Florida Football Recruiting: Top in-State Players Gators Must Add to 2013 Class

The Florida Gators already have 18 recruits committed for the 2013 class, but they are by no means done recruiting.

Will Muschamp has brought a recruiting edge back to Gainesville, but it has yet to land them a Rivals 5-star player in this class.

However, 10 of their 18 commits are Rivals 4-stars, and by ESPN's rankings, a whopping 17 of their 18 commits are 4-star players.

Either way you slice it, the Gators are making big noise on the trail this year. But the state of Florida is an absolute hotbed for elite talent and there is still more work to be done. Only five of the commits are out-of-state players and it is important for Muschamp to land as many of the state's top players as possible.

With that in mind, here are four players the Gators must find a way to keep in-state.

Vernon Hargreaves III, CB, Wharton (Tampa, Florida)

The son of a college coach and arguably the best cornerback in the entire nation, VHIII is someone the Gators and Muschamp himself must have.

Florida has already landed three defensive backs in this class, but the secondary and pass-rush help are the two most important things in football today. The Gators also have a big need for help at corner.

A unanimous 5-star recruit across the board, Hargreaves visited Gainesville early this month and is within driving range living in Tampa.

Florida will have to work their tails off to bring him aboard, but he's worth more than worth it.

Laremy Tunsil, OL, Columbia (Lake City, Florida)

The unanimous No. 1 lineman in the country, Tunsil also visited UF recently and named the Gators in his top three along with Alabama and Georgia.

Also a unanimous 5-star recruit, the Lake City product would be a huge boost for this football program both immediately and for the long haul.

At 6'6" and nearly 300 pounds, Tunsil is a gifted athlete for his size and has the potential to start immediately. 

Florida has a big advantage as the in-state team, so they have to do everything they can to earn his pledge.

Matthew Thomas, LB, Booker T. Washington (Miami, Florida)

This is the second most difficult of the four pulls for Florida. Thomas is a ridiculous talent and is being hunted by almost everyone you'd expect. 

Unfortunately, the Gators aren't the top school in Florida for his services. Alabama is currently his favorite overall (as often happens with great linebackers.)

At 6'3" 210 pounds, Thomas has so much potential that it is legitimately scary.

Florida needs to find a way to get back into this mix.

Leon McQuay III, S, Armwood (Seffner, Florida)

The most difficult of all is this unanimous 4-star recruit. The 6'2" 185-pound safety named his top three and the Gators were not among them. That doesn't mean they're completely out of the race though; anything is possibly with seven-and-a-half months remaining until National Signing Day.

McQuay named Michigan, USC and Vanderbilt as his favorites and most believe it has to do with academics. 

But the Gators have a definite need for help and depth in the secondary, and McQuay is too talented to give up on.

Three other ESPN 4-star safeties are considering the Gators, so should McQuay steer clear of Florida they'll get back to work on one of them (Marcell Harris is the only in-state recruit among the three).