ESPN Recruiting Nation Football

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- There are just a couple of short weeks remaining until national signing day, and the Florida Gators have met a majority of their recruiting needs. With graduation, transfers and players leaving for the NFL draft, there are a few areas Florida head coach Will Muschamp would still like to shore up.

Key holes to fill

The Gators lost key personnel along the offensive line, wide receiver, linebacker, running back and secondary and are hoping to replenish their talent with junior college transfers and incoming freshmen.

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider

The commitment of Demarcus Robinson (Fort Valley, Ga./Peach County) on Monday is huge for the Gators. At 6-foot-2, 200-pounds, Robinson has the size and athleticism that will allow him to compete for playing time early.

Robinson is the only one of Florida's five WR commits slated to enroll early. If he follows through with his plan, the U.S. Army All-American has a chance to earn a starting spot early in his career.

Quinton Dunbar led all Florida receivers with just 306 receiving yards. After Dunbar, Andre Debose stands second among returning receivers with two receptions for 11 yards. Florida needs production from its wideouts and needs it now.

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- With just a player walk-through Thursday, things were relatively easy in Day 4 of practice at Disney's ESPN Wide World of Sports. A four-star defensive tackle gave further explanation about his decision to decommit from an SEC school, several players talked about who impressed them the most, and an ESPN 150 safety changed his decision date.

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida quarterback Jeff Driskel might be the happiest guy on campus. Not just because of his sudden success this season, but because the Gators are bringing in a plethora of talent for him at wide receiver.


After Florida's leading wide receiver, sophomore Quinton Dunbar, totaled just 306 yards and four touchdowns this year, Florida coach Will Muschamp made it a priority to sign several playmakers at the position.

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider

GAINESVILLE, Fla -- ESPN 300 wide receiver Demarcus Robinson (Fort Valley, Ga./Peach Co.) has switched his verbal commitment from Clemson to Florida. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound four-star athlete becomes the fifth pass-catcher to pledge to the Gators.

Robinson, who's the No. 157-ranked player in the country, said he just felt more comfortable with the Gators, who had an in-home visit on Wednesday.

"I just feel at home at Florida," Robinson said. "I was talking to Coach [Will] Muschamp the other day and he really just reopened my eyes. So did coach [Joker] Phillips. They are both great guys. Coach Phillips is a great guy, he has produced a lot of athletes under him."

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- The Florida Gators announced the addition of former Kentucky head coach Joker Phillips as the new wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator on Monday afternoon.

Florida struggled at wideout this season and Phillips will bring a well-known name as well as extensive experience coaching the position.

Phillips, though, won't be left with an empty cupboard on the recruiting trail. The Gators have commitments from four wide receivers including Ahmad Fulwood (Jacksonville, Fla./Bishop Kenny), Alvin Bailey (Seffner, Fla./Armwood), Marqui Hawkins (Columbus, Ga./Carver) and Chris Thompson (Gainesville, Fla./Gainesville).

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider

With 20 verbal commitments, the Florida Gators continue to have one of the top recruiting classes in the country. In the updated ESPN 150/300 rankings, Florida has an impressive 13 players listed, including nine in the top 150.

Cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III, Florida's only five-star commitment, continues to lead the way for Florida's No. 2-ranked class. Hargreaves, now the No. 3-ranked player in the country, jumped offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil in the latest update.

Making the biggest jump for the Gators is four-star running back Kelvin Taylor. The Under Armour All-American moved from the No. 22 spot up to No. 15. The state of Florida's all-time leading rusher has totaled 1,760 yards rushing and 32 touchdowns this season. Taylor, the son of former UF and NFL running back Fred Taylor, said he feels blessed to be ranked so highly.

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider

ACC

Florida State

Denzel Ware DE Crestview, FL, Crestview

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider

ESPN 150 athlete Alvin Bailey (Seffner, Fla./Armwood) gives the Florida Gators another Chris Rainey type, but maybe more of a natural, pure receiver. What the Under Armour All-American lacks in size, he will make for with speed and explosive plays after the catch. This addition adds another playmaker and depth to the offensive skill positions for Florida, which have been inconsistent groups the last couple of seasons. This is also a prospect who could develop into a fine return game player.

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider

SEFFNER, Fla. -- ESPN 150 athlete Alvin Bailey (Seffner, Fla./Armwood) committed to Florida on Saturday, choosing the Gators over UCF and Notre Dame after his Armwood team defeated Brandon, Fla., 55-0. The 5-foot-11, 176-pound senior is the 19^th verbal commitment for Florida in its recruiting class of 2013 and the ninth ESPN 150 commitment.

Bailey tried not to give hints about his commitment during the game. He scored touchdowns on a 77-yard run and a 13-yard reception but rather than do a ‘Gator Chomp’ he just simply handed the ball back to the referee.

After the game Seffner coach Sean Callahan set up the announcement.

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider

Four-star quarterback Darryl Richardson (Seffner, Fla./Armwood) is hopeful he can make a big breakthrough in his senior year.

And the rest of his team is counting on the 6-foot-5, 240-pound senior to make those strides to help Armwood return to the state championship game. On the way, Richardson's recruitment is also expected to pick up even more. Right now the schools most involved with Richardson are Tennessee, South Florida and Missouri.

"Missouri has kind of jumped in the picture in the last few weeks," said Armwood head coach Sean Callahan. "A lot of schools are really interested in Darryl because he's such a raw prospect with a lot to offer.

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider

ESPN 300 wide receiver Richard Benjamin (Tampa, Fla./Tampa Bay Tech) has decided to reopen his recruitment and is no longer considered a commitment to UCF, according to Tampa Bay Tech head coach Jayson Roberts.

The 6-foot, 190-pound senior committed to UCF last month saying the Knights were his final decision. But after discussing things with his coaches and other confidants Benjamin will make another decision at a later date.

"From the brief conversation I had with Richard today he expressed that he wanted to weigh his options," Roberts said. "The whole issue with the sanctions had him feeling a bit uneasy. He was thinking that he might have rushed into a decision."

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider

ESPN 150 wide receiver Alvin Bailey (Seffner, Fla./Armwood) was offered by Florida on Wednesday afternoon and would like to make a final decision soon, according to Armwood head coach Sean Callahan.

The 2013 Under Armour All-America Game invitee has narrowed his list to South Carolina, UCF, Michigan and Florida State, but the Gators' offer does add a new wrinkle to the mix.

"Alvin was offered by Florida today, and no he's not committing tonight and he's not going to commit tomorrow, either," Callahan said. "He said he'd like to make his decision before Sept. 1, and I expect he'll be a man of his word and get it done before then."

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider