ESPN College Football Recruiting

Florida produced some of the best defensive talent in the entire country in the Class of 2008, particularly at outside linebacker with an impressive seven ESPNU 150 members. This year, the state is top-heavy on the offensive side of the ball, most notably at running back.

Florida has been the training ground for some top-tier backs over the years, but the collective talent at the position in 2009 may be unprecedented. It is deep -- 23 players rate with a Scouts Inc. grade of 77 or higher -- and loaded up top with three Sunshine State backs ranking in the top five nationally.

The Under Armour All-American trio of No. 1 RB Jaamal Berry (Miami/Palmetto), No. 2 RB Trent Richardson (Pensacola, Fla./Escambia) and No. 5 RB Jarvis Giles (Tampa, Fla./Gaither) is extremely productive rushing the football in their own unique styles, mirroring the versatility represented by the state's running back class as a whole.

The quality of depth at quarterback -- the position handing off the rock -- may be down a bit in the state this year, but there hasn't been a Florida signal-caller rated as high as the state's top overall player since the launch of the ESPNU 150.

Aaron Murray, Quarterback
Plant High School (Tampa, Fla.)
Verbal commitment: Georgia

From the moment we first watched Murray on film in March, we said he would be in contention for the top quarterback ranking come February. After extensive film study and several live evaluations, the Florida native earned the No. 2 quarterback spot on the release of our ESPNU 150, right behind the much-heralded Matt Barkley (Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei).

Aside from his striking zip on the football, the Elite 11 MVP is a winner who takes control of the game and makes things happen. He might only be 6-foot-1, but his physical abilities and intangibles on the field mask his lack of ideal size in our eyes.

The reigning Class 4A Mr. Football Award Winner didn't throw for more than 4,000 yards and 51 touchdowns by chance. He has a laser arm capable of driving the ball downfield and fitting it into tight spots of coverage. Murray's release may be one of the quickest we have seen in the past few classes -- his wrist snap simply puts striking velocity on the football.

We don't feel his shorter frame will hurt him at the next level, particularly in the spread in which he can move around the pocket with his good athleticism and create his own passing lanes.

This spring, Murray said mobility, primarily footwork, is an area he wanted to improve for the college level.

"The biggest thing coach [Bob] Weiner and I work on is footwork to be able to escape the pocket when pressure comes by moving from side to side," said Murray.

"You rarely are able to just sit in the pocket and make the perfect pass. I have to keep working on footwork and accuracy and touch. You got to work on everything everyday, you're never perfect. You got to be great all around."

Murray just has that "it factor" highly sought-after at the position and will be a very productive SEC quarterback under head coach Mark Richt at Georgia.

Trabis Ward, Running back
Dillard High School (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
Considering: South Carolina, LSU, Ohio State, Florida State, Louisville
In a year with such deep running back talent in Florida, there are a handful of sleeper backs hidden in the vast talent.

Trabis Ward (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Dillard) had no offers when we first evaluated him last spring, which was certainly a head scratcher. While he is finally getting some respect, it took until mid-summer, and we feel he lacks the national status he deserves.

Ward is an explosive back and a threat to break off a long run every time he touches the ball. With his sturdy, compact body structure, he has the coveted ability to wear down a defense with in-line strength or elude defenders with great quickness in space.

He is not a burner in the second level but is fast enough to break off some long runs at the major college level while consistently moving the chains between the tackles with his good burst and suddenness.

Florida
Florida has a very small class at this point but fear not Gators fans -- Urban Meyer's class started off a bit slow in 2008 and ended with a No. 4 ranking on national signing day. While small in numbers, the class is very strong in talent. More than half its committed prospects are currently listed on the ESPNU 150, led by the state's No. 1 offensive line prospect Nick Alajajian (Naples, Fla.). The Gators would like to land an elite receiver in this class and are in strong contention for top-5 positional prospects Jheranie Boyd (Gastonia, N.C./Ashbrook) and Andre Debose (Sanford, Fla./Seminole).

South Florida
Head coach Jim Leavitt has built a nationally regarded football program by signing the residual Sunshine State talent annually passed over by the big three Florida schools (Florida, Florida State and Miami). In 2009, he is stealing some away and is on his way to signing one of the best recruiting classes in the history of the young program. The Bulls currently have pledges from three top-25 positional prospects, led by ESPNU 150 athlete Victor Marc (Hallandale, Fla.).

Florida State
Despite some uncertainty surrounding the future of head coach Bobby Bowden and consecutive sub-par seasons in Tallahassee, the Seminoles currently have the No. 7 class and the finest out of the big three Florida schools. Naming Jimbo Fisher as Bowden's successor seems to have helped, and FSU's storied tradition still holds a lot of weight in the northern part of the state. The Seminoles boast four top-25 defensive linemen, led by the country's No. 1 defensive tackle Jacobbi McDaniel (Greenville, Fla./Madison).

Miami
After claiming the No. 1 recruiting class last February, the Hurricanes currently sit right outside our top 10 for 2009. The Southern Florida talent head coach Randy Shannon cleaned up on last year is not as deep, but this class still has its share of top-tier commitments. ESPNU 150 running back Bryce Brown (Wichita, Kan./East) and cornerback Prince Kent (Norcross, Ga.) are top-three national prospects at their respective positions.

Killian-Miami (1-0) at North Miami Beach (1-0), Thursday, 7 p.m. ET
All eyes in Dade County will be focused on this early season clash in ultra-competitive Class 6A. NMB, which is Florida's third-ranked 6A team, opened with a 48-12 victory over Jackson-Miami. The Chargers are guided by quarterback Nico Flores. Killian rolled to a 27-0 lead after one quarter en route to a season-opening 47-7 blowout of South Miami. Running back Lamar Miller rushed nine times for 109 yards and two scores to stoke the ground game.
-- Christopher Lawlor

Billy Tucker is a recruiting coordinator for Scouts Inc. and has close to a decade of coaching experience at the college and high school level. Tucker has served as a recruiting coordinator for two nationally ranked Division II colleges. Most recently, he was the associate head coach and defensive coordinator for Merrimack College, which advanced to the Sweet 16 in the 2006 NCAA Division II playoffs.