Florida Recruiting: Predicting the Biggest Stars of the 2012 Class

Will Muschamp's recruiting class is full of upside with the Florida Gators class currently sitting at number four in the Rivals.com Signing Day rankings.

The Florida Gators coaching staff have fielded an impressive class, with 3 five-star recruits and 22 overall. Many of these players will be able to get playing time in their freshman season and jump on the fast track towards storied Gator careers.

Here are my predictions for the biggest stars to come out of the Gators' 2012 class.

D.J. Humphries, Offensive Tackle

Any list about the Florida Gators 2012 Signing Day would not be complete without the centerpiece of the class—D.J. Humphries.

Humphries is a behemoth. Standing at 6' 6" and 275 pounds, he symbolizes Will Muschamp's vision of pro-style offensive attack in the same vein as LSU and Alabama’s offenses. 

Humphries is rated as the No. 7 overall prospect in the ESPN150 for good reason. There was no doubt that wherever the offensive tackle from Charlotte, NC ended up, he would start in a ton of games. With his commitment to the Gators, he’ll likely take over at left tackle following Xavier Nixon and Matt Patchan’s graduations in a couple years.

But with an injury to one of those upperclassmen, Humphries’ name could be called sooner than we think. With his gigantic frame and experience at both tackle positions, he’ll be ready for that call.

Gator fans, get ready for ground and pound with D.J. Humphries.

Dante Fowler Jr. Defensive End/Defensive Tackle

The Florida Gators Signing Day snag might be the gem of this 2012 class.

Dante Fowler Jr., a 5-star DE from St. Petersburg and No. 28 on Rivals Top 100 list, had been committed to Florida State for months. But in those months leading up to Signing Day, the Florida State defensive line grew stronger, and as a result, the depth chart got longer.

With concerns over playing time, and the rival Florida Gators sitting there with spots for the taking in their defensive line rotation, Fowler Jr. saw the Gators as a perfect match for him. He signed early this morning.

Fowler earns a place on the list due to the early opportunity presented in front of him. If he can impress over the summer and hang with the Sharrif Floyds and Dominique Easleys, there is room for him to take the field in Will Muschamp’s rotation.

Gator fans will relish Fowler Jr.’s future accomplishments. Any sack, tackle, or turnover is Florida State’s loss.

Colin Thompson and Kent Taylor, Tight Ends

Tight end has been a strong position for the Florida Gators in recent years, but inconsistency plagued them last season.

A.C. Leonard and Omarius Hines failed to live up to the hype, switching to a pro-style offense. But Will Muschamp has found two four-star tight ends that fit his vision in Kent Taylor and Colin Thompson.

Thompson has been committed to the Gators since May 2011 and will provide the blocking off the edge Florida desperately needs in order to run the ball 40 times a game.

Taylor is a pass-catching threat who is the No. 1 TE prospect in the country according to Rivals.com. He reminds many of Carolina Panthers' Greg Olsen, who had a significant career at the University of Miami. He has already spoken about redshirting next season to gain more weight and literally become a big target in the Gator passing game

Look for two tight end sets in the future with these two recruits in the fold. Forget the spread, it’s a new era in Florida Gator offense. The influx of talent at tight end is a big reason why.

Latroy Pittman, Wide Receiver

Since the Florida Gators’ National Championship in 2008, there has been a huge drop off in wide receiver production. Some claimed that Steve Addazio’s offensive gameplan was the culprit, but Charlie Weis did not do much better in solving the issue. Perhaps that’s what made him bolt to Kansas for the head coaching position.

Regardless, Will Muschamp looks to infuse some youth into the receiving corps with Latroy Pittman, Rivals.com No. 32 WR prospect in America from North Marion High, FL.

Pittman is known for his steady hands and attention to precise routes. These skills should help Florida receiving corps as they showed an inability to move the chains on third and longs last season.

Andre Debose showed great downfield ability in spurts, but Pittman is now the next best hope for short and intermediate passing success. With the starting quarterback position in question going into spring practice as well, Pittman has a golden ticket to bolster an offense that needs answers.

Jonathan Bullard, Defensive End

Jonathan Bullard is the third 5-star recruit to make this list. Hyping up these top-rated recruits can be a fool’s errand, but one of these three is certain to pan out by the time when we look back on this class as UF seniors in 2016.

Bullard is in a similar boat as Fowler Jr., mainly because they both look to play significant snaps on Florida Field in 2012. But Bullard has one edge over the Gator’s newest signing: he is already enrolled in Gainesville.

The No. 1 prospect in the nation will be participating in 2012 spring practice and learning the nuances of Will Muschamp’s defensive schemes early. That’s a scary thought.

Standing at 6’4", 255 pounds and with comparisons to the New York Giants Osi Umeniyora, Bullard will be going up against college linemen for six months before his first game in the Swamp. That’s another scary thought. 

I would not be surprised to see Jonathan Bullard highlights on draft programming in a few years. The No. 1 strongside defensive end in the nation has the frame, talent, and early start to cause havoc for SEC quarterbacks as a Gator.