Mack Brown didn't work out or participate in any drills Friday night, but he drew everyone's attention just by saying a few words.
Brown, a four-star running back prospect from Lithonia (Ga.) Martin Luther King High, became the 16th oral commitment of the Gators' 2010 recruiting class at UF's fifth annual Friday Night Lights camp.
Brown made his intentions known to coach Urban Meyer and the UF staff following the camp.
"I talked to Florida coaches more than I talked to any other coaches, so that was the biggest thing for me," Brown said. "They showed me a lot of stuff about what they're going to do next year with (UF quarterback John) Brantley, so it'll be more of an I-formation team."
The 5-foot-11, 185-pound running back chose UF over Georgia, a decision he thinks may earn him a hard time from his friends who root for the nearby Bulldogs.
According to Rivals.com, Brown is the sixth-best running back in the country and the No. 56 overall prospect. He said he anticipates competing with other UF running backs for playing time and compared himself to Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, adding that he tries to set the bar high.
"I work hard, and God blessed me with a lot of talent," Brown said. "I love competition."
Although Brown's verbal commitment was the biggest story of the night, more than 200 recruits tried to make a name for themselves in The Swamp in front of UF coaches and players.
"There were a lot of great athletes out here," said UF 2010 oral commit Trey Burton. "I think (Friday) was a really good night for recruiting."
Burton didn't participate in any drills with the other players, but he stuck to his role as unofficial recruiter, a job he has played to perfection in helping piece together UF's 2010 recruiting class.
Burton, a quarterback out of Venice High, met Brown at Friday Night Lights last year, when Meyer expressed an interest in pursuing the running back. Burton and Brown became friends quickly, and the two frequently send text messages to each other.
"When Tebow was a senior in high school, that's what he did - he went and got Percy," Burton said. "So it comes with the position. Whether you like it or not, you still have to do it. I think doing this will definitely help us win, and I'm the worst loser ever."
With UF's offense likely to undergo many changes once Tim Tebow graduates and Brantley takes over at quarterback, Burton thinks he and Brown will work well together in the new scheme.
"He can do everything. He can line up in the I - he's just an all-around running back," Burton said. "I think we're going to have an awesome option game when he gets up here with he and I running it."
As Ben Hill Griffin Stadium's impressive new video boards showed highlight reels of UF's 2008 season - a running scoreboard of every game on one side and the final boxscore of last season's UF-FSU game on the other - Burton added that he was ready to get out on the field and play Friday night.
But Meyer knew his combo recruit/recruiter could be put to better use, so he told him to work on convincing some players to orally commit to UF rather than participate in passing drills. His efforts paid off with Brown, who Burton shadowed for much of the night.
Already determined to become a Gator and play for Meyer, Burton said he was aware of the rumors that his possible future coach might leave for Notre Dame.
"I knew he wasn't going anywhere," Burton said. "As soon as that came out, I got an e-mail (from Meyer) saying he wasn't going anywhere, so I wasn't worried about that."
GLENN REMOVED FOR "U": Miami oral commit Tavadis Glenn flashed the "U" sign and was kicked out of the camp for doing so. UF released a statement saying Glenn left because of "potential safety issues to other campers." Check out our exclusive video of Glenn flashing the sign.
Oral commitments are non-binding until a national letter of intent is signed on National Signing Day.
