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Florida could one day have the best defensive line in college football. For now, though, the freshman trio of Sharrif Floyd, Ronald Powell and Dominique Easley can only hope to live up to some of the hype.
- Floyd is the 300-pound defensive tackle from north Philadelphia whose life story could end up on the big screen.
- Powell is the 250-pound defensive end from California whose expectations are higher than even the most ardent Florida fan.
- Easley is the 270-pound defensive tackle from New York who openly compares the trio to LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
''It's pretty exciting if you think about it,'' said Floyd, widely regarded as the No. 1 defensive tackle in the country. ''We can do a lot of great things here. We can get a lot of stuff rolling, can have the SEC scared of us. We can have it all. But we've got to keep it together.''
They are the prized pieces of coach Urban Meyer's latest recruiting class. They wavered following Meyer's health issues and weren't sure he would even be around this fall. But the five-star prospects eventually talked it over, chose to stick together and move to Gainesville.
It could be one of the most important decisions in Florida football lore.
''Take away all the stars. We don't care about the stars,'' said Powell, ranked the top recruit in the nation. ''If you take away all that stuff, there's a lot of talent out here. ... We're going to make a great impact on this team. We are the future. But all we can do right now is work hard and see what happens.''
The Gators certainly could use some help on defense. Linebacker Brandon Spikes, cornerback Joe Haden and the team's top two pass rushers - Jermaine Cunningham and Carlos Dunlap - are in the NFL, leaving several holes on a revamped unit that has a new coordinator, Teryl Austin.
Sure, Florida has plenty of experience on the defensive line. But the Gators also have concerns, especially with Lawrence Marsh (ankle), Terron Sanders (knee), Justin Trattou (biceps), Jaye Howard (knee) and Brandon Antwine (shoulder) coming off injuries.
The biggest challenge facing Floyd, Powell and Easley is getting accustomed to the speed of the college game and the size and athleticism of the guys blocking them.
''There aren't any 5-foot-2, 250-pound linemen like in high school,'' Floyd said.
Floyd and Powell found that out in a hurry, when Meyer matched them against bigger linemen during one-on-one ''circle'' drills during the first full-pads practice Monday.
''Guys kind of wait sometimes for guys that have those 15 stars behind their name to come here and see if they can humble them a little bit,'' defensive line coach Dan McCarney said. ''That's just human nature. ... But it's the best group of young defensive linemen I've ever been around. They're all going to be really good players. It's just a matter of when, not if.''
The newcomers have impressed more than their coaches, too.
''Sharrif looked like he just came straight outta prison,'' running back Emmanuel Moody said. ''He's strong. He looks mean. He's 310 pounds. He's fast. He looks chiseled for a lineman. He looks ready to go. Usually freshmen don't look like that.''
Floyd had reason to be ready for this opportunity.
He grew up poor and remembers wearing the same clothes to elementary school every day for months at a time. His biological father died when he was 3 years old, and the man he thought was his father over the next 12 years ''didn't treat me right growing up.''
Floyd left home at 15, moved in with grandmother and then bounced around from coaches to friends to other relatives.
''Football turned out to be the best thing that ever happened for me,'' Floyd said.
Floyd had made up his mind to sign with Ohio State until he met Powell at the Army All-American Bowl. That's where they decided to stick together, Floyd spurning the Buckeyes and Powell snubbing Southern California. Easley made a similarly surprising decision a week earlier, when he de-committed from Penn State in favor of Florida.
All three expect to make an immediate impact, but Powell has the biggest plans.
''I do have expectations for myself,'' he said. ''I want to be the best defensive end in America. I want to be that. My expectations are a lot higher than everyone else's.''
Maybe not Easley. He compared the trio to something happening in Miami, where James, Wade and Bosh joined forces to make the Heat a favorite in the NBA's Eastern Conference.
''Just like them, we've still got to earn our respect,'' Easley said. ''We made a pact to keep pushing each and never let each other go down. If we do that, we'll live up to the hype.''
