Florida Football: Clay Burton and 5 Recruits Most Important to Muschamp Era
It's been a while since the University of Florida hasn't had one of the top three recruiting classes in all of college football, but in his first year as the Florida Gators head coach, Will Muschamp still brought in the No. 12 ranked recruiting class.
Recruiting is one of the most important parts of the coach's job, and especially with all of the off-field problems at Florida under Urban Meyer, Muschamp needs to look into more than just his recruits' on-field talents.
Muschamp's first class may not be the most heralded, but he's brought in a solid group, many of whom have very bright futures ahead of them. Here's a look (in no particular order) at five of the most important recruits for the Muschamp era at the University of Florida.
Jeff Driskel: QB
1 of 5
Jeff Driskel from Oviedo, Fla. has the perfect build for a pro-style quarterback, and that will suit Will Muschamp's new offensive coordinator Charlie Weis very well.
At 6'4" and 225 pounds, the 4-star recruit can just about do it all. He didn't display much of it in the Orange and Blue game, but he's got a killer arm and a solid running game to go with it. He can hold his ground in the pocket and throws well on the move as well.
He's much more accustomed to the shotgun, but with Weis, he'll pick up his game under center very quickly.
His muscular frame and quick feet mean he won't be brought down easily, and with John Brantley not turning out to be what everyone was hoping, a solid quarterback is what every Florida fan wants most.
Marcus Roberson: S/CB
2 of 5
Marcus Robertson will either be a safety or cornerback, depending on how he develops, but for now, as a safety, he makes good reads and gets into a good position to make the play.
He has good burst and speed and can stop a receiver from gaining extra yards or knock the ball loose, and at 6'1", he can guard taller receivers well.
He keeps the receiver in front of him, but he's also a very reactive athlete and recovers well when he gets beat. He is solid stuffing the run and is a good solo-tackler, and adding some strength will only help his game in that aspect.
Photo courtesy of rivals.yahoo.com
A.C. Leonard: TE and More
3 of 5
A.C. Leonard can do a lot of things on the football field. His best position is at tight end or H-back, but he's also seen time as a defensive end and linebacker. At 6'3", he's a little short for a tight end, but his big, physical build (232 pounds) and wing span make him an asset in the passing game.
He has good hands and is good at route-running, so he will certainly find a place in the Gators offense. He isn't incredibly fast but is hard to bring down, and if he works on his blocking, he'll see a lot more game time early on.
He will likely be moved around the field a lot early on to find out where his best position is, and the sooner Charlie Weis and Will Muschamp figure that out, the better he'll become.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Clay Burton: DE
4 of 5
Trey's little brother Clay Burton will be exciting Florida fans on the defensive end just as much as his brother will on the offense.
The 6'3", 225-pound defensive end comes off the edge very quickly and is a great pass-rusher. He gets to the quarterback very quickly and capitalizes on mistakes by offensive tackles.
He is a also very capable defending the run and getting to the running back quickly. He's a wrap-up tackler and won't let his man get away, but he needs to get more forceful using his hands.
Photo courtesy of rivals.yahoo.com
Graham Stewart: OL
5 of 5
At 6'1" and 220 pounds, Graham Stewart has a great build for an outside linebacker, and his solid tackling can also make him an asset on special teams.
His quickness helps him fill gaps or avoid blockers in traffic to get to the ball, and he is capable of coming off the edge to pressure the quarterback. His toughness and understanding of the game mean he could be a menace in the backfield, and it will be hard to keep him off the team early in his career.
Photo courtesy of rivals.yahoo.com
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
