7 gators That need a good spring!

As the 2008 season and the NFL draft deadline for underclassmen are behind us, we can now give this basketball team plenty of love. But there's always time to lend a few words to some football players who need to come into next season looking sharp and ready to go. Here are seven guys who didn't maximize their potential in 2008. Some players on this list even had decent seasons, but they are better than what they showed.

The freshmen who weren't ridiculously hyped coming into their Gators career don't make the list. Those guys were expected to redshirt or not contribute.

1. DT Omar Hunter -- I know, he battled various injuries (ankle, back) during his first season as a Gator. But considering the colossal hype he came in with, a redshirt freshman season isn't what we all had in mind.

2. CB Wondy Pierre-Louis -- Talented freshman Janoris Jenkins took hold of the starting cornerback spot from the beginning. Pierre-Louis gave him absolutely no resistance. He could barely find his way on the field other than special teams.

3. DT John Brown -- Brown battled a hand injury and redshirted this season, but there's no excuse for a guy of his talent to just disappear. Make a tackle. Torrey Davis did, why can't you?

4. WR Deonte Thompson -- Thompson had a decent first season with Florida after catching 18 passes for 269 yards, but he's capable of much, much more.

5. LB Lorenzo Edwards -- Edwards has had a difficult transition from safety in high school to linebacker in college, but he hasn't taken ownership of his Gators career in two seasons. Even though Brandon Spikes is returning to school, Edwards needs to will himself into the lineup to avoid becoming a glorified special teams player once again. Brandon Hicks should be the model for Edwards.

6. RB Emmanuel Moody -- We all know he's talented, but he's simply got to show enough toughness to force coaches into playing him consistently alongside Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey.

7. SS Will Hill -- His 45 tackles are misleading, as many of them came on special teams. Hill's the future of Florida's secondary, but he didn't take the position in the preseason like he should have. Ahmad Black had no problem doing that for him.