Gators get commitment at defensive end

Florida received the 11th commitment of its 2009 recruiting class Thursday night in Palmetto, Fla., defensive end Kedric Johnson.

The 6-foot-4, 225-pound Johnson is a three-star prospect, according to Rivals.com, and chose Florida over Auburn, Clemson, Nebraska, Michigan, Ohio State, South Carolina and West Virginia.

Calls made to Johnson were not immediately returned Thursday night, but he did speak with the Bradenton Herald on Thursday.

"I sat down with my family and decided this was the best place for me to be," Johnson told the Herald. "Now, I can concentrate on my grades and getting bigger and better.

"It's one of the premiere programs in the country. Going to Florida, I knew I'd have a chance to play for a national championship."

Johnson finished with 40 total tackles and 19 sacks as a junior. He currently has 11.5 sacks in four games this season.

Johnson still has official visits scheduled for Clemson on Oct. 17 and at Nebraska on Nov. 7. It is unclear if he will honor those visits.

Johnson was on hand for the Florida-Miami game this season.