Florida Football Recruiting: Gators 2012 Mock Recruiting Class

With national signing day less than a week away, everyone is wondering where the top players in the country will take their talents next year. 

The Gators have a top-five class as of now and remain in play for several recruits who could vault them up even higher. 

Now nothing is certain when it comes to the mind of a high school senior and a decision could be made and changed and changed again before Wednesday. Nothing is official until the letter of intent is signed and faxed to the respective school.

Florida has six players who have already signed their letters of intent and enrolled early.

With all of that in mind, let's take an early look at the Gators' 2012 recruiting class and try to predict who will end up in the class and where the Gators will end up ranked.  

D.J Humphries

Pos: OT, 5-star

Status: Signed, early enrollee 

Humphries is the top-rated offensive tackle in this signing class and is already enrolled on campus and taking class.

The 6'5'', 265-lb tackle could stand to put some more weight on his long frame and getting on campus early will allow him to jump into the strength and conditioning program and get a head start on the rest of the class. 

Expect Humphries to contend for playing time early and make a big impact in his first season in orange and blue. 

Willie Bailey

Pos: CB, 3-star

Status: Signed, early enrollee

Bailey is another player who will benefit from enrolling early and getting into the weight room. Bailey is listed at 6'2'', 175 lbs and can play safety or corner. 

Bailey will have a hard time trying to break into a lineup that features Marcus Roberson, Cody Riggs, Jaylen Watkins and Brian Poole. Bailey is a fantastic special teams player and will make an impact there in his first season. 

Bailey's speed makes him a threat to block punts or kicks while his solid tackling form will have him serving in kickoffs and punts.

Bailey is a solid recruit who will bring depth to a position that sorely needed it last season. 

Jessamen Dunker

Pos: OG, 4-star

Status: Signed, early enrollee

Dunker played tackle in high school but will be making the switch to left guard to start his college career. 

Dunker is a big-bodied run blocker who will need to work on his pass-blocking technique.

Dunker is a candidate to start from day one, as left guard is one of Florida's weakest positions. His main competition will be Kyle Koehne and Ian Silberman, but expect to see Dunker running with the ones at the start of the season. 

Damien Jacobs

Pos: DT, 4-star

Status: Signed, early enrollee 

Jacobs is a former Florida State commitment but failed to qualify academically out of high school.

Dunker spent a year at East Mississippi community college and chose Florida over Tennessee, Miami, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Texas A&M and Texas Tech. 

Jacobs is a big body, listed at 6'4'', 290 lbs and will join Sharrif Floyd, Dominique Easley, Leon Orr and Omar Hunter as defensive tackles enrolled at Florida. 

Antonio Morrison

Pos: LB, 4-star

Status: Signed, early enrollee

Morrison is a strong run stopper from the weakside linebacker position.

Morrison has shown a good ability to man-cover tight ends and running backs out of the backfield. 

Morrison will not be able to jump Jelani Jenkins on the depth chart but should battle with Chris Johnson for the second spot at the WILL. 

Morrison will also see time early by playing special teams on punt and kick coverage. 

LaTroy Pittman

Pos: WR, 4-star

Status: Signed, early enrollee

Pittman is currently the only wide receiver committed to Florida in this recruiting class. This is somewhat puzzling being as how weakly the position performed last season. 

Pittman will have a serious chance to crack the starting lineup depending on how the rest of the recruiting class pans out.

Currently, the Gators have only Andre Debose as a receiver with any kind of serious playing time.

Redshirt freshman JuJuan Story could also challenge Pittman for playing time this season. 

Jonathan Bullard

Pos: DE, 4-star

Status: Verbally committed

Bullard is a strong defensive end who played in a 4-3 defense in high school but could play the 5-technique in a 3-4. 

Bullard has the size and technique that makes him a solid run stopper and is already big enough to handle bigger college offensive lineman. 

Most importantly, Bullard will bring depth to the position and allow Sharrif Floyd to move back to his natural defensive tackle position.

Floyd played end this year out of necessity, and his production dropped off from a very solid freshman campaign. 

Brian Poole

Pos: CB, 4-star

Status: Verbally committed 

Poole is one of the most talented corners in the 2012 recruiting class.

He will join a loaded Florida secondary that already features Cody Riggs, Marcus Roberson and Jaylen Watkins. 

Poole will likely see time early as a nickel back and on special teams. 

Dante Phillips

Pos: OT, 4-star

Status: Verbally committed 

Dante Phillips is a solid project prospect for the Gators. Listed at 6'5'', 270 lbs, he will need to add significant weight to his tall, lanky frame. 

Phillips was a two-way player in high school but will land at offensive tackle at the college level.

He will likely start on the right side but will project as a left tackle in the future. 

Colin Thompson

Pos: TE, 4-star

Status: Verbally committed

Thompson is a good-sized tight end who will be able to help Florida not only in the passing game but with his blocking in the run game. 

Thompson initially wavered in his commitment after the departure of Charlie Weis but came out publicly endorsing the hiring of new offensive coordinator Brent Pease. 

Thompson will join A.C. Leonard, Jordan Reed and fellow freshman Kent Taylor and instantly challenge for playing time. 

Kent Taylor

Pos: TE, 4-star

Status: Verbally committed

Taylor is a long, lean, athletic tight end who can become a serious receiving threat in college. Taylor uses his height and jumping ability to high point the ball and uses his hands very well. 

With such a lean frame, Taylor might have a hard time blocking at Florida and will be used mainly as a receiving threat until he can add some bulk to his frame. 

Marcus Maye

Pos: S, 4-star

Status: Verbally committed

Maye is a solid safety prospect who could come in and challenge Pop Saunders for a starting safety position. Maye has the size and speed to be a starting safety in the SEC and hits like a truck. 

Maye is a player to watch during summer and fall practice to see how he fits into the secondary. 

Matt Jones

Pos: RB, 4-star

Status: Verbally committed

Jones is currently the only running back committed to the 2012 class and will likely be the only back signed this year. 

Jones is a big bruising type back at 6'3'', 210 lbs. Jones is deceptively fast for his size and could be the type of power back that Will Muschamp and the Gators were searching for last season. 

Jones will join Mike Gillislee and Mack Brown at running back and due to the lack of depth will challenge for serious playing time in 2012. 

Rhaheim Ledbetter

Pos: S, 4-star

Status: Verbally committed 

Ledbetter is the cousin of former Gator linebacker Brandon Spikes and the teammate of fellow commit Jonathan Bullard. 

Ledbetter plays an intense, hard-hitting style of football and could eventually make a move to linebacker.

He's a long shot to crack the starting lineup this season but could be a developmental player at either linebacker or safety. 

Quinteze Williams

Pos: DT, 4-star

Status: Verbally committed

Williams hit a bump in the road in his attempt to enroll at Florida early. He was not cleared by the NCAA clearinghouse and will instead have to enroll in the summer with the rest of the 2012 recruits. 

Williams is a solid player but will have a hard time seeing the field early at Florida.

He has good size and carries it well but will be stuck behind Dominique Easley, Sharrif Floyd, Leon Orr and Damien Jacobs. 

Jeremi Powell

Pos: OLB, 4-star

Status: Verbally committed

Powell is a two-way player in high school splitting time between linebacker, running back and receiver.

He projects as a linebacker in college but could see some time at running back in emergency situations. 

Powell has great tackling technique and takes great angles in pursuit of the ball carrier. He will have to spend a lot of time in the weight room and add bulk to his long frame to be able to seriously make his case for the starting lineup. 

Alex McCalister

Pos: DE, 3-star

Status: Verbally committed

McCalister is a late commitment to the Gators and another defensive lineman who will add depth to a position that needed it badly. 

McCalister is a developmental prospect who's long and lean and will need to add considerable bulk to his frame before he can become a productive player at the college level.

He's an instinctive raw prospect who could receive a redshirt this season. 

Austin Hardin

Pos: K, 3-star

Status: Verbally committed

Hardin is one of the top rated kickers in the 2012 recruiting class. His biggest moment came in his senior season where he booted a 59-yard game-winning field goal. 

With Caleb Sturgis returning for his senior season, Hardin will likely not see much time place kicking this season.

Sturgis has been bitten by the injury bug the past two seasons, and if need, be Hardin could step in and kick immediately. 

Jafar Mann

Pos: DT, 3-star

Status: Verbally committed

At 6'3'', 275 lbs, Mann will need to put some weight on before he's ready to see the field.

Mann has the technique and strength to be a solid run stopper inside, but playing time early will be hard to come by for the freshman. 

Bryan Cox Jr.

Pos: DE/OLB, 3-star

Status: Verbally committed 

Bryan Cox Jr. comes from a great pedigree.

His dad, Bryan Cox Sr., played 12 seasons in the NFL, and Cox attends St. Thomas Aquinas High School which has recently sent Marcus Gilbert, Major Wright, Cody Riggs and Marcus Roberson all to Florida. 

Cox is a defensive end prospect but could see some time at the BUCK position or outside linebacker in 3-4 defensive sets. 

Cox has a good initial burst and will bring even more depth to the defensive line. 

Skyler Mornhinweg

Pos: QB, 4-star

Status: Undecided (Penn State, Florida)

Mornhinweg is the son of Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg. 

The 6'3'', 190-lb quarterback was a long-time Penn State commitment but reopened his commitment after the school was rocked with child molestation accusations.

Former offensive coordinator Charlie Weis was not planning on recruiting a signal-caller this year, but Brent Pease has decided the position could use more depth with only three scholarship quarterbacks on the roster. 

Mornhinweg was rumored to have already switched his commitment early last weekend but has not made any official statement. 

Mornhiweg would not seriously contend for a starting position this season as the starting quarterback will likely be either Jeff Driskel or Jacoby Brissett.

Mornhiweg would add needed depth to a position that could see one of the three scholarship quarterbacks transfer before the season. 

Josh Harvey-Clemons

Pos: OLB, 5-star

Status: Undecided (Florida, Georgia, Florida State)

Josh Harvey-Clemons is one of the top outside linebacker recruits in the nation. 

The 5-star prospect was reported to be down to Florida and Georgia before FSU got back in the race following his final visit. 

Harvey-Clemons has the physical tools to play right away at the next level and could challenge Lerentee McCray at the SAM linebacker position. 

Harvey-Clemons could spurn Georgia for rival Florida in hopes of seeing the field right away and he would be a huge get for Florida. 

Stefon Diggs

Pos: WR, 5-star

Status: Undecided (no leader will commit on Feb. 10)

Stefon Diggs is the biggest offensive threat who is still uncommitted.

The 6'1'', 190 lb athlete has blazing speed and quickness that makes him a homerun threat whenever he touches the ball. 

Diggs was long thought to be a heavy Florida lean, but the departure of Charlie Weis has caused him to reopen his recruitment. 

When it comes down to it, the opportunity to come to Gainesville and start right away will be too attractive for Diggs to pass up, and he will be a Gator. 

Nelson Agholor

Pos: WR, 5-star

Status: Undecided (Florida, Florida State, Notre Dame, USC, Oklahoma)

The Gators have recruited Agholor hard. The first day in-home visits were allowed, Will Muschamp was in Agholor's living room.

The Gators have been near the top of Agholor's list for a long time and have remained there even as other teams come and go. 

Agholor is an athletic prospect who will play receiver at the next level but has the talent to play all over the field.

Agholor can carry the ball out of the backfield and return punts and kicks. 

In the end, I think that Agholor will become a Gator because of the way Florida has recruited him.

Muschamp has made it very clear to Agholor how important he is to the program, and Brent Pease has detailed how Agholor will be used in the offense. 

Tracy Howard

Pos: CB

Status: Undecided (Florida, Florida State, Miami)

Howard is in the conversation for best cornerback prospect in this recruiting class.

Howard is a physical corner who has shown he can play press and man coverage very well. 

Howard has narrowed his choices down to the three big Florida school and if he listens to his mom, a long time Gator fan, Tracy will end up at Florida. 

Howard's mom Shaiy has kept her son off of popular social networking sites and instead has fielded questions about her son on her Facebook and Twitter.

Shaiy has been a long-time Gator fan, and if she gets her wish, so will the Gator coaching staff. 

Darius Hamilton

UPDATE: HAMILTON COMMITTED TO RUTGERS

Pos: DE, 5-star

Status: Undecided (Florida, Rutgers, Cal)

Hamilton has been a long-time Rutgers commit. The New Jersey product wanted to stay close to home and had developed a good relationship. 

The Rutgers coaching staff came to visit Hamilton at his school Monday, and Schiano was absent. Word broke that Schiano had accepted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coaching position unbenounced to the rest of the coaching staff. 

The sudden departure of the head coach and the uncertainty that it brings to the entire program might be enough to send Hamilton to Gainesville. 

Hamilton will make his announcement on Tuesday night, and my guess is he will join the Gators. 

Overall Class Ranking

If the Gators class ends up with these prospects, they will easily move up into contention for the top overall class. Adding 25 recruits this season is important for the Gators who have had a lot of scholarship athletes transfer the past two seasons. 

The Gators are thin at just about every position, and this class not only brings in elite talent but added depth to positions of needs for the Gators. 

If the Gators sign all the prospects listed in this slideshow, they will end up with the No. 2 class in the nation. Only Alabama would have pulled in more talent than Florida. 

A strong first full signing class for Muschamp should come as a victory to Gator Nation. Muschamp weathered the storm of losing his offensive coordinator and was able to not only keep recruits who were previously committed, but dip into other states and take their top recruits. 

With recruiting like this, Florida should be on the rise for the foreseeable future under the guidance of Muschamp and this coaching staff. 

Of course, other than the six recruits who are already on campus, nothing is set in stone. Any of these recruits could decide that Gainesville is not right for them and choose another school. This mock is just my opinion of who the Gators will close the deal with. 

Tune into ESPN and CBS on Wednesday, February 1st, to watch it all unfold. Also follow Bleacher Report for up to date signings all throughout the day.