Florida Gators 2012 Recruiting Class

[Escambia94]

Here is the 2012 Florida Gator incoming freshman class of 1 QB, 1 RB, 2 WRs, 2 TEs, 2 OLs, 6 DLs, 4 LBs, 4 DBs, and PK. The Gators signed 23 (22 academically qualified by 2 July) of the 25 players allowed (NCAA allows 28, but SEC limits to 25) including the 7 early enrollees shown below. The 7 EE's count towards the 2011 class of 17, 1 short of the maximum Florida could have brought in. Nationally recognized top-100 recruits are in bold print. This class ended up ranked #3 by most sources, right behind Alabama and Texas.

This class had 3 five-star, 11 four-star, 8 three-star, and one two-star athletes. 4 four-star, and 4 three-star athletes transferred out of this class.

NOTE: Florida has 57 scholarship players out of 85 maximum without this incoming class. With this class, there are only 79 players on scholarship, leaving room for 6 walk-ons or unclaimed scholarships. EDIT: Dante Philips did not qualify academically for Fall admission and was removed from the recruiting class of 2012.

Final class tally : 22.
"Lost commitments": 3
Academically ineligible: 1

EE = early enrollee 1/10/12
C = formally committed
OV = official visit
UA = announced commitment at Under Armour All American Bowl 1/4/12
USA = announced commitment at US Army All American Bowl 1/7/12
LOI = signed Letter of Intent
NSD = National Signing Day 2/1/12
R = recruited by

First	Last	Position	Ht	Wt	High School	Rating	Notes
DJ​	Humphries​	OL​	6-5​	275​	Mallard Creek (Charlotte, NC)​	0.9980​	2015 (1st, Arizona Cardinals)​
Jonathan​	Bullard​	DL​	6-4​	245​	Crest (Shelby, NC)​	0.9924​	2016 (3rd, Chicago Bears)​
Dante​	Fowler​	DL​	6-3​	258​	Lakewood (Saint Petersburg, FL)​	0.9842​	2015 (1st, Jacksonville Jaguars)​
Jessamen​	Dunker​	OL​	6-5​	315​	Boynton Beach Community (Boynton Beach, FL)​	0.9739​	Transferred 2013 (Tenn St)​
Brian​	Poole​	S​	5-10​	192​	Southeast (Bradenton, FL)​	0.9739​	2016 (UFA)​
Kent​	Taylor​	TE​	6-5​	210​	Land O' Lakes (Land O Lakes, FL)​	0.9647​	n/a​
Marcus​	Maye​	LB​	6-1​	195​	Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy (Melbourne, FL)​	0.9527​	2017 (2nd, New York Jets)​
Colin​	Thompson​	TE​	6-5​	263​	Archbishop Wood (Warminster, PA)​	0.9445​	Medical retirement 2014; transferred to Temple​
Matt​	Jones​	RB​	6-3​	230​	Armwood (Seffner, FL)​	0.9370​	2015 (3rd, Washington Redskins)​
Omari	Philips	DL	6-6	325	Venice (Venice, FL)	0.9352	Did not qualify academically, attended Tennessee
Jeremi​	Powell​	LB​	6-2​	200​	Pinellas Park (Largo, FL)​	0.9210​	n/a​
Rhaheim​	Ledbetter​	S​	5-11​	190​	Crest (Shelby, NC)​	0.9138​	Transferred 2013 (Southern)​
Latroy​	Pittman​	WR​	6-1​	200​	North Marion (Citra, FL)​	0.8996​	n/a​
Antonio​	Morrison​	LB​	6-3​	220​	Bolingbrook (Bolingbrook, IL)​	0.8947​	2016 (4th, Indianapolis Colts)​
Quinteze​	Williams​	DL​	6-5​	247​	Sandy Creek (Tyrone, GA)​	0.8921​	Transferred 2013 (Hutchison CC)​
Jafar​	Mann​	DL​	6-4​	275​	Stephenson (Stone Mountain, GA)​	0.8848​	Transferred 2012​
Alex​	McAlister​	DL​	6-7​	210​	West Forsyth (Clemmons, NC)​	0.8776​	2016 (7th, Philadelphia Eagles)​
Bryan​	Cox Jr.​	DL​	6-3​	240​	St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, FL)​	0.8751​	2017 (UFA)​
Willie​	Bailey​	S​	6-1​	165​	Hallandale (Hallandale, FL)​	0.8580​	Transferred 2012 (Louisville)​
Skyler​	Morninweg​	QB​	6-3​	215​	St. Joseph's (Philadelphia, PA)​	0.8517​	Transferred 2015 (Columbia)​
Austin​	Harden​	K​	5-11​	195​	Marist School (Atlanta, GA)​	0.8485​	Transferred 2016​
Raphael​	Andrades​	WR​	6-1​	200​	Lincoln (Tallahassee, FL)​	0.8387​	n/a​

 

[DRU2012]

Kudos for the extensive legwork, E-, bringing it all together and up-to-date...Obviously, I've got my "wish-list" from the "12-On-the-Short-List"-category at the bottom there, and am salivating at the idea of getting even SOME of them added to this class--the WRs, obviously, but additional 4- and 5-Star linemen on BOTH sides of the ball can't but help...what do you know about this QB, Jacob Guy? (I'd like to see us get a good one now and redshirt him; we could easily find ourselves down to just 2 QBs in our whole program, otherwise, under a number of different scenarios.)

 

[Escambia94]

The intel I can gather indicates that this guy, Jacob Guy, is Brent Pease's target. I *think* he is only a 2 or 3 star QB. If this lowly 3 star outshines the 4 and 5 star QBs, then we will see that a. Pease is the real deal b. stars are over rated and c. that these stars need competition in order to improve.

 

[Escambia94]

Latest update as cross referenced amongst three sources:

Stefon Diggs has cut his list to Auburn and Florida. After Florida coaches visited him at home, he dropped Miami off the list so he can use these last two weeks for official visits. When Weis left, Florida dropped to the bottom of his list. Pease and Muschamp changed his mind and got to his top 3.

Tracey Howard eliminated LSU and will choose between Florida and Auburn. FSU is also in the mix.

Avery Young is all over the place. Let the Magic 8 Ball pick it.

Nelson Algohor seems to have a coin toss between Florida and USCw.

 

[Escambia94]

I updated the first post I this thread to highlight the high profile recruits that will be making official visits this weekend, or who have changed commitment levels recently.

 

[Escambia94]

Got some updates that I inserted into the original post.

 

[DRU2012]

Got some updates that I inserted into the original post.

Biggest news, and the one real "last minute disappointment" so far is Williams, a good, tough LB who, though leaning towards FSU since early on, appeared to be wavering some, and had accepted that invitation here at the end for an "official visit"...We were looking forward to a shot at him with "the full court press" this weekend; with a slew of high-profile prospects, some already committed-to-Florida guys who were enthusiastically on board with working on the fence-sitters to themselves become Gators, it was thought we had a chance--and that's the one he cancelled. Oh well.
Gardner and Salt we lost some time back, WR Gardner the bigger disappointment, but if we get at least one of the BIG ONES (Diggs and Agholor) that will dampen the loss (and if we were to get BOTH, possible ONLY because we are thin and weak at WR and DIDN'T get Gardner, we won't have "lost" anything). Salt may well be another one of those "talented headcases" Muschamp&Co. has been shedding throughout the year since they arrived, and though DT IS a need, it soon may well NOT be one ANYWAY, considering how this recruiting class is shaping up even without him. The same is true at LB with Marcus; anyway, one or two of these "academically ineligible" misses is to be expected at this level nowadays--in fact, the fact that there are apparently so few this time is a good sign of how well the Gator braintrust have done their homework, and chosen with character issues like motivation and self-discipline in mind.
Still, this weekend and the following race-down-the-homestretch will tell the difference between the "solid, very good class" we have already assured ourselves of, and a possibly "GREAT one" that sets us up for a possible quick, inside-track back to elite status and competing for SEC- and National Championships once more. I say that even WITH my new-found carefully-controlled resistance to hype, recruiting-sites and "expert's opinion".

 

[Escambia94]

I re-organized the original post to show the timeline that the players committed to Florida. I also chased down the facts behind the recruits we lost. Technically we only lost 3 commitments, but none of them signed a formal LOI before de-committing. I would not panic about this year's class. The only reason I am documenting this year's class is that in other forums and in discussions at work, people like to cite Twitter and unreliable posts on other forums as evidence that Florida's recruiting is bad. I only post facts that I can reference from reputable sources, such as dates of formal commitments and announcements of official visits. I do not report unofficial visits, sightings in downtown Gainesville, or unsubstantiated facts. If you see the terms "might" or "may", that is my opinion based on facts I have read. I am no expert, but then again, neither are half the sources floating around the Internet.

 

[DRU2012]

I re-organized the original post to show the timeline that the players committed to Florida. I also chased down the facts behind the recruits we lost. Technically we only lost 3 commitments, but none of them signed a formal LOI before de-committing. I would not panic about this year's class. The only reason I am documenting this year's class is that in other forums and in discussions at work, people like to cite Twitter and unreliable posts on other forums as evidence that Florida's recruiting is bad. I only post facts that I can reference from reputable sources, such as dates of formal commitments and announcements of official visits. I do not report unofficial visits, sightings in downtown Gainesville, or unsubstantiated facts. If you see the terms "might" or "may", that is my opinion based on facts I have read. I am no expert, but then again, neither are half the sources floating around the Internet.

Hell--I thought we were/are doing WELL out there...yeah, I know we've had some "misses", ya always DO at this level of competition for the very best...and I'd be the first (hey, I think I was AMONG the first!) to recognize that our last Head Coach and his staff made some colossal mistakes, were generally ineffective in their analysis of the talent available the last few years they were here, and ended up bringing in handfuls of prospects everyone ELSE said were "great", only to look up one day and realize that "the cupboard was bare", or about to be. Meyer cut out, Coach Muschamp came into a near-worst-case-scenario (at least for Florida--that wasn't really clear 'til Meyer & Co. were OUT of there), and had to UNDO a lot of that damage just to get back to something like "starting over".
Am I wrong in my impression, along with many others inside and outside our program, that we are back on-track now, and that this next class will both underline and contribute to that resurgence?

 

[Escambia94]

In my opinion Muschamp is getting us back on track. The problematic variables in the equation are named Alabama and LSU. I think the Gator Nation is still in panic mode from the December 2009 retirement and un-retirement of Urban Meyer. Heck, they still play that stinking sound bite on the jumbo-tron before the games. It is time that we move past Urban Meyer and look at Will Muschamp on the merits of his own regime, starting with his first full recruiting class. Remember that in 2011 he only recruited 17 players. 7 more from this past year count towards the 2011 class due to early enrollments, so Muschamp gets credit for recruiting 24 players in 2011 out of a maximum of 25. So far we have 12 solid commitments that will count as his 2012 recruiting class, and a better schedule in 2012 than we had in 2011. My guess is that Muschamp is on track to right the ship.

 

[DRU2012]

In addition to a "gut-level" impression of Muschamp's having us back on-track that matches your analytical one, I am in TOTAL agreement about judging him on his own merits, and MOVING ON past Urban Meyer and our sense of both panic and betrayal--the continued reaction towards events now up to two years past. In effect, we were hit with two separate WAVES of shock and chaos, one year apart, with confusion and disappointment mounting after each, in different ways for different reasons--but it is time (maybe PAST time) to leave all that behind, regardless of how it hurt and damaged us.
Ok: we can now explain what happened...It does us no good unless we learn, turn the page, and look to the future. We've got a smart, hard working and passionate Coach who appears to now have in place a tight and talented group of dedicated, like-minded assistants. Together, they are clearly focused on a particular vision of what the Gator team-to-come will be--and are well on their way to making that possible-future real. Maybe it's time to start concentrating more on what we've got and where we're going. I'm liking both more and more.
What's done is done. I don't think I'm gonna dwell much further on what went wrong, why it happened and/or who was to blame. We don't HAVE to anymore. We're going to be fine; we'll have a young team, and it'll take some patience, but I sense it'll be more along the lines of "months"--the course of the intervening spring and summer into just one more season--rather than "years", and I gotta feeling it won't be that long before we get to utter the Gator-version of that famous Terminator line, "We're BACK."

 

[Escambia94]

I would rather not pull an FSU and say we are back. I will be conservative and say we are getting there. Besides, the experts say that you recruit 2 to 3 years out. The shining stars of the 2010 class are Dominique Easley, Ron Powell, Matt Elam, and Shariff Floyd. All defense. The offensive recruits from 2010 transferred out, did not fit the new offense, or fizzled out. Trey Burton and Tyler Murphy have not found a home yet. I cannot even remember which receivers are left. The point is that this is the year we will see the 2010 recruiting class peak. In 2014 we will see this 2012 class peak.

 

[DRU2012]

I agree--I didn't say it yet--only that I think we may be able to say it sooner than we think. That was what I was TRYING to get across, at any rate. Now that you mention it, the LAST thing I want to do, or see our sometimes over-heated fans do, is look or sound ANYTHING like FSU, under ANY circumstances (and that "jump-the-gun"-attitude they had coming into last season just 'cause the "EXPERTS" were picking 'em, well, NO WAY! Not much chance of anything similar here, I hope--NO one in the media has us even in the top-25 in the early 2012 forecasts, though we might get a few lower picks if/when this next class is "signed, sealed, delivered--it's all BS right now though, and personally, I'd prefer to stay OFF the radar for now). I only used that "Terminator"-line as a colorful, heartfelt and hopeful note in describing my growing optimism regarding our future--and that it's not THAT far off.
As for "who peaks when", while I know you're talking here in average, "how-it-generally-plays-out" terms, I guess I'M viewing it from a continuity-of-sustained excellence in a program POV, rather than separate classes in discrete isolation, reaching a peak that dictates the team's success that year. I hope (and believe this is our Head Coach's plan) that the aim is to have the flow of incoming talent, and players already here, maturing and growing into their roles at different rates, soon providing a situation where the coaches can field the best team possible, with depth and opportunities for further growth and experience on the field keeping us healthy, fresh, and getting better in the moment and for the future.
This is what Meyer ALMOST achieved here, but stumbled, lost that near-obsessive determination and focus that this kind of sustained success requires. It is what has gotten Saban and Alabama to the top , and continuing to compete there. It's what's required in the SEC, and why the top teams from the SEC are now and will continue to be in the National Championship hunt for years to come. Muschamp appears to have it--and looks to be in it for the long haul...

 

[Escambia94]

Added WDE Alex McCalister on 1/23/12 as commitment #20. Rumor has it that Tracy Howard will commit next, maybe in conjunction with his official visit this weekend.

Added QB Skyler Mornhinweg (Penn State commit) to list of possible recruits.

 

[Escambia94]

Supposedly Stefon Diggs (Olney, Md) was visited today by Will Muschamp and Urban Meyer in the same day. I still think he will be a Gator. Just a wild guess.

Nelson Agholor was visited by Lame Kitten and Jumbo Fisher the past couple days.

Tracy Howard keeps leaning more towards Florida.

Dante Fowler did enjoy the trip to Gainesville, but I still see him picking FSU.

 

[Leakfan12]

The intel I can gather indicates that this guy, Jacob Guy, is Brent Pease's target. I *think* he is only a 2 or 3 star QB. If this lowly 3 star outshines the 4 and 5 star QBs, then we will see that a. Pease is the real deal b. stars are over rated and c. that these stars need competition in order to improve.

Does Pease you can get top recruits to play for him because He now coach a big program. Hey don't get me wrong, They're doing something right in Boise (ask UGA LOL). Hope if they do get him that he plays like Kellen Moore (Again ask UGA)

 

[Escambia94]

Does Pease you can get top recruits to play for him because He now coach a big program. Hey don't get me wrong, They're doing something right in Boise (ask UGA LOL). Hope if they do get him that he plays like Kellen Moore (Again ask UGA)

Brent Pease does not get "top" recruits as indicated by Rivals, ESPN, and others. Pease gets top recruits as indicated by character, heart, upside, and the intangibles that have put Boise State players on the map. Chris Petersen coached his assistants (Bryan Harsin, Brent Pease, etc.) to recruit for quality, not the number of stars they have next to their names on ESPN.

Think about that for a second. The big name Gators other than Danny Wuerffel and Tim Tebow were not 5-star players. Wayne Peace, Kerwin Bell, and Doug Johnson probably would not get many stars next to their name in today's world. Peace and Bell would have been 2-star or unrated and Johnson would be at most a local 3-star. If Doug Dickey had not overhauled the offense in 1978, history would have remembered Cris Collinsworth as the quarterback that guided Florida to a record around 0-10-1 in 1979, and not the wide receiver that went on to play for the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XVI and XXIII. Doug Dickey recruited Collinsworth for more than the stars he wore as a QB, which I would imagine would be 3 to 4 stars in today's world.

Another issue is that the more stars a player gets, the less likely he is to play close to home. If we want Florida boys to be Gators, we probably want the ones with fewer stars. Maybe at QB you want those stars, because it is easy for Rivals, ESPN, coaches, and even fans to "see" a good QB. The problem with those highly recruited Florida boys is that they are often a coin toss away from going to Alabama. Both Tebow and Wuerffel were close to signing with Alabama.

My advice: do not get hung up on stars and do not get emotionally attached to high school recruits. Stars are a subjective rating made up by Rivals, and high school kids are easily swayed by professional recruiters. Historically, those ratings pan out around 50% of the time unless you do some creative statistics. ESPN150 ratings are still too new to judge for "accuracy", but I would guess they are barely above 50% as well unless you are picky with the way you judge that accuracy. Let the professionals on the coaching staff do their jobs--their paychecks depend on it.

 

[Leakfan12]

Also Chris Leak was a five star as well and was better than the two QB ahead of him. Hey I get it, Brantley was top rated and was crap. Gavin Dickey was a non-factor and Josh Portis left Florida and Maryland before he shined in California of PA and on the Seahawks roster.

 

[Escambia94]

Also Chris Leak was a five star as well and was better than the two QB ahead of him. Hey I get it, Brantley was top rated and was crap. Gavin Dickey was a non-factor and Josh Portis left Florida and Maryland before he shined in California of PA and on the Seahawks roster.

You're right. None of this is an exact science. To use your example, in 2004 the Gators had six QBs with their Rivals rating, and national position ranking:

1. Chris Leak, Charlotte (NC), 4*, #2 in 2003
2. Josh Portis, Woodland Hills (CA), 4*, #4 in 2003
3. Gavin Dickey, Tallahassee (FL), 4*, #4 in 2002
4. Justin Midgett, Punta Gorda (FL), 4*, #8 (transferred to Eastern Illinois)
5. Cornelius Ingram, Hawthorne (FL), 4*, #3 in 2004 (switched to TE)
6. Matt Kynes, Annandale (VA), NR, NR (walk-on, scout team QB)

Note that all of the scholarship QBs were 4-star athletes according to Rivals. This illustrates a point I have been making on other threads. Most elite teams carry 3-6 scholarship QBs, and 3-6 non-scholarship QBs. In that mix of QBs, some will convert to a new position, some will transfer to another school, some will sit on the sideline and never be heard from, and some will be remembered at the Gator Growl for running the scout team. (Usually nobody knows who runs the scout team until the Gator Growl.) Using that example, Rivals was only "correct" in 1 out of 5 (20%) of its assessments. This recruiting class was ranked #8 at the time, but would be ranked at #9 or #10 years later after all the transfers, bench sittings, and position switches unless you combined the results of the 2003, 2004, and 2005 classes to net the 2006 National Championship team. Note that the 2006 NC team was ranked #31 on offense, #7 on defense, #30 on special teams. On paper the 2006 Gators were not supposed to win the national championship. They were not supposed to score 41 points on the #2 defense and hold the #7 offense to 14 points in the national championship.
In summary: don't get hung up on star rankings or statistical rankings.

 

[Leakfan12]

Well keep in mind #31 offense is better than 88 schools plus did anybody else in the SEC get better than the Gators that year. I doubt it. As for the Nuts "number two" defense they did get ripped to shreds by Michigan before the Gators. You have a point with their number 7 offense.

 

[DRU2012]

...And remember this: when it comes to quarterbacks, while depth is a great "side effect" to playing the odds (or is it the other way around?), the main thing is YOU ONLY NEED ONE REALLY GOOD ONE. They just don't come around very often and, as y'all have well-argued, you can't GO by reputation, ratings or highlight reels from the previous level. He may or may NOT be that guy everyone raves about. Find that special one, though, and even the "experts" who get everything else wrong will be fairly safe in jumping on your bandwagon--long as he stays healthy which, to my way-of-thinking is a part of what MAKES a great one, whether that is achieved by toughness, speed, elusiveness, just plain good fortune or a combination of some or ALL of the above. Exhibit "A": Tim Tebow. There are many more less exotic and extreme examples, as well as those of the dangers and drawbacks if a given otherwise-good-one IS injured after all.
You're right though, E-: there are a lot of good reasons for bringing in a bunch of QBs, former QBs, potential QBs, etc., all of varying levels of talent and likely futures--and raising your chances of "winning that lottery" might be the best one of all. Still, regardless, even when you don't "ya gotta keep on keeping on"...
You can win without a "great one"--as you can win without having the statistical or relative rating advantage over ANY of the supposed "favorites", especially that resulting from PRE-seasonal evaluation.

 

[Escambia94]

QB Skyler Mornhinweg is officially the 21st player committed to Florida. That means that Paxton Lynch is probably a preferred walk on unless they want to wait to see if Florida falls short of scholarships.

 

[DRU2012]

QB Skyler Mornhinweg is officially the 21st player committed to Florida. That means that Paxton Lynch is probably a preferred walk on unless they want to wait to see if Florida falls short of scholarships.

You are probably right re Lynch...and they're probably hoping they can redshirt Mornhinweg, provided at least one of the young sophomore QBs really steps up and seizes the starting role this coming season. Spring/summer will tell a lot.
(Btw, while I've warned about going by rep and highlight reels, have you seen any on Mornhinweg? He's a big, strong kid with one of those "pro-arms", snap-fast release, long and accurate throws, strong and able to break tackle-attempts to buy time or run; his back-story is another one of those that well-explains how he "fell off the recruiting map" to some extent...there's a reason Penn St. was still after him as their "next QB", though, and they were about to get him--they at least thought he may not be as much of a "reach" as all the others who lost track of him after his junior year...We can thank Pease on this one--he knows his Dad well, knew the story and the situation and, according to someone who is on-the-scene, though there were a slew of last minute inquiries and overtures from elsewhere, we were the only ones who were given any further chance or consideration; Pease got him in and somehow, he and everyone and everything else about us closed the deal. I'm still somewhat surprised--if there are such things as "omens", this is a GOOD one...If we could get Lynch in and on-roster somehow too, we'd be in amazingly fine shape at QB now as well--part of what could be turning into an amazing closing sprint here at the end of recruiting season.)