Between the Gators bedspread, the closet full of UF apparel, the national championship Wheaties boxes and the posters, it's clear why Trey Burton's college decision was easy.
Burton, a junior quarterback at Venice High, wasted little time orally committing to the Gators last July, almost two years before he was scheduled to graduate from high school.
"Ever since I was around 6 years old, I've always loved Florida," Burton said.
Not only did such an early decision keep other coaches off his phone line, it allowed the option quarterback to essentially become the head of UF's recruiting class.
The day he orally committed, Burton sent a text to Ian Silberman, then the only other player in the Gators' 2010 class. Silberman is an offensive lineman who moves exceptionally, a characteristic often seen in left tackles, the protector of a quarterback's blind side. The signal caller estimates that they text three or four times a week.
But the dual-threat quarterback's attention is more on swaying uncommitted players.
"I'm a big competitor, and I want to win. I'll do pretty much whatever it takes," Burton said. "I know that bringing some of these kids in, they're going to make me better and I'm going to make them better."
When Burton heard the UF coaching staff was looking at Lithonia (Ga.) Martin Luther King running back Mack Brown, he made it a priority to meet him at the Under Armour All-America Combine in January. Burton and Brown became fast friends - they text message frequently - and Burton let Brown know where he should commit.
"I told him straight up, he's one of the kids I want to play with when I get up there and that's it," Burton said.
Burton said he won't force Brown to make a decision, but he knows a backfield consisting of him and Brown could make for an exciting offense in the future.
And like any good recruiter, Burton knows not to focus on just one player. He has been friends with linebacker Christian Jones for two years.
Burton met Jones at a summer basketball tournament and found out first-hand what the 6-foot-4, 220-pounder is capable of doing.
"He dunked on me pretty good," the quarterback laughed.
Jones' flash of athleticism left an impression on Burton, so much so that he urged the UF coaches to take a look at the Winter Park Lake Howell High linebacker. The Gators offered Jones a scholarship on Feb. 27.
"Every kid that has a pretty good shot, that's a really good player, I tell them about," Burton said.
This is not new for UF. Tim Tebow's commitment to UF in December 2005 paved the way for commitments from Percy Harvin - who declared six days after Tebow - and Brandon Spikes, and the Gators' 2007 recruiting class featured seven players from Lakeland High. That group was essentially recruited to Gainesville by running back Chris Rainey, who committed in May 2006.
The trend of high-profile recruits persuading other players to join their class began about five years ago. According to the wireless trade association CTIA, 40 percent of teens owned cell phones in 2004.
That is about the time highly touted Penn State commitments Justin King and Derrick Williams started convincing other nationally ranked recruits to become Nittany Lions. The next year, a young Penn State team captured a share of the Big Ten Conference title.
And as the number of teenagers with cell phones rises (CTIA estimates 80 percent now), so does the number of stories of high school players recruiting each other.
"That is what spurred it on more than anything, the technology," Rivals.com recruiting analyst Jamie Newberg said.
Even with technology, Burton's effort has been extraordinary. In addition to Silberman, Brown and Jones, the athletic playmaker consistently talks with Ocala Trinity Catholic wideout Kadron Boone, Royal Palm Beach High receiver Chris Dunkley and Bradenton Southeast High safety Jonathan Dowling, UF's latest oral commit.
The defensive back said Burton asked over and over when he was going to become a Gator.
"I like to recruit," Burton said. "I definitely want the best class in 2010."
