Over the past few days, UF received verbal commitments from Charlotte (N.C.) Independence High's Victor Hampton and Bradenton Southeast High's Jonathan Dowling, two promising defensive backs.
They're both fast and highly rated, and Hampton is even from former Gators quarterback Chris Leak's alma mater.
The two commitments give UF six for the 2010 recruiting class, and despite the fact that most Web sites haven't even released rankings for most of the players, people are already speculating that the Gators will have the nation's best class next year.
Tackle Ian Silberman, quarterback Trey Burton and safeties Demar Dorsey and Matt Elam round out the list, but don't get too attached to any of those names.
Their commitments are all meaningless. Not meaningless in the way that all non-binding verbal commitments are, but another level.
There are 11 months left before National Signing Day, and even though these kids think committing to UF will make the other schools leave them alone, it won't.
Now, those other coaches vying for their signatures have a specific target to attack - the Gators.
Hampton will surely get an earful about how Joe Haden, Janoris Jenkins, Jeremy Brown and others have the cornerback position on lockdown in The Swamp for the next few years, and chances are, he'll start to listen to that eventually.
I don't blame these kids for committing. UF is an excellent place to play right now, and if the coaches are offering scholarships, they should take them. But verbal commitments, especially this early, are just made to be broken.
Recruiting is too often looked at from the schools' perspectives. It's about filling needs and strengthening next year's team, but it's also about high school kids finding the place that's best for them, and that process takes time.
Hampton told The Gainesville Sun he has never visited UF. He said he'll check it out sometime this month, and he doesn't plan on visiting any other schools.
Also, an Independence coach told The Sun that Hampton's recruiting process only took two weeks.
Sure, if I were a big time recruit, the Gators would be near the top of my list no matter how far away I lived, but I'd at least have a list and work my way through it. By not visiting other schools, Hampton is doing himself a huge disservice, and Urban Meyer should discourage him from following his current plan.
If Hampton doesn't do any looking around and he makes an uneducated decision, that could come back to bite him when he gets to Gainesville.
It's much better to find out where he fits best during the recruiting process, because if he doesn't discover that until he gets to UF, there could be trouble. No one wins if he's upset or transfers.
Of the five players who committed before June 1 in the recruiting classes from 2005-2007, only two (Aaron Hernandez and Chris Rainey) are still in Gainesville. The other three transferred.
There are lots of reasons why players transfer, but it certainly doesn't help to enter the recruiting process with your mind made up, like Hampton is.
And with all six of the current commits, how can Gators fans really feel good about them?
Look at this past year, when UF lost Greg Reid (committed to UF in February 2008) to FSU and Nu'Keese Richardson (committed May 2008) to Tennessee.
The way I see it, the Gators just have something to lose now.
