Breaking Down the Florida Gators’ 2010 Recruiting Class – Part 4
Cody Riggs
DB – 5’8″, 156 lbs. – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – St. Thomas Aquinas
Riggs was overshadowed by high school teammate and FSU signee Lamarcus Joyner, but definitely shouldn’t have been. Perhaps the biggest thing differentiating him from Joyner is his small frame. Riggs will have to put on a good amount of weight before he can even think about seeing the field. His superior speed makes him a return candidate, but he’ll probably redshirt in an effort to get him to a better size to be able to battle SEC receivers. He does possess above-average coverage skills though, so when he does add bulk, he’ll be a great cover corner.
Joshua Shaw
DB – 6’1″, 195 lbs. – Palmdale, CA – Palmdale
Along with Ronald Powell, plucking Shaw out of California was huge for Florida and the future of Gator recruiting. In 2007 and 2008, Florida started a true freshman at cornerback. In 2010, Shaw could be the third in four years to do so. He’ll be given every opportunity to play right away and enrolling early helped his path to getting there. Expect a great Gator career and years of NFL success ahead of him. He’s ready to go up with most college receivers already.
Ian Silberman
OL – 6’4″, 257 lbs. – Fleming Island, FL – Fleming Island
Silberman was the first prospect to become part of the Gators’ 2010 recruiting class and he held on for nearly 19 months before signing. That’s right, he committed before most of the 2009 class. When you want to go to Florida, you go to Florida I guess. Silberman is small at 257 pounds, but he has all the tools to become a great offensive lineman and the frame to add necessary weight. He’ll spend a few years getting into the right shape, but expect him to be a more than solid contributor when he does get regular playing time.
Michael Taylor
LB – 6’1″, 213 lbs. – Atlanta, GA – Westlake
Taylor has beast mode written all over him. And more important he saw the light. After committing to Lane Kiffin and Tennessee, Taylor visited Florida and made the switch essentially saying the Gators were all that AND a bag of chips. Taylor’s commitment was big because while the LB corps looks good for the immediate future, depth could be an issue in a few years. Taylor should develop into an important part of Florida’s defense.
Lynden Trail
DE – 6’7″, 220 lbs. – Miami, FL – Booker T. Washington
Enter the fan favorite. What’s not to like about Trail? He seems more pro-Gator than a lot of the current players and he isn’t afraid to talk about it. Trail brings instant memories of Jarvis Moss to mind and that is far from a bad thing. As he adds strength over his first few years in Gainesville, he’ll become scary good. So much so he’s already been nicknamed Freak III. And he is just that. Check back in 2012 when Florida could seriously have four or five of the nation’s best defensive linemen.
Travon Van
ATH – 5’11”, 200 lbs. – New Berlin, NY – Milford Academy
Before Milford Academy, Van was a star at Helix in San Diego. The same Helix that produced Reggie Bush and Alex Smith. Van is listed as an athlete and could see time at either running back or cornerback. Although a lot points to him being added to the defensive backfield, Van could provide depth as a power back in the future. There’s a good chance Van will redshirt while coaches figure out where he can contribute the most.
Jaylen Watkins
DB – 6’1″, 172 lbs. – Cape Coral, FL – Cape Coral
Watkins is another one of the early enrollees. He has the speed to keep up with virtually any receiver, but will need to get stronger to fight for jump balls. He doubled as a receiver and it shows in his developed ball skills. Because of that, some think he could be moved to receiver if needed. Odds are Watkins is in line for a redshirt.