FSU Seminoles

With just a few short months left until national signing day, Florida and Florida State, as always, have two of the best recruiting classes in the country. 2014 will be no different. Here's a look at some of the top prospects Florida and Florida State will battle for next year.

DE Andrew Williams (McDonough, Ga./Eagles Landing): The ESPN Watch List defensive end visited Florida over the summer and came away impressed with the Gators. Williams also visited FSU for its game against the Gators. Other schools will be heavily involved in Williams' recruitment, but these two schools are sure to be near his top schools throughout.

DE Denzel Ware (Crestview, Fla./Crestview): Ware has been committed to FSU since September, but the Gators continue to pursue the talented defensive end. Ware took an unofficial visit to Florida for a game this year and came away impressed. He remains firmly committed to FSU, but Florida is still lingering.

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As the Class of 2013 is nearing the final days before national signing day, NoleNation takes a look at the Class of 2014 and some potential Florida-Florida State battles that are shaping up.

Denzel Ware -- Florida has kept up its pursuit of Ware, a Florida State commitment. The Watch List defensive end made an unofficial visit to see the Gators play at least once this fall, and his giving FSU his verbal isn't scaring off the Gators. Although UF has been persistent in its efforts, Ware says he is firmly committed to the Seminoles. However, if D.J. Eliot were to leave for Kentucky, there could be some kind of impact.

Ryeshene Bronson -- The ESPN Watch List wide receiver made his pledge to the Gators back in June. But since that point, much like Denzel Ware, he has been on Florida State's campus a handful of times. Bronson has given no indication of switching his commitment, but Florida State will likely keep tabs on him throughout the process.

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Florida State

Timmy Jernigan: Growing up, there was never a question where Jernigan would play his college football. And there wasn't a question if he would make it to the next level. He was elite, even from a young age. And Jernigan loved the Florida Gators.

Defensive tackles coach Odell Haggins didn't waver, though. He continued working hard to get Jerngian on campus, coached him up on camps and eventually made headway. Finally, FSU got a stranglehold on Jernigan. And by the time national signing day rolled around, Florida didn't even send a letter of intent and Tallahassee was his destination.

James Wilder Jr.: A legend in the prep ranks from early on in his career, this powerful running back was considered to be a UF lean for a while. Florida State and Georgia entered the picture, too. All three programs battled it out intensely.

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GatorNation's Michael DiRocco and NoleNation's David Hale break down Saturday's Florida-Florida State game in Tallahassee, Fla.:

UF offense vs. FSU defense

Florida: The Gators have really struggled to move the ball during the second half of the season, especially through the air. Teams are stacking the box and concentrating on stopping RB Mike Gillislee (964 yards, 8 TDs). The pass protection has been inconsistent and the receivers, other than TE Jordan Reed, have trouble separating. UF isn’t able to mount more than one or two sustained drives against good defenses.

Florida State: The numbers speak volumes for Florida State's defense, which ranks among the nation's best for the second straight season. It starts with defensive ends Bjoern Werner and Cornellius Carradine, the most prolific pass-rush duo in the country. But from the powerful interior line to a strong secondary, there are few weaknesses. The Seminoles rank first nationally in total defense, fifth in scoring defense, first against the run and fifth against the pass.

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As far as 2015 recruits go, there might not be one with a more impressive offer list than Jacques Patrick (Orlando, Fla./East River).

Listed as an athlete, Patrick's skills at running back have helped him garner offers from Alabama, Arizona, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Miami, Tennessee, UCF, USC and Vanderbilt. And Saturday he will be in Tallahassee to see the Seminoles and Gators line up against each other in a top-10 matchup.

"I'm really just looking forward to seeing a good game and watch how both teams run the ball," he said.

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As isn't far from the norm at this time of the year, 2014 wide receiver Johnnie Dixon (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla./Dwyer) is ready to get the season going.

Recruiting, then, goes to the back burner. The 5-foot-11, 186-pound target is OK with that, though.

"It is going pretty good right now," he said. "It is kind of slow right now, but everything has been going pretty good.

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Just a week after hosting hundreds of prospects for football camp, Florida State had a top-flight offensive line recruit come in for his own unofficial visit.

The Seminoles' defensive ends coach D.J. Eliot scouted Garrett Brumfield (Baton Rouge, La./University Laboratory) during the spring and liked what he saw. Fast-forward a couple of months and Brumfield picked up the phone and planned a trip to Tallahassee.

"I contacted Coach Eliot and I was able to set up an unofficial visit last Friday," explained the 6-foot-3, 254-pound guard. "So we took a trip down to Florida -- it was about seven hours, actually. When I got there, I was able to meet with all the staff, take a tour of all the facilities, we ended up touring the locker room. Got a chance to watch the highlight tape. It was pretty good. Ended up meeting with Coach [Jimbo] Fisher in the end and he offered me in his office."

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TAMPA. Fla. -- With quarterback Pete DiNovo (Tarpon Springs, Fla./East Lake) and wide receiver Richard Benjamin (Tampa, Fla./Tampa Bay Tech) already in the fold, the UCF Knights were well represented at John Kaleo’s QB/WR Skills Camp on Friday.

Benjamin was often heard screaming "U-C-F" during the camp and has openly lobbied for his fellow Tampa-area prospects to join him at the Orlando university.

The big target that Benjamin was working on Friday was ESPN 150 wide receiver Alvin Bailey (Seffner, Fla./Armwood). And if you ask the ESPN 300 senior, he thinks it’s in the bag.

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LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Tahaan Goodman (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga) isn't rushing his recruitment.

The four-star safety is making sure that it doesn't become overwhelming. Instead, he's learning to like it.

"It is fun, I am enjoying it," he said Saturday at Champion Gridiron Kings in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. "I am taking it in a little by little. Right now, at this point, I am checking more schools out, checking more areas out seeing what I like and what is different. I want to put some schools in certain brackets."

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LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Heading into his senior season, safety Marcell Harris (Orlando, Fla./Dr. Phillips) is still trying to figure out which programs to focus on. The 6-foot-1, 209-pound member of the ESPN 150 is hoping to get his officials set up during the season and says his plan is to take visits until he finds the right program. While he doesn't have a top group, a couple of programs have caught the defensive back's eye this summer.

The Texas Longhorns have been able to get Harris on campus, and it looks like they will also get a chance to show him what game day is like in Austin.

“Texas is one of my top schools,” Harris said. “I have been up there a couple times and I like Coach [Duane] Akina and them. It is an awesome program with a winning tradition. I want to get up there for a game on an official visit.

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On Friday, sophomore quarterback Deandre Johnson (Jacksonville, Fla./First Coast) decided to pull the trigger and commit to Florida State, continuing one of the biggest recruiting pipelines in the country. Seven players from the talent-rich high school have signed with Florida State during the past decade, while Tyrell Lyons is committed for the 2013 class. In Johnson, the Seminoles have added one of the rising stars of the 2015 class.

Interestingly enough, Johnson favored a rival program growing up.

“I had always been a Florida Gators fan, but I just felt like with the atmosphere and the coaching here, that this was the right place for me,” Johnson said. “I was sitting here talking to Jimbo Fisher, and I just told him I wanted to be a Seminole. He got really excited and welcomed me to the family.

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – ESPN 150 defensive back Marcell Harris (Orlando, Fla./Dr. Phillips) decided to make a last-minute trip to Florida State on Thursday for the afternoon session of the Jimbo Fisher Camp.

The 6-foot-1, 209-pound senior took a few minutes to work out and catch up with FSU defensive coordinator Mark Stoops.

“Yeah I just did two drills and I was chilling after that, watching some of the other guys go,” Harris said. “I worked with coach Stoops a little bit and we talked in the football office a little bit before that. I was in there with a couple other guys and they wanted to try to all of us up here so they were excited about that.”

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Wide receiver Artavis Scott (Tarpon Springs, Fla./East Lake), a 2014 prospect, was one of the top wideouts to compete at the Jimbo Fisher Camp on Thursday. The 5-foot-11, 170-pound athlete says he has enjoyed his experience in Tallahassee.

"I love it," Scott said. "It's a home town, it's in Florida, they have the best weather and I love the facilities. I'll probably be back to see some games this year."

Scott picked up an offer while camping at Florida in June and said he will likely visit UF for a game this year as well.

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It comes as a shock to most to learn that D'Angelo Reynolds (Miami, Fla./Miami Northwestern) could stand at 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds not having played a snap of competitive football before.

That's for good reason, though, because Reynolds displays the strength and athleticism most college coaches drool over.

And while there is some understandable skepticism over this sizable prospect because there is literally no game film available on him, Reynolds does claim at least nine offers.

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