Gators pick up commitment from St. Thomas Aquinas DE Cox Jr.

Florida coach Will Muschamp added a necessary piece to the recruiting puzzle Saturday with the pickup of three-star defensive end Bryan Cox Jr.

Cox, the son of former All-Pro NFL linebacker and current Miami Dolphins pass rush coach Bryan Cox, fills a need on the defensive line, where Florida was extremely thin following the 2011 season. Cox is also a candidate for the Buck linebacker position currently played by rising junior Ronald Powell. 

From Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas, Cox will join two former high school teammates in cornerbacks Cody Riggs and Marcus Roberson on the Gators roster. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound Cox is rated as the No. 37 strongside defensive end in the country, according to Rivals.com. 

He is the 19th commitment in Florida's 2012 class, which will not be finalized until National Signing Day on Feb. 1. The Gators have commitments from three defensive ends and two defensive tackles so far. 

Cox committed Saturday while in Gainesville on an official visit. Several other Gators commits are also in town, as well as a handful of high-profile undecided targets, and more commitments could be coming soon.