Florida Football Recruiting: Tracking Gator Recruits at The Opening

Recruiting has become a year-round endeavor for college football coaches. Before the ink was dry on the 2012 recruiting classes, coaches had already turned their attention to next year's class. 

Will Muschamp and co. have picked up right where they left off and started off the Florida Class of 2013 strong. The Gators are rated the second-best recruiting class by ESPN and in the top five for Rivals. 

Currently, the Gators have 18 players signed and are expected to end up with a class of 23 players. Seven of the Gators' recruits are participating in Nike's "The Opening" football camp this weekend in Beaverton, Oreg. The seven recruits Florida has in The Opening are tied for second-most with Michigan. 

Florida's 2013 recruits have developed a very strong bond with each other, and they have been doing their best to recruit at each camp they go to. With so much talent in one place, the Gators could wind up getting an unexpected commitment from a recruit or two this weekend. 

ESPNU will be airing the camp on Friday, Saturday and Sunday night at 8 p.m. Let's take a look at the Gator commits who are attending the camp and a couple of recruits who are considering Florida. 

Committed Recruits

Nick Washington, S

Tre Bell, CB

Keanu Neal, S

Ahmad Fulwood, WR

Quinton Powell, OLB

Kelvin Taylor, RB

Caleb Brantley, DT

The Gators are sending these seven players to The Opening this weekend. 

Ahmad Fulwood is coming off a ruptured Achilles that held him out of spring football and most camps up to this point. Fulwood is an exciting prospect for the Gators and could be the future No. 1 receiver. At 6'4" and 189 pounds, Fulwood has prototypical size for a receiver and is a great route-runner. 

Quinton Powell is a high school defensive end who will be making the transition to outside linebacker in college. Powell will be working at linebacker this weekend, and we should get a realistic view of how that transition is coming along against some of the top talent in the nation. 

Caleb Brantley comes into The Opening with some unfinished business.

Brantley went head-to-head against FSU commit Ira Denson at the Orlando Nike Football Training Camp, and Denson came out ahead. With both Denson and Brantley going to The Opening, eyes will be focused on these two linemen going to Round 2. 

Marcell Harris, S

Despite already having two safety commits in the class, Harris would be a welcome addition for the Gators. 

Senior Josh Evans is currently slated to start alongside junior Matt Elam. Elam could choose to forgo his senior year to test out the NFL, though, leaving the Gators a little thin at the position. 

Harris is a 6'1'', 213-pound safety who can not only affect the running game but can hold his own in coverage. Harris has shown the ability to play both man and zone in high school, and he already has the body of a college safety. 

Florida, Florida State and Texas appear to be the top three schools on Harris' list. 

Ebenezer Ogundeko, DE

Ogundeko is raw as a football player, but he has shown an ability to get to the passer. 

At 6'3" and 229 pounds, Ogundeko has a solid frame and could even add more size over time. He is quick off the line, uses his hands well and has good technique.

There is room for improvement, but Ogundeko has all the tools to become an elite pass-rusher at the next level. Notre Dame, Syracuse and Florida top his list, and Florida has a very good chance to pull down a commitment from Ogundeko before signing day.  

DeMarcus Walker, DE

DeMarcus Walker is a big, physical defensive lineman who has the potential to be an impact player at the next level. Walker has good initial burst and initial hand movement that help him create separation from offensive linemen. 

Walker released a top eight in May that included Florida, among others. He is not only being recruited heavily by Florida's coaching staff but he is already hearing it from other recruits (and apparently, their families). 

Walker has yet to narrow his list down from those initial top eight schools. 

Alex Anzalone, OLB

Alex Anzalone is an elite outside linebacker prospect for the Class of 2013. While Anzalone undoubtedly shows skill now, he has a high ceiling and should only get better at the next level. 

Anzalone was a one-time Ohio State Buckeye commit who decommitted after a scandal broke out where a sex offender was taking pictures with Ohio State recruits. Aside from the sex offender, Anzalone started to receive calls from fans, and his father was rather unhappy with the coaching staff at Ohio State. 

Penn State, Notre Dame and Florida are the final three schools that Anzalone will pick from. Anzalone will be making his college choice live on ESPNU at some point during the camp this weekend. 

Vernon Hargreaves III, CB

Hargreaves is the most complete, college-ready recruit in the nation. He is the son of a coach and is as technically sound as any corner in the past couple of seasons. 

Hargreaves has the speed to keep up with faster receivers, but he can be physical at the line with bigger, stronger players. He is a player you can trust out on an island with the opposing team's top receiver, and his cover skills will benefit the rest of the defense. 

His father coaches at USF and the Bulls remain near the top of his list, along with Florida and Miami.