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Football Recruiting Galleries

Photo Gallery: Venice at Southeast, 10/2/09 : BRADENTON -- Trey Burton and Jonathan Dowling are friends off of the football field, mostly because they have both made verbal commitments to play football at the University of Florida. However, on Friday night at John Kiker Memorial Stadium, it was Burton's Venice High School that defeated Dowling's Southeastern High School 34-10. The Venice Indians improved to 4-1 on a strong offensive performance by Trey Burton. On the defensive side of the ball, junior Clay Burton was also impressive for Venice.

Photo Gallery: Venice at Southeast, 10/2/09

BRADENTON -- Trey Burton and Jonathan Dowling are friends off of the f ...

Updated: Oct 14, 2009 9:29pm PST

Photo Gallery: Tampa Catholic at South Lake, 9/4/09 : GROVELAND -- South Lake High School hosted Tampa Catholic on September 4th in the season opener for both teams. The game featured a number of top prospects being pursued by the Gators -- both for the visiting Crusaders (OL Chaz Green and QB Christian Green) as well as the host Eagles (CB Nick Waisome and SS Jordan Montgomery). The Crusaders struck first behind a short Maronte Gilbert touchdown run and a 5-yard Christian Green touchdown pass to Henry McCloud as Tampa Catholic took a 14-0 lead into the break. South Lake would close the deficit to a touchdown early in the third quarter behind the running of quarterback Stanley Evans, who scored on a four-yard quarterback keeper on third and goal to cut the lead to 14-7. Tampa Catholic would respond with a one-yard plunge from highly regarded junior fullback Hunter Joyer to again make it a 14-point game, as the fourth quarter started with Catholic out in front, 21-7. The fourth quarter would be a showcase for highly touted 2011 prospect Nick Waisome. He intercepted a pass intended for Florida recruit Christian Green (who was lined up at receiver on the play), and followed that up with an incredible 59-yard touchdown reception, which cut the lead to 21-14 with just a little under 6 minutes remaining. South Lake wouldn't get any closer, however. Despite forcing the Crusaders into a three-and-out, the Eagles were forced to go to sophomore Chris Floyd at quarterback after an injury to starter Stanley Evans. He would throw an interception on the third play of the series near midfield, and a Henry McCloud touchdown run would cap off a 200-yard effort on the ground, as Tampa Catholic would emerge with a 28-14 victory.

Photo Gallery: Tampa Catholic at South Lake, 9/4/09

GROVELAND -- South Lake High School hosted Tampa Catholic on September ...

Updated: Sep 09, 2009 8:32am PST

Photo Gallery: Trinity Catholic at GHS, 9/3/09 : The Gainesville High Purple Hurricanes and Ocala Trinity Catholic Celtics helped to kickoff the 2009 high school football season on Thursday night at Citizens Field in Gainesville. It was a beautiful night for football, and there were a number of Gator connections to this game, starting on the sidelines. Former Gator quarterback John Brantley, Sr. is the head coach of the Celtics, and he is assisted by former Gator wide receiver Reidel Anthony. On the GHS sideline, the Purple Hurricanes quarterbacks are led by former Gator standout Shane Matthews, while the linebackers are mentored by former Gator linebacker Mike Nattiel. Florida head coach Urban Meyer took in the action from the sideline, along with Gator assistants Billy Gonzales, Scot Loeffler, and Brian White. In game action Miami linebacker commitment Kevin Nelson had a superb night roaming the defense for GHS, while teammate Devont'a Davis did an admirable job being asked to shadow Trinity Catholic receiver Kadron Boone for much of the evening. Running backs Kedrick Rhodes (Trinity Catholic) and junior Anquan Gainey (Gainesville) both had productive nights on the ground, as both players went over the 100-yard mark for the game. Trinity Catholic receiver Dionte Ponder also had a touchdown catch from sophomore quarterback Gray Crow to put Trinity Catholic on the board in the second quarter. Junior Chris Johnson (Trinity Catholic) roamed the secondary for the Celtics, and showed why he is considered one of the top young defensive backs in the state of Florida. In the end, Gainesville would prevail over Trinity Catholic by a score of 35-17, but not before both teams left a number of impressive plays out on the field, most of which are captured by Gator Country's Tim Casey.

Photo Gallery: Trinity Catholic at GHS, 9/3/09

The Gainesville High Purple Hurricanes and Ocala Trinity Catholic Celt ...

Updated: Sep 04, 2009 8:29am PST

Photo Gallery: Columbia HS practice, 9/1/09 : LAKE CITY -- Columbia High School coach Craig Howard graciously welcomed Gator Country to watch football practice on Tuesday afternoon. The Fighting Tigers appeared to be ready to improve on last year's four-win season. The obvious standout at practice was junior defensive lineman (Class of 2011) Timmy Jernigan. He set the tone for the defensive, but also encouraged his teammates on the offensive side of the ball. Jernigan voluntarily stayed after practice to run additional sprints with teammates, hoping to eventually have the entire team join him to build team solidarity. Jernigan's leadership and unselfishness, coupled with his size and athletic ability, make him a very attractive college prospect. Senior quarterback Cameron Sweat was very impressive. Senior linebacker Brach Bessent (verbal commitment to Troy), senior wide receiver Jamaal Montague and senior running back Tiger Powell (verbal commitment to South Florida) will give Columbia a solid nucleus of talent and experience this season.

Photo Gallery: Columbia HS practice, 9/1/09

LAKE CITY -- Columbia High School coach Craig Howard graciously welcom ...

Updated: Sep 01, 2009 10:06pm PST

Photo Gallery: Palatka HS practice, 8/24/09 : PALATKA -- Former Lincoln High (Tallahassee) Head Coach Kyle Rice lead the Trojans to the Class 4A state championship game a year ago. In looking for a new challenge, he would end up at Palatka High School, a one-time powerhouse that has been down on his luck in recent years. That trend figures to change, beginning with the 2009 season. Gator Country had the opportunity to observe practice at Palatka High School on Monday afternoon, and the Panthers look to be well on their way to a successful fall campaign. 6-foot-8, 270-pound senior tight end Keyshawn Hamilton (#33) is in his first year of playing football, but figures to be a real factor on this team. His size and athletic ability are a match-up nightmare for opposing defenses, and despite the fact he is incredibly raw, Hamilton has one thing you can't teach – incredible height. Hamilton isn't the only player that stands out for this bunch. Junior running back/returner Kion Williams (#19) put on a show at the Swamp for Friday Night Lights back in July, and figures to do the same in stadiums around North Central Florida this coming season as well. At 5-foot-11, 185 pounds, with breakaway speed, he could prove to be just as highly recruited as his Uncle, former Palatka, University of Florida, and NFL standout running back John L. Williams. Keep an eye on senior safety Billy Sampson (#8), junior quarterback Lavaris McCullough (#12), and linemen Charles Calloway (#65), Ray Drayton (#55), and Herbie Friday, among others. While it's a new season, new coach, and new direction, the fine folks of Palatka hopes its just a return for the winning ways of old in 2009. We wish them luck, and thank them for welcoming Gator Country in on Monday afternoon.

Photo Gallery: Palatka HS practice, 8/24/09

PALATKA -- Former Lincoln High (Tallahassee) Head Coach Kyle Rice lead ...

Updated: Aug 25, 2009 1:10am PST

Photo Gallery: Gridiron Kings, 7/25/09 : LAKE BUENA VISTA -- Miramar's Ivan McCartney caught a touchdown pass from Miami Central quarterback Jeffrey Godfrey tossed a short touchdown pass after time expired to give the Southeast team a 12-6 win over the West in the final of the ESPN RISE Gridiron Kings 7-on-7 tournament at Disney's Wide World of Sports on Saturday. The event pitted 64 of the nation's top high school prospects against one another as they were broken up into four teams (Southeast, Midwest, Southwest and West) that competed on a full 100-yard field as opposed to 40-yard fields usually used. The event was taped for broadcast by ESPNU and will be televised on Tuesday evening at 7 EST. Team Southeast, comprised almost entirely of players from Florida, won the tournament title with a 12-6 victory over Team West in the championship game. Among the members of the championship team: A.J. Marshall, CB, Durham, N.C. (Southern); Christian Jones, LB, Winter Park, Fla. (Lake Howell); Christian Green, WR, Tampa, Fla. (Tampa Catholic); Demarcus Milliner, CB, Millbrook, Ala. (Stanhope Elmore); Gerald Christian, TE, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. (Dwyer); Ivan McCartney III, WR, Miramar, Fla. (Miramar); Jaylen Watkins, CB, Cape Coral, Fla. (Cape Coral); Jeff Luc, LB, Port St. Lucie, Fla. (Treasure Coast); Jeffrey Godfrey, QB, Miami, Fla. (Central); Jon Dowling, S, Bradenton, Fla. (Southeast); Kadron Boone, WR, Ocala, Fla. (Trinity Catholic); Kenny Shaw, WR, Orlando, Fla. (Dr. Phillips); Matthew Elam, S, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. (Dwyer); Roy Finch, FB, Niceville, Fla. (Niceville); Storm Johnson, RB, Loganville, Ga. (Loganville); Telvin Smith, LB, Valdosta, Ga. (Lowndes). Other prospects participating in the tournament who are being recruited by Florida: Kenny Stills, WR, Carlsbad, Calif. (La Costa Canyon) and Demetrius Wright, CB, Corona, Calif. (Corona) of Team West; DeMarco Cobbs, WR, Tulsa, Okla. (Central); Shaun Lewis, WR, Missouri City, Texas (Hightower); Justin McCay, WR, Shawnee Mission, Kan. (Bishop Miege) and Darius White, WR, Fort Worth, Texas (Dunbar) of Team Southwest; along with Khairi Fortt, LB, Stamford, Conn. (Stamford) of Team Midwest. Florida commitment Gerald Christian was named Offensive MVP of the Gridiron Kings tournament, capping off a very productive day with a 7-reception, 90-yard performance in the championship game

Photo Gallery: Gridiron Kings, 7/25/09

LAKE BUENA VISTA -- Miramar's Ivan McCartney caught a touchdown pass f ...

Updated: Jul 27, 2009 4:21pm PST

Super Photo Gallery: Friday Night Lights, 7/24/09 : Hundreds of the top high school football players from across the nation attended a one-night camp at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Friday Night in Gainesville. Friday Night Lights, an annual event in which players are coached by the UF staff after touring the facilities, continues to draw more players and fans each year. Lithonia, Ga. running back Mack Brown made a verbal commitment to coach Urban Meyer to be part of the Gators' next signing class.

Super Photo Gallery: Friday Night Lights, 7/24/09

Hundreds of the top high school football players from across the natio ...

Updated: Jul 25, 2009 7:41am PST

Photo Gallery: Heath Evans Foundation's 7-on-7 Championship, 6/20/09 : WEST PALM BEACH -- Sixteen teams competed in the Heath Evans Foundation's 4th Annual 7-on-7 Championship on Saturday at The King's Academy. Evans and other NFL stars, including Randy Moss and Jabar Gaffney, were on hand to speak with players. The event was held to help raise funds for The Heath Evans Foundation that is dedicated to fostering hope and healing in the lives of children and families affected by sexual abuse. Booker T. Washington defeated Boyd Anderson 33-28 on the final play of the championship game when Jayvon Wrentz caught a 40-yard Hail Mary pass from Jeremiah Hay as time expired. One of the event's highlights was a trio of "Beat the Pro" challenges, when two high school players and two spectators competed against an NFL player. T.J. Glover of Tampa Plant edged Evans in the 40-yard dash while Leron Thomas of Glades Central and Phillip Ely of Plant both outscored Matt Cassel in the passing accuracy competition. Greg Dent of Glades Central caught and held onto four punts to beat Dwyer's Matt Elam (three) and New England Patriots' wide receiver Wes Welker (two) in the punt-catching competition. At lunchtime, Evans and Cassel spoke to the 400-plus players about integrity, character, making the right choices and perseverance, not only in football but in life.

Photo Gallery: Heath Evans Foundation's 7-on-7 Championship, 6/20/09

WEST PALM BEACH -- Sixteen teams competed in the Heath Evans Foundatio ...

Updated: Jun 23, 2009 11:40pm PST

Photo Gallery: 2010 Commitment Jaylen Watkins, Cape Coral High School, 5/2/09 : Cape Coral -- Jaylen Watkins has already made a verbal commitment to be part of the Gators' 2010 signing class, but he might not be the only member of the Cape Coral High School football team to get an offer from Florida. Spencer Boyd and Dan Koenig are 2010 prospects with legitimate talent that will attract offers from BCS teams. Rising junior wide receiver Prince Holloway is emerging as a standout player for the 2011 recruiting class. The Seahawks finished the 2008 regular season with a 7-3 record before falling to Venice in the first round of the playoffs.

Photo Gallery: 2010 Commitment Jaylen Watkins, Cape Coral High School, 5/2/09

Cape Coral -- Jaylen Watkins has already made a verbal commitment to b ...

Updated: May 02, 2009 2:20pm PST

Photo Gallery: 2010 Commitment Trey Burton, Venice High School, 5/1/09 : Venice -- May 1st signals not just the coming of summer, but the first day high schools around the state of Florida can start spring practice. At Venice High School, hopes are high after an 11-1 season which fizzled in the second round of the playoffs against rival Punta Gorda Charlotte. The Indians have a deep and talented roster which includes Florida QB commitment Trey Burton (6-3, 215), and his younger brother Clay Burton (6-4, 225), a rising junior TE/DE prospect who already is receiving attention from the Gators. 2010 TE prospect Brandon Wilkinson (6-4, 215), recently received an offer from the University of Minnesota, which gives him his first offer from a BCS program. Fellow TE/DE prospect Beckett Wales (6-3, 210), is also a highly regarded prospect, and receiving attention from a number of schools. Florida assistant coach Scot Loeffler was expected to be at practice on Saturday to observe his top QB commitment for the Class of 2010 (Burton) in action for the first time since he took over as quarterbacks coach back in January.

Photo Gallery: 2010 Commitment Trey Burton, Venice High School, 5/1/09

Venice -- May 1st signals not just the coming of summer, but the first ...

Updated: May 01, 2009 9:41pm PST

Super Photo Gallery: Badger Sport / New Level Athletics Pass Camp, Tampa, 3/14-15/09 : Tampa -- Scores of the top prospects in the southeast were on hand for a 7-on-7 Pass Skills Camp presented by Badger Sport and New Level Athletics held at the USF Campus Recreation Fowler Fields on Saturday and Sunday. Gator Country was there to capture the action and speak wtih many of the players. Stay tuned for stories updating the latest on 2010 and 2011 recruits! Recent Florida verbal commitments Leon Orr, Matt Elam, Trey Burton and Jonathan Dowling were all in attendance. Several other players that Florida has interest in participated in the tournament. Preliminary play to determine seeding was held on Saturday, while Sunday’s single-elimination playoffs was won by a team comprised of players from he Palm Beach and Pahokee region.

Super Photo Gallery: Badger Sport / New Level Athletics Pass Camp, Tampa, 3/14-15/09

Tampa -- Scores of the top prospects in the southeast were on hand for ...

Updated: Mar 16, 2009 11:07am PST

password protected gallery

Under Armour Underclassmen Combine, 1/4/09

Updated: Feb 06, 2009 4:59pm PST

Under Armor Day 3, 1/2/09 : Photos by Casey Brooke Lawson Lake Buena Vista -- The final day of practice was held Friday at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex, leading up to Sunday's Under Armour All-America game. The players went to Disney World after practice. Both teams will participate in a tour of the stadium on Saturday.

Under Armor Day 3, 1/2/09

Photos by Casey Brooke Lawson Lake Buena Vista -- The final day of ...

Updated: Jan 02, 2009 7:48pm PST

Super Photo Gallery: Under Armour, Day 2, 1/1/09 : Lake Buena Vista -- The hitting started to pick up on the second day of workouts at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex as more than 80 players prepared for Sunday's Under Armour All-America game. This gallery puts the viewer on the sidelines to catch an early glimpse of the top players in the 2009 recruiting class. Each photo has a caption beneath it, indicating the position, name and college commitment of each player. Defensive players are in dark jerseys, offensive players are in white jerseys and quarterbacks are in yellow jerseys.

Super Photo Gallery: Under Armour, Day 2, 1/1/09

Lake Buena Vista -- The hitting started to pick up on the second day o ...

Updated: Jan 01, 2009 7:46pm PST

Super Photo Gallery: Under Armour, Day 1, 12/31/08 : Lake Buena Vista -- Practices started for the Under Armour All-America Game on Wednesday at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex, featuring 84 players from around the nation. Defensive players are wearing dark jerseys while offensive players are in white. Quarterbacks are wearing yellow jerseys. The caption below each image indicates the player’s name, position and college commitment. The game will be televised live from the Florida Citrus Bowl on Sunday at 8pm on ESPN.

Super Photo Gallery: Under Armour, Day 1, 12/31/08

Lake Buena Vista -- Practices started for the Under Armour All-America ...

Updated: Dec 31, 2008 10:04pm PST

Photo Gallery: Pahokee vs. Trinity Catholic, 12/13/08 : Orlando -- Pahokee and Trinity Catholic of Ocala played for the Class 2B state title for the third time in four years on Dec. 13. In a back and forth game, Pahokee came out on top 21-17, on the heels of Dennis Hall's 19-yard catch-and-run touchdown with 55 seconds left to give the Blue Devils the decisive score. De'Joshua Johnson had 143 yards passing, and was on the other end of Hall's winning touchdown play. Johnson flashed incredible elusiveness during the game on several runs, and showed why he is one of the top prospects in the state of Florida for the class of 2010. Pahokee also got strong performances from seniors Vincent Smith (Michigan commitment-128 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries), Brandin Hawthorne (Michigan commitment-7 tackles, including 2.5 TFL), and Florida commitment Nu'Keese Richardson (53 yards of total offense, and 3 tackles on defense, while providing great coverage for the Blue Devils). Trinity Catholic wasn't without some heroic performances as well. QB Rob Henry had a bit of an off-day passing (13-of-29), but still threw for 208 yards and 2 touchdowns on the afternoon. He also had 44 yards rushing on 7 carries, including a nice 24-yard scamper down the sideline in which he displayed great athleticism. Kedrick Rhodes had 16 carries for 83 yards, and showed why he is a prospect to watch in the class of 2010. Other standout juniors included safety Dionte Ponder (9 tackles, 1 TFL), and star wideout Kadron Boone (6 receptions, 100 yards, 1 touchdown), who showed great speed in getting behind the defense for a 34 yard touchdown to cap off the Celtics' opening drive in the first quarter. He already claims a UF offer, and showed why he is one of the top WR's in the class of 2010 for the entire state of Florida.

Photo Gallery: Pahokee vs. Trinity Catholic, 12/13/08

Orlando -- Pahokee and Trinity Catholic of Ocala played for the Class ...

Updated: Dec 23, 2008 5:09pm PST

Jacksonville Prep Football: Raines at Bishop Kenny, 10/31/08 : Jacksonville -- On a Halloween night on the St. Johns River, directly across from Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, Raines High School traveled to face Bishop Kenny in a game that featured several players with college football potential. Gator Country was there to see 2010 prospect Louis Nix (#63), but a second Raines defensive tackle stood out as well. Chris Jones (#51) was very impressive enough, but hearing that he is only a sophomore was amazing. Raines QB Cedric McCloud (#7) has offers, as does DE Lawrence Henderson (#82), WR Javan Perdue (#18) and WR Kevin Hutchings (#11).

Jacksonville Prep Football: Raines at Bishop Kenny, 10/31/08

Jacksonville -- On a Halloween night on the St. Johns River, directly ...

Updated: Nov 05, 2008 11:08pm PST

Photo Gallery: Winnersville Classic - Lowndes vs. Valdosta, 10/10/08 : Valdosta, Ga. -- Greg Reid didn't wait long to electrify a national television audience and more than 13,000 fans in attendance at the Winnersville Classic. Reid took a pass 70 yards for a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage, giving Gators fans a glimpse of what's ahead when the UF commit comes to Gainesville. Valdosta and Lowndes played a tightly-contested game the rest of the way, with the Vikings coming out on top 14-7, taking the heated rivalry for the fifth-consecutive year.

Photo Gallery: Winnersville Classic - Lowndes vs. Valdosta, 10/10/08

Valdosta, Ga. -- Greg Reid didn't wait long to electrify a national te ...

Updated: Oct 16, 2008 3:00pm PST

Photo Gallery: Seminole HS vs. DeLand : DeLand -- The Gator Country team, and a football coach named Urban Meyer, were on hand to watch the Seminole County High School Seminoles face the DeLand High School Bulldogs. Despite the horrendous team names, there was a lot of talent on display. Three standout players from Seminole, Andre DeDose (#4), Ray Ray Armstrong (#9) and Dyron Dye (#8), helped the Seminoles top the Bulldogs 21-6 despite strong performances by DeLand's Mike Gillislee (#7) and Deonte Saunders (#2). A trio of players from Orlando's Dr. Phillips High School were there to scout the Seminoles in advance of a showdown between the schools in two weeks. Look for complete coverage, including video interviews with six top recruits and highlights, only on Gator Country!

Photo Gallery: Seminole HS vs. DeLand

DeLand -- The Gator Country team, and a football coach named Urban Mey ...

Updated: Sep 13, 2008 3:55am PST

Super Photo Gallery: Friday Night Lights : More than 315 exclusive photos from Friday at the Swamp! Gator Country is the only place to find this gallery of more than 315 exclusive photos from Friday Night Lights 2008! More than 125 high school football players were on hand to see the brand new UF football facilities and get coached by the Florida staff. The photos are captioned with the player’s name, position and high school. Stay tuned to Gator Country for the latest in Florida recruiting news!

Super Photo Gallery: Friday Night Lights

More than 315 exclusive photos from Friday at the Swamp! Gator Countr ...

Updated: Jul 21, 2008 8:29pm PST

Under Armour All-American game photo gallery : A Gator Country exclusive photo gallery of 257 images, featuring detailed captions about all of the players.

Under Armour All-American game photo gallery

A Gator Country exclusive photo gallery of 257 images, featuring detai ...

Updated: Jan 16, 2008 5:41pm PST

Under Armour photos - Day 5 : LAKE BUENA VISTA -- Here's another EXCLUSIVE gallery of photos from the Under Armour All-America game practices. The players look ready to go for Saturday's game, which will be televised at 2pm on ABC. Only Gator Country can provide you with so many photos of the 80 participants in this game! Check back this weekend for action photos from the game.

Under Armour photos - Day 5

LAKE BUENA VISTA -- Here's another EXCLUSIVE gallery of photos from th ...

Updated: Jan 04, 2008 6:53pm PST

Under Armour photos - Day 3 : LAKE BUENA VISTA -- Another gallery of 69 exclusive photos from the third day of practice at the Under Armour All-America game. Despite a drop in temperatures, the intensity remained high on Wednesday. Team Click-Clack donned the silver helmets while Team Undeniable sported the black helmets. The players remained focused during the third day of practices at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex in preparation for the game on Saturday.

Under Armour photos - Day 3

LAKE BUENA VISTA -- Another gallery of 69 exclusive photos from the th ...

Updated: Jan 03, 2008 4:34pm PST

Under Armour practice gallery, 12/31/07 :

Under Armour practice gallery, 12/31/07

Updated: Jan 03, 2008 4:06pm PST

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