Offense

QBs 4                             Year       Star Rating
QB John Brantley            2007         4
QB Bryan Waggoner       2007         4
QB Cam Newton            2007         5
QB Tim Tebow               2006         5
Pos. Avg. 4.5
Analysis: Simply tremendous.  Nice distribution accross classes with Waggoner a JR, Tebow a SO.  One of Newton or Brantley will compete for a backup role this year with Waggoner (probably Newton since he is physically more advanced and already on campus).  The other will redshirt which wil give us one in each class in 2008.  We will be a little short of experience this season but our depth problems at this position are over.

OL 8                              Year       Star Rating 
OL James Wilson           2007          5
OL Michael Pouncey      2007         4
OL Maurkice Pouncey    2007         4
OL Carl Johnson             2006         5
OL Marcus Gilbert          2006         4
OL Maurice Hurt             2006         3
OL Jim Barrie                  2006         3
OL Correy Hobbs           2006         4
Pos. Avg. 4.00
Analysis: Again, this has been a very strong area.  Not only have we brought in large numbers of lineman, but the average quality over such a large group is indicative of outstanding recruiting.  A few years ago (2002-03) we had serious holes and a lack of depth in the Offensive Line.  No longer and we don't look to have those kinds of problems any time in the foreseeable future either.  Compare the average rating per player to what the sow brought in the past year.  Notice anything?

RBs 3                              Year       Star Rating 
RB Chris Rainey             2007          5
RB Bo Williams              2007          4
RB Mon Williams           2006          4
Pos. Avg. 4.33
Analysis: Good but not great.  Rainey is expected to be a playmaker but due to his size, he will never be the kind of back you can rely on to carry a heavy workload week after week.  Either Bo or Mon Williams may turn out to be a very good back but this is one area where we have not managed to land the really top tier talent (eg. CJ Spiller). 

TE 2                              Year       Star Rating 
TE Aaron Hernandez     2007          5
TE Trent Pupello            2006          3
Pos. Avg. 4.00
Analysis: A lot depends on the performance of Hernandez so its difficult to assess.  Still, I don't recall us ever signing the #1 ranked player in the country at this position before so you'd have to say the recruiting effort here at least looks good.

WRs 7                              Year       Star Rating 
WR Joe Haden                2007         4
WR Paul Wilson              2007         3
WR Percy Harvin            2006         5
WR Jarred Fayson          2006         5
WR Justin Williams          2006         4     
WR Riley Cooper            2006         4
WR Deonte Thompson    2007          5

Pos. Avg. 4.29
Analysis: Outstanding due not only to quality, but also to excellent depth.  The only player we have below 4 stars (Paul Wilson) was one our coaching staff offered early-which is a good indicator they really wanted him.  Haden, Harvin and Thompson and Fayson all possess absolutely blazing speed.  Urban Meyer has said he wants to always have at least 10-12 receivers (he said 14 but I'm including the TE's).  We have met our needs and have done so with outstanding quality. 

P 1                              Year       Star Rating 
P Chas Henry               2007         4
Pos. Avg. 4.00
Analysis: Excellent.  Henry was the #1 ranked punter in the country.  I'm not really sure why he only gets 4 stars.

25 Players Offensive Average 4.20
Analysis: Aside from a nationally elite back who could also serve as a workhorse, these two classes are simply outstanding and deep at every position.  Probably the best I've seen at UF and I've been following recruiting pretty closely for about 25 years.

Defense

DTs 5                              Year       Star Rating 
DT Torrey Davis             2007         5
DT Lawrence Marsh       2006         3
DT Brandon Antwine      2006         4
DT Terron Sanders         2006         3
DT John Brown              2007         5  

Pos. Avg. 4.00
Analysis: Outstanding quality and depth provided Davis and Brown can both get qualified.  The position would take a significant hit if either of them were lost and a massive hit if both were lost.  Keep your fingers crossed.

DEs 5                              Year       Star Rating 
DE Justin Trattou            2007          5
DE Carlos Dunlap           2007         5 
DE Duke Lemmens         2007         4
DE J. Cunningham           2006         4
DE Jay Howard               2007         3
Pos. Avg. 4.20  

Analysis:  Amazing.  There are no lingering qualification issues here and this area has been just outstading.  To be loaded accross the entire Defensive Line with 4 and 5 star players is just amazing.  Jay Howard was "just" the best DE in Florida and among the top 10 in the country.  That's all.

LBs 7                              Year       Star Rating 
LB John Jones                 2007         4
LB Lorenzo Edwards       2007         5
LB Steven Wilkes            2007         3
LB Brandon Spikes          2006         5
LB A.J. Jones                   2006         4
LB Dustin Doe                  2006         4

LB Brandon Hicks             2007         4 
Pos. Avg. 4.14

Analysis:  Very very good.  Spikes and Doe played very well last year.  Lo Edwards was the #1 ranked WLB in the country.  Hicks was "only" a Parade AA with a tremendous offer sheet.  Again, not only outstanding quality but depth as well.  We were very talented but thin at LB this past season.  We got lucky with injuries.  The one game where we did have significant injury issues was vs the Cocks and we nearly lost.  Look for that situation to improve in the future once this group has some experience as the quality remains the same, but the depth improves.

CBs 6                              Year       Star Rating 
CB Moses Jenkins            2007          3
CB Ahmad Black              2007         4 
CB Chevon Walker           2006         4
CB Jacques Rickerson       2006         4
CB Markihe Anderson       2006         3
CB Wondy Pierre Louis     2006         3

Pos. Avg. 3.5

Analysis: Not bad per se and not out of line with how we've done in the past, but this has clearly been the weakest area of recruiting for us in the past two years.  The player ratings from the recruiting services reflect Urban Meyer's comments about this area.  Look for us to make a hard run at some top cornerbacks next year to address this.

S 4                              Year       Star Rating 
S Jamar Hornsby          2006         5
S Bryan Thomas           2006         4

S Major Wright             2007         5

S Jeremy Finch              2007         5
Pos. Avg. 4.75

Analysis: Incredible.  This, along with the Defensive line and QB has been an area of great strength.  Good numbers and incredible quality.   Wright was the best safety in Florida and Finch was the #1 ranked safety in the country.

ATH 1                              Year       Star Rating 
ATH Brandon James        2006           2
Pos. Avg. 2.00
Analysis:  Poor ole Brandon.  Gosh, couldn't we have done better here?  ROTF! 

27 Players Defense Avg. 4.11
Analysis:  Recruiting here has been absolutely outstanding with the exception of the Cornerback position which has been average.  The Defensive Line talent which has been brought in is nothing short of amazing.  It says a lot about the state of our recruiting when we're complaining about a position where we averaged 3 and a half stars.  To put things in perspective, if you went back and looked at how we've recruited over the last 25 years or so, three and a half stars would probably be our average rating over time at ALL positions.