OT Humphries is Florida’s first five-star commit

With six months to go until National Signing Day, the Florida Gators received their first five-star commitment of the 2012 recruiting cycle on Friday when offensive tackle D.J. Humphries (Charlotte, NC) announced his intent to wear Orange and Blue in the fall.

“Florida is really the only place I felt like I could spend the next four years at,” Humphries said during his announcement on Friday. “Florida is the only place that felt like home, where I felt comfortable.”

At 6’5” and 265 lbs., Humphries is not only the top-rated player at his position nationally but also the No. 3 overall recruit in the country, according to Rivals. He chose Florida over Tennessee and joins four-star OT Jessamen Dunker (Boynton Beach, FL) at the top of the Gators’ 2012 recruiting class.

He said that he will still take all five of his official visits.

“With Florida, they are a hungry coaching staff and they really want to get back to where they were and I can feel that,” Humphries told Rivals in July. “ When I talk to the coaches, I can see they want to prove that Florida is still on top. I speak to [offensive line coach Frank] Verducci at least once every couple of weeks and we have a strong bond.”

ESPNU and Scout also have Humphries ranked as a five-star prospect; the former agrees that he is the No. 1 player at his position (and lists him as the No. 7 overall player), while the latter has him rated as the third-best offensive tackle and No. 17 in the country.

The Gators now have 17 commits for their 2012 class and may only take five (potentially up to eight) more before all is said and done in early February.