7/23/2015 football Edit

Look back at Floridas top 10 ranked players

Mark Pszonak

Staff

Other than Cowart, the other No. 1 recruit to come out of the Sunshine State was Sims. He earned the No. 1 ranking over other top recruits Reggie Bush, Greg Olsen and Lamarr Woodley, while in Florida he beat out Andre Caldwell, Antonio Cromartie and Reggie Nelson. Sims' recruiting process was an exciting one, with official visits taking place to Florida State, Miami, Florida, Georgia and Auburn during the winter. With the Seminoles having the last official visit, they made enough of a positive impression to keep the local talent home in Tallahassee as most expected. At Florida State, Sims played immediately and made an impact, but never truly reached expectations heaped on a No. 1 overall, especially considering the success Bush had at USC. Foregoing his senior season, he entered the 2006 NFL Draft and was selected with the 9th overall pick by the Detroit Lions. After spending four seasons with the Lions, Sims also saw time with the Philadelphia Eagles, Indianapolis Colts and Dallas Cowboys, but has not played since the 2013 season. He currently totals 622 career tackles, 5.5 sacks and six forced fumbles during his eight seasons in the NFL.

Farrell's Take: I said it in the California top 10 and I'll say it again -- Reggie Bush should have been No. 1 in 2003, but that doesn't take away from Sims' success and ability. A two-way star in high school, he overcame any size issues with quickness and anticipation. Some might say Sims was a bit of a disappointment at FSU because of the hype and he was up and down, showing his true talents as a sophomore but then regressing a bit as a junior. But that didn't lower his NFL grade and a No. 1 recruiting landing in the top 10 of the NFL Draft is a success story.

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Vernon Hargreaves III

Tampa (Fla.) Wharton (No. 2 in the Class of 2013)

Nationally, Hargreaves was only ranked behind Robert Nkemdiche, while in Florida he was ranked ahead of Laremy Tunsil, Derrick Henry and Joey Bosa. Hargreaves' commitment to Florida came as somewhat of a surprise because of its timing. Soon after announcing a top five and having USC at the top, he committed to the Gators in late July after a visit to campus. Many people that he would still be in play, but he never took official visits to any other schools and stayed firm with his commitment to the Gators. In Gainesville, Hargreaves has been everything that the coaching staff and fans envisioned him to be. He has earned First-Team All-SEC honors after both of his college seasons and was also named First-Team All-American after his sophomore season. Because of his amazing level of play, he has positioned himself to be a very high first-round pick if he elects to leave following his junior season. With that said, Gator fans better enjoy every moment they can with Hargreaves in orange and blue.

Farrell's Take: This was the year of the cornerback at Rivals.com with Hargreaves III, Kendall Fuller and Jalen Ramsey, all projected first-round picks, battling it out for the top spot. Hargreaves has lived up to the hype for sure and should add more honors during this upcoming season and move onto the NFL. The highest rated cornerback in Rivals.com history along with [db Ginn Jr.][Ted Ginn Jr.[/db], Hargreaves is meeting all expectations.

Shea Patterson

Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy (No. 2 in Class of 2016)

Patterson's recent transfer to IMG in Florida instantly puts him in the top four historically for the state of Florida and makes him the highest-ranked quarterback from the state in Rivals.com history -- and he's not done. Patterson could easily end up being the No. 1 player in the 2016 class, which begs the question - would he be ranked ahead of Cowart or Sims if that happens? Yes, it's a bit unfair for a player to transfer in for his senior year to surpass some players who spent their entire careers in the Sunshine State, but IMG has changed everything. Patterson is currently ranked behind North Carolina defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and is now No. 1 in Florida over wide receiver Nate Craig-Myers who slides down to No. 10 on this list. Patterson is solidly committed to Ole Miss and the expectations surrounding his arrival in Oxford are as big or bigger than those of Eli Manning when he decided to attend his father's alma mater.

Farrell's Take: Patterson has all the tools to be a great one and reminds me of a slightly shorter Josh Rosen in the way he handles pressure. He has that "it" factor about him. He continues to grow, get better and his release is lightning quick. Quarterbacks from Florida haven't fared that well overall when it comes to college and NFL success, but the Louisiana transplant should change all of that and have an exceptional career at Ole Miss. He could follow Rosen as a potential No. 1 pick in the draft down the line. Heady stuff, but it could happen.

Martez Ivey

Apopka, Fla. (No. 4 in the Class of 2015)

Ivey was ranked No. 4 nationally, behind Cowart, Rosen and Iman Marshall, and No. 2 in Florida, ranked only behind Cowart. Ivey has long been a fan of the Florida Gators, so most assumed that he would end up in Gainesville. While this did become reality, there were moments during his recruiting process that it seemed as though Auburn might become his future home. In fact, Florida fans had to wait until National Signing Day for Ivey to actually give his commitment to the Gators. Most incoming freshman offensive linemen are slated to be redshirted, but Ivey will likely see early playing time and could make an immediate impact.

Farrell's Take: Athletic and long offensive linemen are coveted nationally and Ivey is that guy, reminding me of a slightly bigger and more aggressive D.J. Humpries, a first-round NFL pick. He has a great frame to build on, long arms he uses well and he's aggressive in the run game as well as with his punch in pass protection. He should be a star at Florida and beyond.

Andre Caldwell

Tampa (Fla.) Jefferson (No. 4 in Class of 2003)

Caldwell was ranked No. 4 nationally, behind Ernie Sims, Reggie Bush and Whitney Lewis, and No. 2 in Florida, ranked only behind Sims. As with all elite recruits, recruiting was hectic for Caldwell, but with his brother, Reche Caldwell, previously playing for Florida, he was always drawn to Gainesville. So even though he did also take official visits to Florida State, Miami, LSU and USC, when he committed to the Gators on National Signing Day in 2003, it was far from a surprise. At Florida, Caldwell saw immediate playing time and experienced different levels of success through his first two seasons. Then after missing his junior season due to a fractured leg, he returned in 2006 and finished with 57 receptions for 577 yards and six touchdowns. He returned for his senior season and had his best statistical performance, finishing with 56 receptions for 761 yards and seven touchdowns. Selected by Cincinnati in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft, Caldwell spent four seasons with the Bengals before making a move to Denver as a free agent, which is where he is currently playing. In his seven NFL seasons, he has totaled 146 receptions for 1,437 yards and nine touchdowns, while adding 1,375 return yards.

Farrell's Take: Caldwell didn't live up to his lofty ranking, but it's hard to call him a bust with a solid NFL career and some good numbers at Florida after overcoming a tough injury. He had a ton of potential and was just in Gainesville during a down time for the program at the outset of his career and a run-first offense in the latter half. He won a national title, was a leader on that team with good friend and quarterback Chris Leak and is still cashing NFL paychecks, so he's done well for himself.

Patrick Johnson

Pompano Beach (Fla.) Blanche Ely (No. 5 in Class of 2008)

Known as Patrick Peterson today, he was ranked No. 5 nationally behind Terrelle Pryor, DaQuan Bowers, Mike Adams and Julio Jones. Playing his high school football in Broward County, Miami was always a draw for Peterson, so when he committed to the Hurricanes in April of 2007, many people assumed that that would end his recruiting process. However, that was far from the truth, as Peterson took official visits to LSU, Florida, Florida State, Georgia and North Carolina while committed to the Canes and then abruptly dropped them from consideration after arriving at the Army All-American Bowl. While in San Antonio for the game, he committed to LSU over Florida and Florida State. At Baton Rouge, after impressing while sharing playing time as a freshman, Peterson took his game to another level in 2009 and 2010. During his final collegiate season in 2010, Johnson was a unanimous First-Team All-American and won both the prestigious Thorpe and Bednarik Awards. Drafted with the fifth overall pick in 2011 by Arizona, Peterson has continued his incredible play in the NFL. Already a four-time Pro Bowler and two-time First-Team All-Pro, Peterson is considered one of the elite cornerbacks and kick returners in the league.

Farrell's Take: The most successful NFL player on this list by far, Peterson was a special player out of high school and really jump-started the DBU tradition that LSU boasts in recent years. He had the size, length and instincts to be a great one and he certainly panned out as one of the few players to have their draft status match their ranking exactly (No. 5 is a lucky number clearly for Peterson). The 2008 class was the best wide receiver class, at least at the top, in Rivals.com history, but Peterson proved to be as spectacular as players like Jones and AJ Green.

Keith Rivers

Lake Mary, Fla. (No. 5 in Class of 2004)

Rivers was the No. 1 recruit in Florida and No. 5 nationally in 2004, behind Adrian Peterson, Theodore Ginn, Jr., Early Doucet and Rhett Bomar. After taking a summer visit to attend a USC camp in 2003, rumors swirled that Rivers had committed to the Trojans. While that wasn't true at that point, it was true at the end of his process when he committed to USC over Florida, after cancelling already planned official visits to both Florida State and Georgia. At USC, it took some time for Rivers to hit his stride. After enjoying a successful junior season, Rivers decided to come back for his senior season in 2007. That proved to be a good idea, as he was named First-Team All-Pac-10 for the second consecutive season and earned multiple All-American honors. Drafted by Cincinnati with the ninth overall pick in 2008, Rivers spent four seasons with the Bengals before making stops with the New York Giants, Buffalo Bills and Dallas Cowboys, where he is currently under contract. In his seven NFL seasons, Rivers has totaled 291 tackles, three sacks and two interceptions.

Farrell's Take: Rivers was a beast of a linebacker out of college and one of Pete Carroll's biggest out-of-state grabs during his reign at USC. Taking the No. 1 player out of the Sunshine State was a huge deal for the Trojans and Rivers was a big contributor to the USC dominance during the time. A top five prospect being drafted in the top 10 of the NFL Draft is a complete success story and Rivers always had the quick-twitch ability to be a great one.

Derwin James

Haines City, Fla. (No. 5 in Class of 2015)

James was the No. 3 recruit in Florida behind Cowart and Ivey, and No. 5 nationally. Nowadays it is relatively common for a recruit to give a commitment to a school over a year before their actual Signing Day, but it is rarer for that commitment to actually stick. James bucked that trend by committing almost three years before his signing date and solidly sticking with his commitment all the way through. Florida State is the lucky beneficiary of his commitment. As an early enrollee, James has already made an impact at Florida State and will deepen an already extremely strong secondary. He will likely have to wait a year to become a starter, but he is talented enough to produce for the Seminoles this fall.

Farrell's Take: The most athletic safety I have ever scouted, hands down. James is a non-stop, high energy prospect who covers a ton of ground and will be a big play waiting to happen in the Seminoles defense. He's so athletic, he could easily be a running back or wide receiver in Tallahassee and dominate, but his aggressive style, ball-hawking nature and amazing defensive instincts make him a great fit as a safety. He is a three-and-out guy and first round pick barring injury, I'm as confident in saying that as I am with any other safety, with Quin Blanding being a very close second. Scouting these two safeties was a pleasure.

Nate Craig-Myers

Tampa (Fla.) Tampa Catholic (No. 5 in Class of 2016)

Craig-Myers is currently the No. 1 recruit in Florida and the No. 5 recruit nationally, behind Lawrence, Patterson, Marlon Davidson and Jacob Eason. Craig-Myers originally committed to Auburn almost a year ago, but immediately began taking visits to other schools. To nobody's surprise, a de-commitment followed two months ago. Despite the de-commitment, Craig-Myers still holds Auburn in high regard and considers it among his current top three with Florida State and Ohio State. After his de-commitment from Auburn, Craig-Myers has slowed down his process, so another quick commitment in the next few months is unlikely. Look for a few visits to new destinations, such as Tennessee, Ohio State and USC, and then a final decision in January or on National Signing Day. Oh, and watch out for Florida as the Gators are the leader for his brother, Jayvaughn Myers.

Farrell's Take: Former Alabama star Trent Richardson is on the verge of jumping into this spot as Craig-Myers has to rebound from a leg injury his junior season and show his previous explosion to stay in the top five in the 2016 class. But as of today, he's No. 10 on this list and a super talented, big receiver with a high ceiling. Could he be the best wide receiver on this list out of high school? He was well on his way prior to the injury, so his senior year and Under Armour All America Game performance will tell the story.