Carolina sweet for Gators

When Florida landed a commitment Wednesday from 2014 four-star quarterback Will Grier of Davidson Day, a school just north of Charlotte, he became the latest in a long line of players from North Carolina to pick that program.

D.J. Humphries was a five-star pickup from North Carolina by the Gators in 2012.

To put it mildly, the Tar Heel state has been awfully good to the Gators.

This past February, Florida signed a pair of five-star commits -- offensive tackle D.J. Humphries and defensive end Jonathan Bullard -- from there, and each was a major contributor this season.

Before that, the Gators hit home runs with players such as Chris Leak and Brandon Spikes. Both left Gainesville, Fla., with BCS championship rings.

Here's a look at some of Florida's most memorable signings from North Carolina over the past two decades …

D.J. Humphries
Class -- 2012
School -- Charlotte Mallard Creek
Position -- Offensive tackle
The Skinny -- While in high school, Humphries was among the most decorated players in the country. He ended up ranked No. 3 overall and No. 1 at offensive tackle in the 2012 class. He enrolled at Florida last January and has played in all 12 games this season with three starts. Humphries may have a chance to be a full-time starter next season. He was named to the All-SEC Freshman team that was selected by the league coaches.

Jonathan Bullard
Class -- 2012
School -- Shelby Crest
Position -- Defensive end
The Skinny -- Bullard was a 247Composite five-star recruit. In fact, he was No. 1 among strong-side ends for 2012. Thus far, Bullard has played in every game. Heading into the Gators' bowl game he has 26 tackles, including five for loss. He was an All-SEC Freshman team selection.

Xavier Nixon
Class -- 2009
School -- Fayetteville Jack Britt
Position -- Offensive tackle
The Skinny -- A 247Composite five-star offensive tackle in the class of 2009, Nixon was never a star at Florida but he did start plenty of games. Battling injuries throughout his college career, Nixon was a key contributor for four straight seasons and earned All-SEC freshman honors in 2009. He will complete his final season at the Sugar Bowl.

Carl Johnson
Class -- 2006
School -- Durham Southern
Position -- Offensive guard
The Skinny -- The 6-feet-5, 355-pound Johnson was a 247Composite five-star recruit in 2006. He played in 50 games, and made 33 starts combined at guard and tackle. Johnson was a redshirt on the 2006 national title team but he started at left guard in the BCS title game in January 2009.

Brandon Spikes
Class -- 2006
School --Shelby Crest
Position -- Middle linebacker
The Skinny -- A five-star recruit, Spikes was the No. 1 recruit in North Carolina for his class. He certainly lived up to the hype. He was a role player for the program's 2006 national championship squad, and a star for the team that won it all in 2008. In 2009, Spikes was a finalist for both the Butkus and Bednarik awards. He also was an Asociated Press first-team All-American. At Florida, he returned four interceptions for touchdowns. Today, he plays for the New England Patriots.

Chris Leak
Class -- 2003
School -- Charlotte Independence
Position -- Quarterback
The Skinny -- Coming out of high school, Leak was a five-star 247Composite prospect ranked as the No. 2 pro-style quarterback in the class. A few games into his first season in Gainesville, he already had become the starter. Leaks had some ups and downs, and never seemed like a great fit for the offense of Urban Meyer, who replaced Ron Zook as coach for the 2005 season, but he led Florida to a national title in 2006 and ended up as the school's all-time leading passer with 11,213 yards.

Lance Butler
Class -- 2001
School -- Lexington West Davidson
Position -- OG/OT
The Skinny -- A highly recruited lineman, Butler was solid, if not spectacular, in Gainesville in the early and mid-2000s. By the time his college career was over, he had started 34 games -- including 28 straight at one point. With the Gators, Butler started games at guard and tackle.

Steve Shipp
Class -- 1997
School -- West Charlotte
Position -- Wide receiver
The Skinny -- Shipp arguably was the most prized member of the Gators' 1997 recruiting class and was among the program's most known signees in the 1990s. But the Parade All-American never panned out. In Aug. 1999, the team announced he was transferring. At Florida, Shipp finished with exactly one catch for minus-4 yards.

Mo Collins
Class -- 1994
School -- West Charlotte
Position -- Offensive tackle
The Skinny -- Collins was a big pickup for Steve Spurrier's program in 1994. He started three seasons at Florida -- and was a member of two SEC championship teams and one national championship squad. Collins was a valuable player at Florida, and later was taken in the first round of the NFL draft. He started in the 2003 Super Bowl at guard.