Gator Country

Orlando (Fla.) Dr. Phillips safety Marcell Harris laughs while talking with Florida Gators football coach Will Muschamp during Friday Night Lights on July 27. / Gator Country photo by Mike Capshaw

The month of July has been a busy one for Florida football in regards to Gators recruiting.

In this article GatorCountry.com’s Andre Spivey offers a recap of the month for those who may have been on vacation or missed anything for various other reasons.

Florida picked up five verbal commitments during the month of July. Four of those were for the Class of 2013 and the other was a Class of 2014 prospect

Tampa (Fla.) Wharton cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III was the first commitment of the month when he picked Florida over Southern California and South Florida.

Lawrenceville (Ga.) Archer defensive end Antonio Riles was next up to pledge his commitment to Florida. Riles picked Florida over Georgia and South Carolina.

Hargreaves’ best friend and 7-on-7 teammate Jordan Sherit was the next to commit to Florida. Sherit, a Tampa (Fla.) Hillsborough defensive end, chose the Gators over Notre Dame and Stanford.

Palm Bay (Fla.) Bayside defensive tackle Travonte Valentine made sure to add to the Class of 2014 as he committed to Florida over Florida State and Miami. Valentine once was pledged to Louisville before withdrawing that commitment.

To end the month, a local star committed to the Gators in Gainesville (Fla.) High receiver Chris Thompson. He received a scholarship offer on Monday and committed on the spot.

While there was a plenty of positive news for Florida this past month, there were a few prospects that got away from the Gators as well.

Honolulu Moanalua High defensive tackle Scott Pagano committed to Clemson this month over Florida and LSU. The big Hawaiian run-stopper was one of Florida’s top defensive tackle targets.

Another top target for the Gators committed to Clemson last month in Fort Valley (Ga.) Peach County receiver Demarcus Robinson.

Thomson (Ga.) High tight end Jordan Davis visited Florida twice this month, but when it came time to announce a decision he choose the in-state Bulldogs instead of the Gators.

A couple of elite prospects also visited the Gators last month.

Orlando (Fla.) Dr. Phillips safety Marcell Harris visited Florida last Thursday and Friday. The Gators look to be the leader with Texas slightly behind. Harris said he plans to announce his five favorites “soon,” and has an official visit scheduled to Texas on Sept. 1.

Jacksonville (Fla.) Sandalwood defensive end Demarcus Walker visited Florida and Alabama this past month and both of those schools are his finalist. An announcement is expected Aug. 24 on national television, although it’s unclear what station will broadcast that at this time.

About the author

Andrew Spivey

Andrew always knew he wanted to be involved with sports in some capacity. He began by coaching high school football for six years before deciding to pursue a career in journalism. While coaching, he was a part of two state semifinal teams in the state of Alabama. Given his past coaching experience, he figured covering recruiting would be a perfect fit. He began his career as an intern for Rivals.com, covering University of Florida football recruiting. After interning with Rivals for six months, he joined the Gator Country family as a recruiting analyst. Andrew enjoys spending his free time on the golf course and watching his beloved Atlanta Braves. Follow him on Twitter at @AndrewSpiveyGC.

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