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Florida football recruiting: 2014 DT Anthony Moten makes eight for Gators

Florida's first commit of the 2014 recruiting cycle was a defensive tackle. After losing that guy already, the Gators picked up another one in Anthony Moten on Tuesday night.

By Andy Hutchins
Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

2014 defensive tackle Anthony Moten of St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale became the latest player to commit to Florida on Tuesday night, doing so in an ALL CAPS tweet:

Moten, a four-star recruit according to 247Sports' 247Composite rating, is 6'4" and 279 pounds according to 247 and 6'4" and 265 pounds according to Rivals. That seems like the frame of a run-stuffing defensive tackle to me, especially if he can add bulk, and the glut of defensive tackles currently on Florida's roster would likely allow Moten to redshirt if necessary in 2014.

SB Nation recruiting editor Bud Elliott chimed in with these thoughts on Moten:

Moten is a swing defensive lineman who is capable of playing anywhere from a three to a five-technique. His best attributes are his length and his quickness. I think he has room to add 10-15 pounds on his frame, and we'll see him eventually playing in the 290-300 range, as opposed to the 305-315 range. To me, he looks like someone capable of being a multi-year starter in a BCS league. He is not a finished product, and is more raw than the typical Aquinas star.

It also bears mentioning that Moten is the first St. Thomas Aquinas player to pull the trigger for Florida in a while. Bryan Cox, Jr. was a January addition to Florida's 2012 recruiting class, and Marcus Roberson joined Florida's 2011 class the week of National Signing Day, but Moten is the first player from Aquinas to commit to the Gators since the departure of Aubrey Hill, Florida's former wide receivers coach, recruiting coordinator, and South Florida recruiter.

Having a pipeline to Aquinas is vital in Florida recruiting: The program routinely produces BCS league-caliber recruits, and is one of the most venerated in South Florida. The Gators' three players from STA (Cody Riggs, Cox, and Roberson) are their most from any one high school on the 2013 roster.

Moten also replaces Travonte Valentine, Florida's first 2014 commit, on the defensive line, likely making the chances of Valentine rejoining Florida's class slim.

Florida now has eight recruits committed for the class of 2014. It's April 3, 2013.