We always hear about Tim Tebow and Brandon Spikes in the media for good reason. Yet there are a whole host of Gators who are vital to the team, but don’t get as much publicity. These rankings are merely for fun and hopefully they can help give a little exposure to some guys who truly deserve it. A national championship team isn’t made up of a few guys, it’s made of an entire roster of guys that must all be on their game.

5. TE Aaron Hernandez

Everyone knows who Aaron is, but with Percy, Tebow, Demps, Murphy and company he didn’t get as much publicity as he would have anywhere else. The kid is a freak athlete and will be the go-to guy this season for Tebow. He is as good an NFL prospect as anyone on the team and should be a household name not just for Gator fans, but for any fan of college football.

4. LB Junior Brandon Hicks

Hicks came out of nowhere to become a valuable linebacker for the Gators. When Doe and Jones were hampered by injuries, Hicks seized the day. He started the last six games of the year including the national championship game. Hicks broke through the stout Oklahoma offensive line to sack Heisman winning QB Sam Bradford for a huge 14 yard loss to set the tone for the game. Hicks still has two years left of eligibility and could become a star if he continues to improve.

3. CB Sophomore Janoris Jenkins

Jenkins came in as true freshman and not only played well, but was the starting corner alongside Joe Haden from opening day. Him and Haden helped to shor up a position that was one of the weakest links of the 2007 team. Haden has been named a preseason All-American and received a lot of the hype, but I have heard rumors the coaches think Janoris is the better all-around corner. He is a stud and produced almost identical stats as Haden. Look for Jenkins to put behind his off the field troubles and play even better this season.

2. OL Junior Carl Johnson

Carl has been an enigma in his tenure at Florida. After being a highly touted prep star he came into camp out of shape and his first two years were characterized as a failure overall. He was seen as a guy with a ton of talent who wouldn’t work hard. Things started to change last summer and the coaches noticed. Carl was competing for a starting spot and although he didn’t initially start he clearly made strides. By the end of the year he was entrenched as a starter and was a key part of the SEC and national championship titles. Carl is now the anchor of the line at right tackle protecting Tebow’s blindside and will be as important as anyone on the entire team in 2009.

1. Junior S Ahmad Black

Ahmad Black was right up there in my mind for last year’s defensive MVP along with Spikes and Dunlap. Ahmad isn’t your prototypical safety; he is only 5 foot 9 inches and 185 pounds. But this guy just knows how to play football, plain and simple. He has a knack for the ball as evidenced by his team-leading 7 interceptions. He also had an impressive 59 tackles and 5 pass breakups. He isn’t the stud athlete of a Carlos Dunlap or the big hitter like Major Wright, but he is an irreplaceable part of the Gator defense. His 7 picks were tied for the most in the nation last season and he was second behind Eric Berry in interception return yards. The stats show Black was right up there with Eric Berry, yet he isn’t even first team All-Conference while Berry is a first team All-American. If that doesn’t show how underrated he is, I don’t know what does.

Ben Pettito is a columnist for GatorTailgating.com