2011 Florida Gators Football: A Final Look at How 'The Lakeland 7' Affected UF

The year was 2007, and, as usual, the University of Florida had signed one of the nation's top football recruiting classes.

Among Urban Meyer's 27 signees that February were a future Heisman Trophy winner in Cam Newton (though he won that at Auburn), the top cornerback selected in the 2010 NFL draft (Joe Haden), an eventual Ray Guy Award winner (Chas Henry), a future All-American tight end (Aaron Hernandez), one of the best safeties (Major Wright) and best defensive ends (Carlos Dunlap) of the 2010 draft class, as well as this year's incumbent starting quarterback (John Brantley).

But perhaps what that group will be remembered most for is "The Lakeland 7."

Seven players from coach Bill Castle's national prep powerhouse, Lakeland High School, two-and-a-half hours south of Gainesville, all decided to be Gators that year.

The 2011 season will mark the final college campaign for the remaining members of "The Lakeland 7", and the success of the former three-time state champion LHS Dreadnaughts' players has been varied.

A look at each (listed alphabetically):

Ahmad Black- Signed as a cornerback (where he played for one year), Black was deemed too small (5'9", 190 pounds) and too slow (4.6 40-yard dash speed) to play that position in the Southeastern Conference. So, he was moved to safety, where he thrived.

For his career, Black appeared in 48 games, starting 39. He recorded 244 tackles (142 solo), breaking up 15 passes and intercepting 13 (three of which he returned for touchdowns).

Black's best year came in 2010, when, as a senior, he led UF with 108 tackles (32 more than any other teammate) and was named second-team All-American by the Associated Press and first-team by rivals.com. In his final contest before being selected in the fifth round by the Tampa Bay Bucs (who play just 40 minutes from his hometown of Lakeland), Black was named the MVP of Florida's Outback Bowl victory against Penn State.

John Brown- At the time of his signing, Brown was considered one of the jewels of UF's 2007 recruiting class. The Gator coaching staff liked him so much that it reneged on a scholarship offer for local product Linval Joseph, also a defensive tackle, who ended up being a second-round pick of the New York Giants out of East Carolina in 2010.

Brown was given a medical redshirt his freshman year after having surgery on his right wrist. He never ended up fitting in at UF and eventually transferred to a junior college. He signed a national letter of intent with Tennessee a couple of years later, but he never played for the Vols after he was involved in a bar fight.

Maurkice Pouncey- Quite possibly the greatest interior lineman in program history, Pouncey won the 2009 Rimington Award, given annually to the nation's best center. That year, he graded out at 91.5-percent and recorded nearly 30 "knockdown blocks."

In his college career, Pouncey played in 41 games, starting 39. After spending his freshman year at offensive guard, Pouncey moved to center his final two years before leaving school early and becoming the first round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers. As a rookie, he earned a Pro Bowl selection and looks like he will be among the cornerstones of the Steelers for many years to come.

Mike Pouncey- Maurkice's twin brother, Mike also left UF considered one of the best interior offensive linemen in school history.

Pouncey saw action in 54 games, starting 45.

Like his brother, Pouncey originally was recruited to play guard. However, he spent most of his time at defensive tackle as a freshman before settling in next to his brother as a sophomore and junior. Then, with Maurkice in the NFL, Mike moved to center as a senior, and after some early-season shotgun snap issues, he became one of the nation's best. He was the first-round selection of the Miami Dolphins in last month's draft.

Chris Rainey- Most likely the last-remaining member of "The Lakeland 7" in Gainesville, Rainey will be a fifth-year senior in 2011.

The speedy running back/wide receiver has had some ups and downs (including an arrest for stalking an ex-girlfriend last season) but will be expected to contribute a great deal in new coach Will Muschamp's first season at UF.

Rainey has just nine career starts, but that is deceptive, as he has played in 41 games, averaging 7.1 yards-a-carry and 10.9 yards-per-reception while accumulating 15 touchdowns and more than 2,000 rushing/receiving yards as a Gator.

Steven Wilks- Signed as a 195-pound defensive back, Wilks bulked up to 235 pounds in order to play fullback.

However, his career has been injury-plagued, and Wilks has seen action in just 14 games. However, he did play in UF's last seven regular season contests of 2010 after being sidelined the first five. He then missed the Outback Bowl after surgery and was not listed on the spring roster.

Paul Wilson- A wide receiver, Wilson saw action in just two games (in 2008 against Hawaii and Miami) before having to give up football after suffering a variety of injuries.

Wilson joined the Gator baseball team in 2010 but sat out with a medical redshirt.