UF recruiting breakdown: Secondary

The signees: Safety/cornerback Josh Evans, 6-foot-2, 185 pounds, Irvington, N.J.; safety Dee Finley, 6-1, 193, Auburn, Ala.

The star: Finley was one of the nation’s top safety prospects a year ago when he signed with UF. He came up short academically and attended Milford Academy in the fall. Now, he’s back and could be an early contributor at one of the safety positions. He’s a big-time hitter who has a knack for being around the ball. He picked off seven passes as a senior at Auburn High and eight as a junior, returning three for touchdowns.

The sleeper: Evans flew a little under the radar until late in the recruiting season, but he’s a four-star prospect and another New Jersey star defensive back coming to Gainesville, joining Will Hill, who signed a year ago. Like Hill, Evans played quarterback and defensive back in high school. He looks like a safety, but he very well could end up at cornerback.

One that got away: Greg Reid committed to UF the day after signing day a year ago, but he became turned off by UF’s depth chart at cornerback and decided to find a school where he had a better chance to play immediately. So, the life-long Gator is now a Seminole in one of the strangest reversals of the recruiting season.

Grade: B. The Gators wanted to sign another cornerback, but losing Reid and then Marsalis Teague on signing day wrecked the plan. Still, the Gators signed two highly rated players in Evans and Finely, who is already in school and will participate in spring drills.

Top target in 2010: The Gators recently received a commitment from Demar Dorsey, a top cornerback prospect from Lauderdale Boyd Anderson. UF now would like to reel in another star corner from South Florida — Cody Riggs from Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas. Riggs is very quick and fast, a tough CB to beat in man-to-man coverage.