getting in minor trouble:

1. Leon Orr
2. Mack Brown

These guys get a big, fat F. These guys transferred out due to discipline problems or inability to adapt.

1. Gerald Christian
2. Robert Clark
3. Jordan Haden
4. Joshua Shaw
5. Adrian Coxson
6. Jonathan Dowling
7. Chris Dunkley
8. Michael McFarland
9. Lynden Trail
10. Travon Ath

 

[DRU2012]

The more I have thought about it, at least "from HERE in time" it is THIS class that appears to have had the largest "disconnect" between "experts' ratings"/"expectation" and "realization"/"the judgment of history"--and your ratings system's statistical "bottom line" seems to have come to support that impression.
I don't think you've been unfair, or overly harsh, either Escambia94, : I might have been tougher on some, especially among those you put in the B-to-C range, and maybe a LITTLE easier on a couple of the Ds--but, all-in-all it probably reflects a general fairness overall. Its IN those Ds and Fs mainly that the many cracks and signs-of-decline, carelessness and general inattention-to-detail (once a hallmark of the Meyer-coached Gators--even if sometimes that "attention" seemed to include a determined LACK of oversight when it came to the weaknesses and selfish short-sighted irresponsibility of a poisonous "inner circle" devoid of loyalty, honor or a sense of "TEAM"--one that was easy to turn-a-blind-eye-to as long as we were winning, and winning BIG) really began to emerge, become clear and obvious.
Recalling how "prized" and admired the class was, and WHEN it was--ie. right after the Meyer "drama-queen flip-flop"--this collection of prospects was characterized as somehow "proof" that Meyer (and hence, the program) had "landed on his feet", like the elite program that we were that we "weren't rebuilding but reLOADing after all". Then we went 7-and-5 in the regular season (and THAT was with a favorable schedule at our backs), only JUST "making it LOOK better" with a win in a "silly-named-who-cares-also-ran-BOWL", Meyer pulls his sadly sneaky "don't tell anyone, I wanna keep my Gator-office as long as possible"-move to tOSU as he tried to take the few good ones he and The Dumpster Diver had gathered WITH him--leaving Muschamp with having to scramble to hold what he had to trust included SOMETHING valuable in what he must have quickly recognized was the result of at best a half-hearted chase to fill a list his predecessors had compiled mostly from watching ESPN and following the online "expert services". Also in retrospect, in light of it all (including defection, misbehavior, and injury) I now find it amazing Chomp was able to bring in a winning record at ALL his first year here--and a damn MASTERPIECE of coaching having us back in the BCS after the schedule we faced his SECOND season, just past.
He and his staff will face new challenges in 2013, and I don't want to over-do it as far as expectations early on, but if this class comes even CLOSE to realizing the signs it shows as far as potential, and IF that "potential" is then even close to being REALIZED--big "ifs", but ones that this Coach, and the kinds of people he surrounds himself with, has already shown a strong penchant for realizing--then, matched with the experienced players we have left now, with jucos and the various good ones we redshirted for any number of reasons LAST season, I anticipate strong and steady improvement as the season progresses, and with a schedule that at least appears to more lend itself to giving us that opportunity to "round into shape" before we go on the road to face the better SEC teams, we could be hitting our stride just when we need to--and find ourselves "a force to be reckoned with" nearing the end-of-the-season, and BEYOND.

 

[Escambia94]

Actually I am curious what everyone thinks of my grades. I am purely looking at it from a high school to college point of view. Some say the complete rating should include NFL Draft selection.

 

[DRU2012]

I'm not so sure...the relationship between college and pro-success, STARTING with draft-position, is often so hit-or-miss. For the Gators, nowhere has this been more true than with regard to our QBs.

 

[Escambia94]

Former Gator DE Lynden Trail was named the 2013 FCS Defensive Performer of the Year, 2013 FCS All-American, and 2013 MEAC Defensive Player of the Year.

 

[Escambia94]

Now that the 2014 NFL Draft is over, let us take one last look at that 2010 class, which was ranked #1 by all that recruiting services.

Drafted (5):

Matt Elam, S: 1st round of the 2013 draft by the Baltimore Ravens

Sharrif Floyd, DT: 1st round of the 2013 draft Minnesota Vikings

Dominique Easley, DT/DE: 1st round of the 2014 draft New England Patriots

Jaylen Watkins, CB/S: 4th round of the 2014 draft Philadelphia Eagles

Ronald Powell, LB: 5th round of the 2014 draft New Orleans Saints.

Free Agents (3):
Darrin Kitchens, LB

Trey Burton, TE/WR: free agent with Philadelphia Eagles

Solomon Patton, WR/KR: free agent with the Tampa Bay Bucs.

Seniors for 2014 (6):

Neiron Ball, DE/ LB: Returned from illness to challenge for starting position in 2013. May not fit DE or LB at current size, but could be good situational player.

Gideon Ajagbe, FB: Will compete with Hunter Joyer for playing time at fullback. FB not featured in Roper offense.

Mack Brown, RB: Will get playing time and carries, but unlikely to start.

Quinton Dunbar, WR: Could have a breakout season after three good but not spectacular seasons.

Chaz Green, OT: Coming back from an injury that caused him to miss all of 2013. He’s expected to start at right tackle. Should do well under Coach Summers.

Michael Taylor, LB: Will start or at least be on the field as much as the starters whether the Gators are in a 3-4 or 4-3.

Transferred/Released (13):

Gerald Christian, TE: Surprising mid-year transfer in 2011. Went to Louisville where he started and caught 28 passes in 2013.

Robert Clark, WR: Transferred along with Christian to Louisville, where he caught 25 passes in 2013.

Jordan Haden, S: Transferred to Toledo before he ever played a game. Two-year starter at safety.

Joshua Shaw, S: Redshirted in 2010, got one start in 2011 and transferred to Southern Cal. Has started two years and will start either at corner or safety in 2014.

Adrian Coxson, WR: Transferred to Maryland before the 2010 season, caught four passes at UM in 2011. Transferred to Stony Brook where he has caught 41 passes in two years.

Jonathan Dowling, S: Played two games as a freshman in 2010, then transferred to Western Kentucky where he redshirted in 2011, then started two years at safety. Drafted in the seventh round by the Oakland Raiders in the 2014 draft.

Chris Dunkley, WR: Redshirt in 2010, transferred to USF in 2011 where he caught four passes in 2012. Was suspended from the team for domestic violence but was reinstated in 2013 where he excelled as a kickoff and punt returner. Listed as a senior on the 2014 roster.

Michael McFarland, TE: Redshirted in 2010, transferred to USF in 2011. Made second team All-American Athletic Conference in 2013 after catching 23 passes. Senior in 2014.

Lynden Trail, DE: Redshirted in 2010, didn’t play in any games in 2011. Transferred to Norfolk State where he made first team All-MEAC in 2012 and national defensive player of the year for Division IAA in 2013.

Travon Van, WR/RB: Never got in school. Went to Marshall where he led the team in rushing, then, after being moved to defense three games into 2012, transferred to Montana where he gained 566 yards in 2013. Senior in 2014.

Tyler Murphy, QB: Carried a clipboard for three years, then started seven games after Jeff Driskel went down with an injury in 2013. Graduated from UF then transferred to Boston College in December and won the starting QB job in the spring.

Cody Riggs, S: Starter at nickel and at safety, surprised everyone by graduating in December then transferring to Notre Dame.

Ian Silberman, OT: After a redshirt in 2010, backed up mostly at guard for three years. Graduated in December, transferred to Boston College and won the starting job at right tackle in the spring