How’s that recruiting going, Gators?
A great signing day still wouldn’t do much to close the gap between UF and Alabama, or Clemson, or Georgia.
“If you’re going to compete with Alabama and Clemson and be a team that breaks through, you’ve got to be in the top five,” Farrell said. “They’ve still got some work to do.”
Even if UF lands a pair of top-100 south Florida recruits (receiver Mark-Antony Richards and cornerback Kaair Elam) the Gators still won’t have a five-star prospect on their roster. SEC East frontrunner Georgia has signed 11 over the last two classes. Rival LSU added three in December. The only incoming ’Bama recruit who isn’t a blue-chip talent is Will Reichard — the nation’s top kicker.
That means that while Mullen is trying to amass talent on his roster, the nation’s top programs keep stockpiling elite classes on top of elite classes. [Emphasis added.]
That’s from a piece that’s largely praiseworthy. I’m not hearing the sound of a gap closing there, but maybe that’s just me.
But wait, you might say. Isn’t Florida raking in-state recruiting, given the current fortunes of FSU and Miama?
Farrell said in-state recruiting is holding UF back. The Gators enter signing day with commitments or signatures from only two of the state’s top 30 recruits. That puts UF behind Florida State (six), Alabama (five), Georgia (four), Miami (three) and Clemson (three). UF doesn’t have a current player or incoming recruit from Bradenton football factory IMG Academy.
“A lot of the IMG kids are leaving the state,” Farrell said. “I think they need to get more of the high-level in-state kids to buy in.”
So much for that narrative. If that’s how Mullen is doing when the other two Florida powers are down, what’s going to happen if either or both recover?
Gator fans may find that “Dan Mullen turned Mississippi State around by maximizing solid rosters lacking in superstar recruits” is all they’ve got left. That would be a real shame.
Articles like these rank right up there with stories of our outstanding o-line recruits…just gravy baby. Enjoy it now folks. These are the good times.
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It’s really hard to enjoy when Kirby isn’t keeping fans/media closely apprised of the inner workings of the program and flying around in a yellow helicopter!!!!!
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SEC East frontrunner, Georgia…I like it.
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That author obviously has not consulted with Tom Luginbill.
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Does this guarantee us a long winning streak in J’ville, or wherever?
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Oh Lord, I hope so….
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Sounds like a Gator cannon shot to me!
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The IMG kids are not native Floridians for the most part. The pull to “stay home” in Florida just isn’t there. as we’ve seen with all the transplanted kids into Georgia over the last 15-20 years.
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There is no question that UF’s recruiting is not on the level of the top recruiting programs. I’m not sure any (rational) UF fan would say it is.
But if you’re a Florida fan looking for good news:
This class will be (slightly) better than the recent classes
and
This class will be lights out better than the departing class, which was McElwain’s transition class.
So overall UF’s talent level will improve slightly with this recruiting class.
Meanwhile Georgia continues to recruit at an absurd level.
So it’s not so much that UF is closing the gap, just maybe it’s UF isn’t falling as far behind.
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Mullen’s reputation from overachieving at Mississippi State still includes:
0-8 vs Bama
3-5 vs Auburn
2-6 vs LSU
Y’all. He may have done more with less at a doormat, but he never, ever got them over the hump.
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Prior 8 yrs they were
2-6 against Bama (probation)
1-7 against Auburn
0-8 against LSU
He did well at advancing MSU’s program, the verdict is still out with how he will do at UF, last year was promising. One of Spurrier favorite jabs was UGA’s recruiting success not paying off in Jax. Getting over the hump at a school which had a smaller budget than Vandy when he arrived isn’t that bad when you put it in perspective. I hope he is a flop but I am not celebrating yet.
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Me neither, but for all the hullabaloo, he was 4-4 vs Ole Miss.
Am I being unfair? Sure, I don’t think anyone expects MSU to go level with Bama.
But it takes a special kind of coaching to go from #1 in the CFP Poll to losing in a bowl game to Tech.
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Facing a triple option for the 1st time with nothing on the line is less shocking that getting beat by Texas when players were crowing they should be in the playoff.
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The talent level at Fl is better than MS. Mullen is a good coach. Don’t take Fl lightly UGA
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schadenfreude……it really is a poor quality in us humans but damn I just can’t help myself……..this makes me happy. If we win this years cocktail party do we get to start counting all over again just like the gaturds did in 1990?
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Not sure that I would count IMG as in state students.
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I think Georgia the state has caught up with Florida in high school talent and at QB especially.
The Harbaughs of the world aren’t scheming to hold more camps in Georgia so that didn’t work.
It’s gonna be a quiet signing day tomorrow, but I’m thoroughly impressed with the way Kirby has owned the recruiting trail.
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Did you see the David Andrews the shirtless David Andrews was at the center of the Patriots’ Super Bowl parade. That was awesome. You His uncle is former Cowboys player and Broncos coach Dan Reeves. I actually didn’t know that. But really happy for him he is a DGD. It’s a amazing he was under center for Aaron Murray and now Tom Brady
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Sorta odd Andrews went undrafted in the 2015 NFL Draft. I all ways liked him protecting with Murray and he got in after Ben Jones DGD no doubt
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I’ll be @ The Blind Pig Tavern tomorrow so maybe I’ll see a few of y’all
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