Gator Bowl 2012: Most Explosive Florida and Ohio State NFL Prospects

If speed kills, the players on this list are homicidal maniacs.

Ohio State recruits the whole country and Florida recruits Florida, so you know that whenever these two teams match up in bowl season, many of the nation’s top athletes will be on display.  The Gators ended up defeating the Buckeyes, again, 24-17. 

The game may be over, but it’s not too late to review the top three offensive playmakers that were featured in the 2012 Gator Bowl.

3. Jeff Demps (RB, Florida)

The phrase "world class speed" is overused in the world of football when describing the fastest athletes, but for Jeff Demps, the label is 100 percent justified.  Demps’ NFL Draft stock is down a bit because he wants to compete in the 2012 Summer Olympics, and because he’s only 5’7”, 191 pounds. 

When he does return to football, though, he’ll instantly become the fastest play in the league.

2. Chris Rainey (RB, Florida)

Chris Rainey isn’t as fast as Demps, but he still has the speed to record a sub-4.3 40-yard dash at the combine.  He is also more skilled than Demps and is a lethal threat in the return game. 

At 5’9”, 174 pounds, Rainey will be drafted late like Demps due to his lack of size.

1. DeVier Posey (WR, Ohio State)

DeVier Posey isn’t nearly as fast as Demps and Rainey, but as an NFL prospect, he’s superior.  A suspension for—gasp—selling awards for tattoos ruined Posey’s 2011 campaign, but he’s proven over his career as a Buckeye that he's a top-notch deep threat despite catching passes from inconsistent quarterbacks. 

At 6’2”, 210 pounds, Posey could have been a second-round pick last season if he  declared, and if he puts together some great offseason workouts then he’ll be selected in day two this April.

David Daniels is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.

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