Florida Gators

Editor’s note: Every Tuesday and Thursday through Jan. 31, 2013, GatorNation will break down each position. We’ll look at 2013, of course, but also try and give you a peek beyond next season, too. Today is guard/center. We will profile tight end on Jan. 15.

GUARD/CENTER

Two-deep: With the graduation of sixth-year senior James Wilson, redshirt freshman Jessamen Dunker and redshirt junior Max Garcia will compete for the starting job at left guard. Jonotthan Harrison and Jon Halapio will return as starters at center and right guard, respectively. Both will be redshirt seniors. Redshirt senior Kyle Koehne and Ian Silberman, provided his shoulder injury is healed, are the reserves.

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- With the addition of Trenton Brown (Albany, Ga./Georgia Military College) the Gators have now helped add depth and size to an offensive line unit that was once thought to be a weakness coming into next season.

Add Brown to a unit that now includes Jon Halapio, D.J. Humphries, Jon Harrison, Chaz Green, Maryland transfer Max Garcia, former Nebraska transfer Tyler Moore and other commitments Cam Dillard (Canton, Mich./Canton) and Octavius Jackson (Moultrie, Ga./Colquitt Co.) and the Gators have what could potentially be one of the top offensive line units in the SEC next season.

At 6-foot-8, 340-pounds, Brown has unique size that is reminiscent of former Florida offensive tackle and current Pittsburgh Steeler Max Starks. Brown has the body type that Florida head coach Will Muschamp is looking for in his linemen.

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- It’s time to dip in to the GatorNation recruiting mailbag and answer the questions you want to know. Because of the amount of questions we’ve received, we won’t be able to get to all of them today, but we encourage you to ask your questions on our Insider fan forum, The Chompions Club.

impulse36: Based on the first three games, is it likely that Dominique Easley, Sharrif Floyd or Matt Elam enters the NFL draft this April? Assuming they don't, does that affect the number we can recruit or the positions we recruit? Do we recruit the same number and just "encourage" more transfers?

A: It's too early to say which of the three listed could potentially enter the NFL draft. At this point it shouldn't affect how many prospects UF can take in this class. Florida is looking to sign 23-24 players and Florida is likely planning to lose at least one of the three you mentioned. Situations like this have a way of working themselves out. Whether it's future transfers, injuries or other situations the public might not be aware of, the coaching staff already has a good idea of how many players it will be able to take in this class.

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Finally, the high school football season is underway. With several Florida commits playing in preseason games or their teams' first game of the year, here is a closer look at how they fared this weekend.

WR Ahmad Fulwood (Jacksonville, Fla./Bishop Kenny) -- In only one half of play, Fulwood accounted for two catches for 80 yards and a touchdown. Bishop Kenny lost to Orange Park 14-13 in a preseason game.

DE Jordan Sherit (Tampa, Fla./Hillsborough) -- In one half of action, Sherit recorded four tackles for loss, including a safety and a sack. Hillsborough lost to Plant City 15-7 in a preseason matchup.

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida lost two four-star commitments this weekend, as cornerback Tre' Bell (Jersey City, N.J./St. Peters Prep) and offensive lineman Rod Johnson (Delray Beach, Fla./American Heritage) decided to part ways with the Gators.

What this means for Florida

For the Gators and Bell, who decided not to participate at Friday Night Lights or camp earlier in the summer at Florida, the decision to part ways was mutual. Bell made his decision final on Friday when he committed to Vanderbilt.

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- With the addition of three-star offensive lineman Octavius Jackson (Moultrie, Ga./Colquitt County) on Friday, the Gators now have four offensive line commits, three of which are ranked four-star prospects.

The Gators have limited scholarships remaining for the 2013 recruiting class and they could be done recruiting the position -- but not likely.

First, and probably most importantly, the Gators will continue to recruit their committed offensive line prospects. Versatile guard/tackle prospect Rod Johnson (Delray Beach, Fla./American Heritage), who's been committed to Florida since March, said Friday that he plans to take a visit to FSU this season. When asked if he was still committed to the Gators, Johnson responded with "right now yes." The Gators, however, love Johnson's upside and versatility and you can expect Florida to turn up the heat on the talented prospect to try and keep him a part of this recruiting class.

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MOULTRIE, Ga. -- The Gators received their sixth commitment in eight days, as three-star Moultrie (Ga.) Colquitt County offensive lineman Octavius Jackson committed to the Gators on Friday. The 6-foot-4, 285-pound tackle prospect chose Florida over offers from USF, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, UCF and Marshall.

"The deciding factor was my family. I would rather be close so my family can see me play, rather than far away where they won't get a chance to see me," Jackson said. "It's only two hours away, so my family can come see my games if they want to. It's only a two-hour drive. It's not like it's 10 hours. So I can come home for Thanksgiving and Christmas if I want to. And there's nothing like having your family to support you during your four years of college."

Jackson, a relative newcomer to Florida's recruiting board, says the Gators can expect a "hard-working, intelligent player that's not afraid to throw his body."

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