GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- There's no question that enrolling in January gives a freshman a head start on becoming ready to play on Saturdays in the fall.
Florida has seven players scheduled to be on campus today when the spring semester beings – with possibly two others joining. Here's a look at the players who are hoping to take advantage of participating in February conditioning, spring practice and offseason workouts, with a summary of their strengths and weaknesses (based on the scouts' report on each player's page) and a projection of the impact they might make in 2013:
The skinny: The 6-foot-8, 350-pound Brown is, as you would expect, exceptionally strong and powerful. He's capable of just devastating opponents and has the attitude to match. He's got long arms, which allows him to control defenders, and is quicker in his lower body than people would expect. He's got to work to keep his pad level low and he gets beaten by quicker defenders, especially if he doesn't get his hands on them.
Potential impact in 2013: Florida needs help on the offensive line and the transfer from Georgia Military College will compete with sophomore D.J. Humphries at left tackle. Humphries has the inside track on the starting job considering he's been in the system for a year and was also an early enrollee, but expect Brown to get significant playing time. He's a perfect fit as an extra tight end in the Gators' jumbo package. They don't get much more jumbo than Brown.
The skinny: The 6-3, 310-pound Cummings is a run-stuffing tackle with good strength and quickness. He's a tough load to move and he does a solid job of holding his ground and controlling a gap. He uses his hands well and is able to shed blocks. He's got enough range that he's able to pursue ball carriers to the outside. Cummings isn't a dynamic pass rusher but he's able to get push up the middle.
Potential impact in 2013: The Gators need a lot of help at nose tackle after the graduation of Omar Hunter, who played the best football of his career in 2012. Cummings, an East Mississippi Community College transfer, will compete with redshirt junior Leon Orr for the starting job. If he doesn't play at nose tackle, he'll figure into the rotation at the other tackle spot with senior Damien Jacobs, redshirt freshman Quinteze Williams and several other freshmen commits.
DT Joey Ivie
The skinny: He's a high-motor guy who gets off the ball pretty well and has a knack for shooting the gap and being disruptive. He's not exceptionally tall (6-4) but he does a good job of getting his hands up and knocking the ball down if he can't get to the quarterback. He's a solid rusher up the middle. Ivie is able to use his hands well to get separation and shed blocks.
Potential impact in 2013: Ivie also will have a chance to get into the rotation at tackle, especially with the departure of Sharrif Floyd to the NFL. The concern is Ivie's size against the beefy SEC offensive lines. He could see some time at end, as well, but the Gators appear to be stocked there with Jonathan Bullard and Dominique Easley (if he doesn't leave for the NFL).
OLB Daniel McMillian
The skinny: The 6-2, 220-pound McMillian has the speed, agility and versatility to play all three linebacker spots, and there's a possibility that he could eventually develop into a buck linebacker or a defensive end. He's a good pass rusher with a good burst. He's also able to chase down ball carriers and is good in coverage. He's a physical tackler who attacks the line of scrimmage.
Potential impact in 2013: The Gators are losing MLB Jon Bostic and need a replacement. Mike Taylor or Antonio Morrison are the top two candidates, but Taylor struggles in pass coverage and Morrison needs to add about 20-30 pounds to hold up physically at the spot for an entire season. McMillian is a little bigger than Morrison, so he could get a shot there. But he'll most certainly earn some playing time on defense because UF doesn't have a lot of depth at linebacker. He also projects to be a regular contributor on special teams.
OT Tyler Moore
The skinny: Moore is a big (6-6, 300), physical brawler -- exactly what you want at the tackle position. His biggest asset is his strength and he's able to push defenders around and finishes blocks well in the run game. His footwork needs to improve and he's sometimes a bit stuff in his lower body. But he was good enough to start four games as a freshman at Nebraska in 2011. He was the first freshman offensive lineman to start the season opener in school history.
Potential impact in 2013: Like Brown, Moore will be able to compete for a starting job. He'll battle Chaz Green, the incumbent starter at right tackle, but will certainly get playing time in the Gators' jumbo package. UF could stick Moore and Brown out there as extra tight ends and create a formidable short-yardage formation.
LB Matt Rolin
The skinny: The 6-4, 209-pound Rolin is an aggressive, physical tackler who has the speed, quickness and agility to play multiple linebacker spots. He's solid in pass coverage. Rolin excels in stopping the run. He's quick off the ball, has good lateral movement, and is a smart player who is rarely fooled by misdirection and play action. He played wide receiver in high school so he will be one of UF's most athletic linebackers when he's healthy.
Potential impact in 2013: Rolin will redshirt after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ACL.
The skinny: The son of former UF standout running back Fred Taylor is the nation's top-rated player at his position. He's pretty much a carbon copy of his father in terms of athleticism and moves -- but it's a copy of his father as a college senior. Kelvin Taylor has already mastered the jump cut that his father didn't perfect until later in his college career. He's a downhill runner with good elusiveness, very good speed and the power to break tackles.
Potential impact in 2013: With Mike Gillislee gone, Matt Jones enters spring practice as the top back. Taylor will get plenty of work, though, and even if he doesn't beat out Jones he will get significant carries in the fall. UF would like to have a featured back but also wants to rotate guys to keep them fresh. Enrolling in January will give Taylor a head start over Adam Lane.
The skinny: Robinson said Monday that he will enroll at Florida on Tuesday. Robinson is a big target (6-2, 200) who has good speed and ball skills. He runs solid routes and uses his body to shield defenders from the ball. He's able to go up and get the ball and go down and dig out a low throw. He's a physical runner after the catch and is a good blocker.
Potential impact: He could end up with a starting job. UF's receivers are below average. Quinton Dunbar had 31 catches this season to top all WRs, and only one other WR on the roster has more than eight career catches (Andre Debose has 26). The Gators desperately need playmakers and Robinson and any other receiver that signs -- UF has four wide receiver commits -- will be given every chance to win a starting job.