On the same exact day that Ronald Johnson committed to play for the USC Trojans, the Gators picked up a commitment from Scout 4-star LB Brandon Hicks (Jacksonville):
"Me and my family talked about it, prayed about it, and it went back and forth for a long time," Hicks said. "At one point, I was really thinking it was going to be Miami, but everything about Florida seemed right."
GatorCountry.com had this to add about Hicks:
Hicks brings exceptional athletic ability and outstanding speed to the National Champions and will help replace a depleted linebacker corps. With as few as four remaining scholarship linebackers from last year's team on roster, Hicks was a huge need and should see playing time immediately.
Brandon's Scout profile has him listed with a 4.6 40, and claims that his sideline to sideline speed will be a great asset in the upcoming years. He also played WR in his high school career.
The Gators now have 3 LB commits in this class: Hicks, Lorenzo Edwards (Edgewater), and John Jones (Sarasota). These 3 will have to make up for the loss of Seniors Brian Crum and Earl Everett, early draft entry Brandon Siler and Jon Demps -- a LB who may not be returning to the team in 2007.
Pretty good pickup today for the Gators, who earlier lost a pretty big recruit to the West Coast.