Florida Gators Recruiting Wish List: 5-Star Targets To Crack the Top Five

With 15 commitments to this point, Florida is putting together one of the top 2011 recruiting classes in the country, but the Gators still aren't up to their usual standards. 

This is a program that has dominated the recruiting scene ever since Urban Meyer took over in 2005, but Florida currently only has only one five-star prospect on the books.

With quarterback Jeff Driskel highlighting the offensive side of the class and defensive end Jeoffrey Pagan headlining the defense, the Gators still have some needs to fill and remain in the hunt for many of the top uncommitted prospects.

Here are 10 blue-chip recruits that are high on Florida's wish list and have the program listed among their favorites. 

Tony Steward, LB

At 6'2" and 225 pounds, Steward is one of the most physically imposing prospects in the country.

The kid is built like a body builder, with hardly an ounce of fat. He's incredibly strong and is one of the most athletic prospects in the country at any position, let alone linebacker.

Based on the way he's built, and his natural ability to sniff out the football, Steward is likely to make a big impact as a freshman.

What's most impressive about his game is his ability to get out in open space and cover a ton of ground in pass protection.

His top two choices are FSU and Clemson, but this one isn't over yet. Florida, Alabama, and UCLA are still in it as well. 

Steward already has visits scheduled with FSU, Clemson, and UCLA, and hopes to get something on the books for Florida and Alabama soon. 

Tim Jernigan, DT

At 6'2", 275 lbs, Jernigan is an athletic big man who moves extremely well for his size and can get into the backfield in a hurry.

He's a disruptive force who recorded 131 tackles, including 27 for loss as a junior and commands a constant double-team.

He has all the tools to become an elite college defensive lineman. He's strong, stays low to the ground, drives with his legs, and has a relentless motor.

On top of that, he has a solid array of power and finesse moves to shed blocks and penetrate the line of scrimmage.

Jernigan is a monster in pursuit and never gives up on a play, even if it means chasing a ball carrier 20-30 yards downfield.

His favorites are Florida, Florida State, LSU, Alabama, and Michigan, but he's "in no rush" to make a decision.

Curtis Grant, LB

Grant plays like a professional, which is very impressive for someone his age.

He can play both inside and outside, reads plays and reacts very fast, and can cover a whole bunch of ground as quickly as any linebacker prospect out there.

There are very few players who can defend the field from sideline to sideline as well as Grant can.

At 6'2", 234 lbs, he has the size to play a number of positions. But because of his ability to get in the backfield, as well as cover, he's best suited to be an outside linebacker.

Grant has nearly 30 offers on the table, most notably from Alabama, Florida, LSU, Miami, Nebraska, Ohio State, Tennessee, and Virginia.

He won't list any favorites yet, but of the group, Florida, Alabama, USC, and Virginia stand out the most. 

Stephone Anthony, LB

Stephone Anthony is a natural pass-rusher with a knack for causing turnovers.

There aren't many players who can make the ball come loose more often than this kid. 

When he gets his hands on someone, there's a chance he'll make something happen any given play.

He plays with great instincts and is very athletic, attacking the ball with purpose and precision, and shedding blockers with impressive strength.

Anthony has the smarts and the skill to get on the field right away and will likely do that wherever he ends up. If he isn't starting as a freshman, expect him to be a special teams demon.

He plans on making his commitment at the Under-Armour All-American Game and favors, in order, Florida, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Clemson, NC State, and Georgia.

While the Hokies have recently made a push, Anthony has listed the Gators as his top school for awhile now. 

George Farmer, WR

He has the speed to get past pretty much anyone and the size to ward off stronger defenders without much effort.

Farmer has an ideal combination of skills and natural ability, but needs to fine tune his game some.

He'll make the spectacular catch, but then drop an easy one. Some scouts question his level of concentration and desire to go all out on every play; that's troubling. If he can improve on his consistency though, Farmer has the goods to be a special talent.

Farmer's top five choices are USC, Oregon, Alabama, Miami, and Florida, but he's about as close to a Trojans lock as they come. 

Almost no one thinks he's going anywhere but to Southern California, but it's not over until he signs on the dotted line. 

Ray Drew, DE

Ray Drew is not just a high school football star who's one of the best pure pass rushers in the country, he's also a licensed minister.

That speaks volumes about this young man's character.

Drew isn't the type of player you need to worry about causing problems off the field. He's a hard worker, a vocal player, and a natural leader.

He'll step in from day one and grind it out at 100 percent from the the minute the whistle is blown until the end of the day.

He has a knack for getting to the quarterback and has a great skill set of power and finesse moves.

There's no official word from Drew as of now, but many feel that Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, and Georgia are the schools he's looking at the hardest.

Sammy Watkins, WR

Sammy Watkins is one of the best prospects from the state of Florida and a game-breaker at the receiver position.

He's the complete package in terms of size and speed and a dangerous weapon in the return game as well; he's a threat to take it the distance on any play and has that sixth gear you look for in elite prospects.

The only knock on Watkins is that for someone of his size and catching ability, he hasn't been much of a red zone threat to this point in his career and that's a bit troubling.

His top two choices are Miami and Clemson, followed by Michigan. But Watkins has said he also likes Florida and Tennessee. 

Savon Huggins, RB

There's no one from the 2011 class who can juke quite like Savon Huggins. He has such a broad array of moves that you really never know what he's going to do on any given play.

When you watch him play, you immediately think Barry Sanders. He's got the vision, the balance, the change-of-direction ability, and simply the unwillingness to go down.

He's got such a good low center of gravity and body control that most defenders struggle to get a clean hit on him.

Once he learns to block better and participate in the passing game, he'll be a compete back.

With offers from all over the country, Huggins has narrowed his choices down to Rutgers, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Stanford, Notre Dame, Miami, Wisconsin, and Penn State.

Nick O'Leary, TE

O'Leary might be the best tight end in the 2011 class. He's a receiver and lineman mixed into one body.

He has the all-around skills to be an immediate force on the football field. O'Leary is an elite blocker, has a great set of hands, moves downfield well, and runs crisp routes.

There really aren't any issues you can find with his game besides his height. Listed at a generous 6'4", O'Leary doesn't have prototypical size for the position.

If he were three inches taller he might have been a unanimous choice for No. 1 at his position.

The Florida native favors Miami and FSU and while it looks like those are the two schools that will be his finalists, Florida, Alabama, and Georgia remain options. 

Mike Blakely, RB

Blakely might be on the small side, but he makes up for it with an elusive style of rushing and great cutback ability.

He's a four-star running back, but he's also a serious receiving threat out of the backfield and has great hands that open up the passing game a lot, with constant dump-offs and fade routes that are difficult to contain.

He needs to get stronger and learn to block better, but besides those concerns, there aren't many holes in his game.

Players with the type of natural ability like Blakely tend to find a way to overcome their physical limitations and do big things. That makes him a 5-star guy to me.

His top choices are Florida, Auburn, South Carolina, Ole Miss, Tennessee, and USC, but the Gators, Tigers, and Gamecocks hold the edge.