National Signing Day Can Cap Off Great Recruiting Class For Gators

The Florida Gator football program has struggled mightily since Tim Tebow left campus after the 2009 season. The lowest point was in 2017, when the Gators went 4-7 and missed a bowl game.

However, since firing Jim McElwain and hiring Dan Mullen, the football program has bounced back in a big way. In Mullen’s first season at the helm, the Gators finished 10-3, including a 41-15 victory over the Michigan Wolverines in the Peach Bowl.

This success and change in culture has impacted recruiting in numerous ways. According to 247 Sports, the Gators 2019 recruiting class ranks 11th in the country. With National Signing Day on Wednesday, February 6th, the Gators are hoping to jump up a few more spots in the rankings.

They are targeting four major four star recruits. These recruits are Kaiir Elam, Mark-Antony Richards, Khris Bogle and Charles Moore. While it’s unexpected that the Gators will land all four prospects, they are definitely in position to grab a few.

National Signing Day Schedule pic.twitter.com/Q4pSFvHNv1

— Florida Zone (@Florida_Zone) February 5, 2019

The Recruits

Kaiir Elam, the son of former NFL player Abram Elam and the nephew of former Gator and NFL player Matt Elam, looks primed to end up at Florida. Elam is the 6th ranked cornerback and the 48th ranked player in the class of 2019.

While Elam tweeted that his decision is down to Florida, Georgia, Miami and Colorado, Blake Alderman of 247 Sports thinks it’s only a two team race.

Elam will announce his decision at 1 p.m. on ESPN2.

West Palm Beach native Mark-Antony Richards looks like he’ll be headed to the SEC regardless of the college he picks. He will likely decide between Florida, Auburn and Georgia. Richards is the 4th ranked athlete and 90th overall prospect in the country. Richards will announce his commitment at 11:00 a.m.

Khris Bogle, who is currently committed to Alabama, looks less likely to commit to the Gators than Elam and Richards. Bogle, is the 3rd ranked weak-side defensive end and the 71st ranked player in the nation. The Fort Lauderdale product is down to Alabama, Florida, Miami and Tennessee, according to his twitter page.

Alderman breaks down Bogle’s recruiting timeline over the past month.

The final prospect the Gators are going after is strong-side defensive end Charles Moore. Moore is the 6th ranked strong-side defensive end and 69th overall recruit in the country. After visiting the Gators less than a month ago, it seems like they are in the thick of his recruiting process.

https://twitter.com/CharlesMoore_11/status/1084966152504332289

Final Thoughts

The Gators should end up grabbing at least two of these four big time prospects. Elam and Richards seem like the most likely duo to end up in orange and blue, but Bogle and Moore had great experiences in their most recent visits to Gainesville. If the Gators can jump up to 8th or 9th in the final recruiting rankings, it will be a major success in Dan Mullen’s first full cycle of recruiting.