P Johnny Townsend: commit No. 30 | OL/TE Trevon Young: commit No. 29 | JUCO DT Jarran Reed: commit No. 28 | DT Jay-nard Bostwick: commit No. 27 | Muschamp discusses class; assistants evaluate signees | Video interviews with coaches | “Closing”, quarterback situation

Courtesy of the University of Florida‘s University Athletic Association:

EARLY ENROLLEES (8)

Alex Anzalone • Linebacker
6’3″ • 220 • Wyomissing, PA (Wyomissing Area)
PRIOR TO FLORIDA: Helped Wyomissing High to its first Class AA state championship in 2012, finishing 16-0, a school single-season record for wins…Selected to the 2013 Under Armour All-American Game…Finished his senior year with over 1,000 rushing yards and 30 touchdowns from the fullback position and registered more than 100 tackles…Earned a spot on the 247Sports Class of 2013 All-America team…Named senior Class AA Player of the Year as part of the 2012 Pennsylvania Sports Writers All-State Team…As a junior, was named first team all-state, all-region and all-county…In 2011, ran for over 900 yards and scored 13 touchdowns and was named to the all-state team…Invited to “The Opening”, an all-star summer prospect camp held on the Nike Campus…Chose Florida over Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, USC, UCLA, Miami, Tennessee, Pitt, Stanford, Georgia and Florida State…Coached by Bob Wolfrum.

Darious Cummings • Defensive tackle
6’1″ • 310 • Titusville, FL (Astronaut/Florida St./East Mississippi CC)
PRIOR TO FLORIDA: Played in all 10 games during the 2012 season at EMCC, tallying 26 tackles (12 unassisted) with 4.0 TFL (12 yards), 3.0 sacks, two quarterback hurries and one forced fumble…EMCC finished 8-2 on the year and ranked 15th in the final NJCAA poll…Anchored a defense that allowed just 74.2 rushing yards per game…Notched a season-high four tackles twice during the season, against Pearl River CC and Itawamba CC…Played under head coach Buddy Stephens at EMCC…Spent two years at Florida State before transferring to EMCC…Played in three games as a true freshman and two games as a sophomore before suffering an injury that caused him to miss most of the 2011 season…Totaled seven tackles in five career games at FSU…Missed the spring of 2012 at FSU after arthroscopic knee surgery and then transferred to EMCC in the summer of 2012…Entered his senior year of high school with 159 tackles, including 22 for loss and 15 sacks…Was the first commit in FSU’s 2010 signing class…Was a Florida Super 75 selection by the Times-Union…Named to SunStateFootball.com all-state first team in 2009…Attended the same high school as former Gator football players LB Wilber Marshall, WR Cris Collinsworth and TE Aaron Walker…Chose Florida over offers from Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Mississippi State and Arkansas.

Continue Reading » Florida Gators 2013 National Signing Day bios

Tags: Adam Lane, Ahmad Fulwood, Alex Anzalone, Alvin Bailey, Antonio Riles, Caleb Brantley, Cameron Dillard, Chris Thompson, Daniel McMillian, Darious Cummings, Demarcus Robinson, Jarrad Davis, Jarran Reed, Jay-nard Bostwick, Joey Ivie, Jordan Sherit, Keanu Neal, Kelvin Taylor, Marcell Harris, Marqui Hawkins, Matt Rolin, Max Staver, Nick Washington, Octavius Jackson, Roderick Johnson, Trenton Brown, Tyler Moore, Vernon Hargreaves

Released Thursday afternoon, the final edition of the ESPN 300 for the class of 2013 is filled with players verbally committed to play for the Florida Gators next season. Eleven Florida commits are part of the top 150 players in the group and five more are listed among the top 300 recruits in the nation.

Three major changes to the list include running back Kelvin Taylor (Belle Glade, FL) adding a fifth star, four-star wide receiver Demarcus Robinson (Jacksonville, FL) moving up 104 spots and four-star defensive end Jordan Sherit (Tampa, FL) dropping out of the rankings due to his ACL injury.

Below is a breakdown of where the Gators’ commits are ranked:

3 EVEN – DB Vernon Hargreaves (Tampa, FL, FL)
8 7 – RB Kelvin Taylor (Belle Glade, FL)
33 13 – LB Daniel McMillian (Jacksonville, FL)
42 4 – DT Caleb Brantley (Crescent City, FL)
53 104 – WR Demarcus Robinson (Jacksonville, FL)
65 2 – DB Keanu Neal (Bushnell, FL)
68 2 – DB Marcell Harris (Orlando, FL)
77 6 – WR Alvin Bailey (Seffner, FL)
80 4 – LB Matt Rolin (Jacksonville, FL)
97 UNK. – LB Alex Anzalone (Wyomissing, PA)
110 61 – WR Ahmad Fulwood (Jacksonville, FL)
154 19 – DB Nick Washington (Jacksonville, FL)
175 7 – RB Adam Lane (Winter Haven, FL)
199 19 – WR Marqui Hawkins (Columbus, GA)
263 3 – QB Max Staver (Brentwood, TN)
278 2 – LB James Hearns (Tallahassee, FL)

Florida’s 2013 commitments:
Continue Reading » Sixteen Gators ranked in final ESPN 300 for 2013

Tags: Adam Lane, Ahmad Fulwood, Alvin Bailey, Caleb Brantley, Daniel McMillian, Demarcus Robinson, James Hearns, Keanu Neal, Kelvin Taylor, Marcell Harris, Marqui Hawkins, Matt Rolin, Max Staver, Nick Washington, Vernon Hargreaves

A back-and-forth-and-back-again recruiting war for four-star wide receiver Demarcus Robinson (Fort Valley, GA) has finally ended with the prized prospect deciding to join the Florida Gators‘ impressive 2013 recruiting class.

Robinson, a long-time Clemson Tigers commitment, rescinded his soft verbal pledge to the school on Dec. 12 when he first flipped to the Gators. Just five days later on Dec. 17, Robinson had a change of heart and rejoined the Tigers’ class.

However, upon arriving at the 2013 U.S. Army All-American Bowl for practice last week, Robinson said he was no longer committed to Clemson and was reopening his recruitment with Florida and Notre Dame also under consideration. Furthermore, he promised to make a decision with his mother over the weekend and enroll early at the school of his choice as a surprise on Monday or Tuesday.

Monday morning, after spending a week in San Antonio, TX practicing for the game and meeting with coaches from both schools, Robinson announced his decision via his Twitter account by writing, “#Gatornation here I come !” Minutes later he added, “I love my gators can’t wait to arrive on campus!” He also confirmed to multiple outlets that he has finally settled on the Gators.

Robinson is the third pass catcher listed at 6’2” or taller and the fifth overall wide receiver to make a pledge for Florida this cycle. The Rivals100 and ESPN 300 receiver is a big target with plenty of strength and more than enough speed to succeed in the grueling Southeastern Conference.

Arguably Florida’s most important commitment since head coach Will Muschamp took over the program, Robinson is a top talent at a major position of need for the Gators. UF’s leading returning receiver, redshirt sophomore Quinton Dunbar, reeled in 36 receptions for 383 yards and four touchdowns during the 2012 season.

Ranked as the No. 48 overall prospect nationally by Rivals, Robinson is the highest-rated receiver to commit to Florida since Andre Debose (No. 21) in 2009. He is listed as the 157th best player in the country by ESPN.

Robinson’s flip from Clemson was originally fueled, in part, by UF’s hiring of new wide receivers coach Joker Phillips, who along with Muschamp and running backs coach Brian White paid the prized recruit a visit in his home shortly before his original commitment and subsequent visit to the school.

The Gators’ newest recruiting class now consists of 26 total pledges including 25 that count as part of the 2013 cycle.

Robinson joins four-stars Ahmad Fulwood (Jacksonville, FL) and Alvin Bailey (Seffner, FL) and three-stars Marqui Hawkins (Columbus, GA) and Chris Thompson (Gainesville, FL) as wide receivers in the class.

Florida also has an offer out to three-star WR James Clark (New Smyrna Beach, FL) who visited the school over the weekend and picked up the offer directly from Muschamp. The Gators would happily take six receivers this cycle.

Tags: Ahmad Fulwood, Alvin Bailey, Andre Debose, Army All-American Bowl, Chris Thompson, Demarcus Robinson, James Clark, Joker Phillips, Marqui Hawkins, Quinton Dunbar, SEC, Will Muschamp

Less than one week after four-star wide receiver Demarcus Robinson (Fort Valley, GA) decommitted from the Clemson Tigers and pledged to join the Florida Gators’ 2013 recruiting class, the top-tier pass catcher had a change of heart and decided to rescind his promise to Florida and recommit to play for Clemson next season.

According to Rivals affiliate TigerIllustrated.com, which first reported his flip, the Gators have lost arguably their most important commitment since head coach Will Muschamp took over the program as Robinson was a top-tier talent at a major position of need. UF’s leading returning receiver, redshirt sophomore Quinton Dunbar, reeled in just 31 receptions for 306 yards and four touchdowns during the 2012 season.

Robinson was the third pass catcher listed at 6’2” or taller and the fifth overall wide receiver to make a pledge for Florida this cycle. He is a Rivals100 and ESPN 300 talent who is respectively listed as the No. 48 and No. 157 overall prospect in the nation.

A big target with plenty of strength and more than enough speed, Robinson would have been the highest-rated receiver to sign with the Gators since Andre Debose (No. 21) in 2009. His flip to Florida was believed to be fueled, in part, by UF’s hiring of Joker Phillips as receivers coach.

Robinson had been long considering a switch to the Gators and chose to do so following a meeting with Muschamp, Phillips and running backs coach Brian White last Wednesday. He met with members of the Tigers’ coaching staff late in the week and chose to make a change even after visiting Florida over the weekend.

The Gators do still have four remaining receivers committed for the 2013 cycle in four-stars Ahmad Fulwood (Jacksonville, FL) and Alvin Bailey (Seffner, FL) and three-stars Marqui Hawkins (Columbus, GA) and Chris Thompson (Gainesville, FL).

Florida now has 25 total pledges including 24 that count as members of the 2013 recruiting class. The Gators will likely look to add a fifth receiver to their class.

Tags: Ahmad Fulwood, Alvin Bailey, Andre Debose, Brian White, Chris Thompson, Clemson Tigers, Demarcus Robinson, Joker Phillips, Marqui Hawkins, Quinton Dunbar, Will Muschamp

The Florida Gators’ impressive recruiting haul added another huge piece Wednesday when four-star wide receiver Demarcus Robinson (Fort Valley, GA) decided to rescind his soft verbal pledge to Clemson and commit to join Florida’s 2013 class.

Robinson is the third pass catcher listed at 6’2” or taller and the fifth overall wide receiver to make a pledge for the Gators this cycle. The Rivals100 and ESPN 300 receiver is a big target with plenty of strength and more than enough speed to succeed in the Southeastern Conference.

Arguably Florida’s most important commitment since head coach Will Muschamp took over, Robinson is a top talent at a major position of need for the Gators. UF’s leading returning receiver, redshirt sophomore Quinton Dunbar, reeled in 31 receptions for 306 yards and four touchdowns during the 2012 season.

Ranked as the No. 48 overall prospect nationally by Rivals, Robinson is the highest-rated receiver to commit to Florida since Andre Debose (No. 21) in 2009. He is listed as the 157th best player in the country by ESPN.

Robinson’s flip from Clemson was most certainly fueled, in part, by UF’s hiring of new wide receivers coach Joker Phillips, who along with Muschamp and running backs coach Brian White paid the prized recruit a visit in his home on Wednesday. He will visit Florida this upcoming weekend and plans to enroll early.

The Gators have added four new commitments over the last four days but also lost one long-time commit on Monday. Florida now has 25 total pledges including 24 that count as members of its 2013 recruiting class.

Robinson joins four-stars Ahmad Fulwood (Jacksonville, FL) and Alvin Bailey (Seffner, FL) and three-stars Marqui Hawkins (Columbus, GA) and Chris Thompson (Gainesville, FL) as wide receivers in the class.

His decision was first reported by Gator Country’s Andrew Spivey.

Tags: Ahmad Fulwood, Alvin Bailey, Andre Debose, Chris Thompson, Demarcus Robinson, Joker Phillips, Marqui Hawkins, Quinton Dunbar, Will Muschamp

Despite feeling perturbed that the Florida Gators did not offer him earlier in the process, four-star wide receiver Alvin Bailey (Seffner, FL) committed to the program on Saturday evening after the team’s first game of the 2012 season.

Choosing Florida over Central Florida and Notre Dame, Bailey is now the 19th member of the Gators’ 2013 recruiting class. He takes the spot of four-star WR Rodney Adams (St. Petersburg, FL), who parted ways with the Gators last month.

His decision does not come as much of a surprise mostly because it was well known that Bailey always wanted to play for Florida and had simply been waiting for an offer from the coaching staff. Some recruiting analysts believed he was still leaning towards attending UCF, but the player put that thought to rest on Saturday.

Bailey, a member of both the Rivals100 (No. 93) and ESPN 150 (No. 69), was teammates last season with current Gators freshman running back Matt Jones at Armwood High School. Jones played his first game with Florida on Satuday, seeing action as a reserve and carrying the ball three times for 17 yards.

He is the fourth pass catcher to make a pledge for the Gators in 2013, joining four-star Ahmad Fulwood (Jacksonville, FL) and three-stars Marqui Hawkins (Columbus, GA) and Chris Thompson (Gainesville, FL).

Tags: Ahmad Fulwood, Alvin Bailey, Chris Thompson, Marqui Hawkins, Rodney Adams

Head coach Will Muschamp’s recruiting classes grew by a member for the fifth-straight day when two/three-star wide receiver Chris Thompson (Gainesville, FL) accepted his scholarship offer and committed to the Florida Gators.

A local product who has badly wanted to play for the Gators for quite some time, Thompson is considered an underrated but talented recruit who may be a projectbut has blazing fast speed (4.37-second 40-yard dash) and an extremely high ceiling.

He attended Florida’s Friday Night Lights camp last week and turned heads with his performance; so much so that it gave Muschamp and offensive coordinator Brent Pease reason to make his dream come true and offer him a scholarship on Monday.

Thompson is ranked as a two-star prospect by Rivals and three-star recruit by ESPN. His only previous notable offers were from Florida Atlantic, Marshall, UMass and Utah.

He is the fourth wide receiver to commit to UF this recruiting cycle, joining four-stars Ahmad Fulwood (Jacksonville, FL) and Rodney Adams (St. Petersburg, FL) and three-star Marqui Hawkins (Columbus, GA).

The Gators now have 21 commitments for 2013 including 10 on the offensive side of the ball. Thompson is the 15th member of his class from the state of Florida and fourth to commit to UF for the 2013 season since Thursday.

Tags: Ahmad Fulwood, Brent Pease, Chris Thompson, Marqui Hawkins, Rodney Adams, Will Muschamp

Released Wednesday afternoon, the first edition of the ESPN 300 for the class of 2013 is filled with players verbally committed to play for the Florida Gators next season. Though seven Florida commits are part of the top 150 players in the group, four more are listed among the top 300 recruits in the nation.

Below is a breakdown of where the Gators’ commits are ranked:

21 1 – RB Kelvin Taylor (Belle Glade, FL)
31 13 – DT Caleb Brantley (Crescent City, FL)
41 3 – LB Daniel McMillian (Jacksonville, FL)
48 4 – WR Ahmad Fulwood (Jacksonville, FL)
65 1 – DB Keanu Neal (Bushnell, FL)
83 26 – LB Quinton Powell (Daytona Beach, FL)
131 73 – DB Nick Washington (Jacksonville, FL)
166 * – RB Adam Lane (Winter Haven, FL)
204 * – WR Marqui Hawkins (Columbus, GA)
269 * – LB James Hearns (Tallahassee, FL)
279 * – LB Dillan Lawson (Crestview, FL)

* Added to list.

Florida’s 2013 commitments:

Commitment	Pos.	Rivals	ESPN	Overall
V. Hargreaves	DB			2/3
Alex Anzalone*	LB			28/97
Kelvin Taylor*	RB			38/8
D. Robinson*	WR			52/53
Alvin Bailey	WR			63/77
Keanu Neal	DB			64/65
Marcell Harris	DB			67/68
Daniel McMillian*	LB			123/33
Caleb Brantley	DT			132/42
Ahmad Fulwood	WR			136/110
N. Washington	DB			164/154
Joey Ivie*	DE			198/-
Jordan Sherit	DE			224/-
Matt Rolin*	LB			-/80
Jay. Bostwick	DT			-/286
Adam Lane	RB			-/175
Marqui Hawkins	WR			-/199
Max Staver	QB			-/263
Cam Dillard	OL			-/-
Antonio Riles	DE			-/-
Rod Johnson	OL			-/-
Ch. Thompson	WR			-/-
Oct. Jackson	DT			-/-
Jarrad Davis	LB			-/-
Trevon Young	TE			-/-
John Townsend	PK			-/-
Dar. Cummings*	DT			JUCO
Jarran Reed	DT			JUCO
Trenton Brown	OL		NR	JUCO
Tyler Moore*	OL			CC

Tags: Adam Lane, Ahmad Fulwood, Caleb Brantley, Daniel McMillian, Dillan Lawson, James Hearns, Keanu Neal, Kelvin Taylor, Marqui Hawkins, Nick Washington, Quinton Powell