Florida 2012 Football Recruiting: The Top In-State Recruits Who Can't Slip Away

Will Muschamp comes into his first full recruiting cycle in Gainesville during a crucial time. The Gators have become a powerhouse on the recruiting trail and signed a good share of No. 1-ranked classes under Urban Meyer.

Muschamp has recruited in the SEC before and has shown he is up to the challenge by holding his own with the 2011 class. He has enlisted Aubrey Hill as his recruiting coordinator and also has an ace recruiter in Charlie Weis, who hauled talent routinely at Notre Dame. 2012 has great in-state prospects, as is typically the norm with the Sunshine State high school ranks.

Here are the top in-state players that Florida needs to go hard after.

Avery Young, OT

Stacking depth and talent on the offensive front is always a desirable claim and Avery Young won't be just a "depth" player in college, he will be a starter and probably at left tackle.

At 6'6", 275 pounds, he has a great frame with length and a great wingspan to man the left edge. Young has amazing athleticism and balance for a big man, showing he can slide, mirror and adjust on the island with natural ability. He keeps the rush out with his body and washes speed away like a windshield to rain. Young has the athletic ability to pin, reach, seal and get to the second level to hit targets in space in the run game as well.

The Gators are interested along with offers from FSU, Michigan, Georgia and Oklahoma, among others.   

Ricardo Louis, ATH

Ricardo Louis, listed as an ATH but likely to be a receiver, has been compared to Andre Johnson. Yes, Texans Pro Bowl receiver Andre Johnson. At 6'2", 190 pounds, Louis has the size, strength and deep speed to terrorize a secondary all game long.

The Johnson comparisons really come from the strength and physicality Louis plays with as a receiver. He's usually bigger and stronger than defensive backs trying to press him at the line and just bullies them around the field. He uses his thick frame to gain separation with strength, but also has the straight line speed to get deep.

Alabama, Florida, Miami and Ohio State have all offered.

Jelani Hamilton, DE

Signing a pass rusher is always a priority for a recruiting class, no matter where you are. But signing one in the SEC can be the difference between wins and losses.

Jelani Hamilton has the potential to be a difference maker, and the 6'5", 245-pound defensive end is one of the top defensive ends in the state. He has a great short area burst to his game which allows him to have good quickness at the snap and a burst to finish around and inside the pocket. Hamilton can play the run well in college once he adds a bit more strength to anchor on the edges.

Florida will have to compete with Miami and FSU, as all three have offered and all three are going hard after Hamilton.

Kelvin Rainey, ATH

Rainey may be the most versatile player in the state this year. At 6'3", 205 pounds, he actually plays every position for his high school team except offensive line. He's been seen at QB, RB, WR, TE, DE, LB and DB.

Seriously.

He's uber-athletic and versatile and will be a jack-of-all-trades kind of player in college. College coaches at the school of his choice will be arguing over what side of the ball he will be employed at, as Rainey could just as well be a dynamic receiver as he could an elite outside linebacker, safety or running back.

He's the type of player that you want to get on your team so that you can let his athletic ability and your systems combine to find a home for him to be successful.

Florida, Florida State, South Carolina and South Florida have all offered.

D'Vario Montgomery, WR/LB

The 6'2", 205-pound Montgomery split time last season as a linebacker and receiver, so his stats at both spots are solid, but not elite, because of the flip-flopping. Yet, turn on the tape and you know Montgomery is a player.

He has solid release quickness off the line and straight line speed to move around the field in a hurry at receiver. He's strong to release vs. press and fights for all balls that come his way. As a linebacker, Montgomery uses that speed to chase down ball carriers and make tackle after tackle.

Oregon and Florida are his two leaders at this point, with Notre Dame, Nebraska, Miami, Tennessee and South Florida in the hunt.

Deon Bush, DS

Bush is a 6'1", 180-pound defensive back and one of the top players in the state in 2012. He has 4.4 speed and is a top-flight safety prospect. He reminds you a bit of 2011 signee Marcus Roberson, as they both can play corner and safety.

Different from Roberson, Bush is more of a pure safety as Roberson wants to be a big corner. Yet, Bush has solid ball skills to pluck balls away from receivers, speed to play with great range and flashes a good willingness to plug run holes to support his front seven.

Alabama, Florida, FSU, Auburn, LSU, Miami, Notre Dame, Tennessee and Ohio State are just few schools that have offered.

John Theus, OT

Theus will battle Andrus Peat, as both are two of the best offensive tackle prospects in the country. At 6'6", 295 pounds, Theus has been a star in the making since holding his own on the camps and combine circuit as a sophomore.

He's a great technician, but also has great toughness and grit. Theus works every snap and is a great run-blocker. He fires out to jump targets and has great finish ability after moving them off their mark to clear run space. He slide and mirrors well and can hold his own in pace on the edges.

He has offers from just about every major program, including Florida.

Travis Blanks, DB

Blanks is listed as an ATH but I feel his best and most likely destination in college will be in the defensive secondary—but whether at safety or corner remains to be seen.

He can play the big corner spot at 6'1", 180 pounds and use his long arms and strength to press receivers at the line very well. Blanks is quick enough to mirror and slide on an island and can carry receivers deep with good downfield speed.

He had 104 stops as a junior, showing he can play safety and support the run as an extra box defender when asked to. Versatile, Blanks may be the top player in the state of Florida. He's big-time.

He holds offers from just about every school you can think of.