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  • MBB: Gators avenge early season loss to Butler with 77-43 rout

    MBB: Gators avenge early season loss to Butler with 77-43 rout

    Gainesville, FL- The Florida Gators avenged an early season loss with one of their most dominant performances of the year.

    Florida defeated Butler 77-43 and opened the game on a 21-0 run. Butler topped the Gators in the fifth place game at the Battle 4 Atlantis back in November

    In contrast to the beginning of the season, head coach Mike White has finally found his consistent scoring threat in Freshman Noah Locke. Locke has earned his way into a starting spot and has drained five treys in each of his last two games. His scoring average continues to climb, as it sits at 9.2 heading into the matchup.

    From the opening tip, Florida had the game in their hands and never looked back, as the Gators posted their best half of play all season. A 21-0 run to open the game was enough for the Gators to kill any Butler hope that was even left. Heading into the halftime break, Florida had shot a whopping 64% on 18-28 shooting from the field including going 6-9 from three point range. In contrast, the Bulldogs shot an atrocious 28% in the first half and was held to just 18 points, as the Gators put up 43.

    This is by far the best game Florida has played this year, defensively they were incredible, holding the opposing Bulldogs to 30% shooting in the game and even outrebounded Butler 46-18. The Gators were anchored by Kevarrius Hayes who lead the game with three blocks in the contest. Offensively, the Gators were led by a balanced attack as five different players scored in double digits. Florida was led by Keith Stone and Locke, as both posted 12 points.

    Revenge is sweet, and the Gators got what they wanted, a rematch with Butler and they took advantage of them. Florida moves to 8-4 on the season as the team heads into SEC play. The Gators will face Frank Martin‘s South Carolina Gamecocks on Saturday, January 5, at the Exactech Arena.

    Stats

    Florida: 77

    Stone – 12 points, 6 rebounds

    Allen – 11 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists

    K. Johnson – 10 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks

    Nembhard – 7 points, 3 assists

    Hudson – 11 points, 7 rebounds

    Hayes – 4 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 steals

    Locke – 12 points, 5 rebounds

    Basset – 6 points, 4 rebounds

    Butler: 43

    Baldwin – 9 points, 3 rebounds

    Tucker – 8 points

  • FB: Gators destroy Michigan, earn Peach Bowl title

    FB: Gators destroy Michigan, earn Peach Bowl title

    Atlanta, GA –-It has been a season full of broken streaks for Dan Mullen and the Gators. In week two of this season, Florida saw a streak of 31 consecutive wins over Kentucky come to an end. As the clock hit zero, many fans were ready to throw in the towel on the rest of the season.

    Nearly a decade of being conditioned to mediocrity or worse from the program had much of Gator Nation and the national media believing that we were in for another long and painful season. But Dan Mullen and his staff saw something different. They saw an opportunity to coach and improve a group of guys who just didn’t have much confidence.

    As the season went on, it began to reveal that the streak of ineffective offense and abysmal quarterback play was also coming to an end. The Gators offense posted its best numbers since 2009. And quarterback Feleipe Franks produced the best stat line a Gators quarterback has had since Tim Tebow in 2008.

    After suffering through five consecutive losses to in state rival Florida State, Mullen’s Gators ended that losing streak in a 41-14 blowout. That game also ended a streak of 36 consecutive bowl appearances for the Seminoles.

    The Gators closed out the season by ending another streak on Saturday. Heading into the Peach Bowl matchup with Michigan, the Gators had lost each of the four previous contests with the Wolverines. By the final whistle, Mullen and the boys had added another broken streak to their list.

    Much had been made about the perceived talent gap between the two teams. The experts and oddsmakers were confident in how this game would play out. But when they met on the field, one team saw things differently.

    Florida came out focused and determined to leave Mercedes-Benz Stadium with a win and continued momentum for next season.

    While Michigan had several key playmakers opt out of playing the game to prepare for the NFL combine, Florida’s draft eligible players took the opportunity to add to their legacy.

    Chauncey Gardner-Johnson made his presence known early. But the full impact was more than the sum of his stats. Apart from two interceptions, including a pick six on a tipped pass, his leadership was evident in the secondary and on the sideline.

    1st Downs UF: 15 UM: 18

    Passing Yards UF: 170 UM: 249

    Rushing Yards UF: 250 UM: 69

    Total Yards UF: 420 UM: 318

    Total Plays UF: 64 UM: 68

    Penalties UF: 5-40 UM: 4-22

    Turnovers UF: 0 UM:2

    It wasn’t until the second half that Florida really began to pull away. However, the edge was apparent on both sides of the ball throughout the game, beginning on the first defensive series.

    From the onset, Florida’s defensive front was in the Michigan backfield. Their aggressive play looked like it might work in Michigan’s favor at first as Shea Patterson was able to take advantage by faking the handoff and breaking free on the edge for a gain of 20 plus yards.

    Two plays later, the Wolverines broke the edge once again and raced 48 yards for a touchdown. Only, Christian Turner had stepped out of bounds and the ruling on the field was overturned. The result of the play was third and one.

    Florida found their way through the cracks in Michigan’s offensive line to force a fourth down attempt. On that leaping attempt, Vosean Joseph timed his play perfectly and stopped Ben Mason dead.

    That opening series set the tone for the Gators defense who would hold a Michigan offense that is predicated on the ability to run, to a paltry 69 yards rushing.

    Passing Leaders

    UF Franks: 13/23 173 YDS 1 TD

    UM Patterson: 22/36 236 YDS 1 TD 2 INT

    The Gators opening possession was a quick three and out. After that first series, Mullen and Franks decided to go with a silent cadence to counter the crowd noise. With that change, so came a settled demeanor for the Gators offense.

    The Gators found the redzone on consecutive possessions but were forced to settle for Evan McPherson field goals. Otherwise, the game may have gotten very ugly, very early.

    As it were, Florida fell behind 7-3 and then 10-6 before finally breaking the seal on the endzone. On the legs of Feleipe Franks, –who ran for 67 yards on the day– the Gators took a 13-10 halftime lead. Once they took that lead, they never relinquished it.

    Florida received to start the second half and were forced to punt just a few plays later. On Michigan’s next drive, Shea Patterson was baited into throwing an interception near the goalline when Gardener-Johnson floated to the right hashmark before breaking back to the left for the takeaway.

    Rushing Leaders

    UF Perine: 6 CAR 76 YDS 1 TD Franks: 14 CAR 67 YDS 1 TD Scarlett: 9 CAR 59 YDS 1 TD

    UM Turner: 7 CAR 22 YDS Evans: 7 CAR 20 YDS

    This was the turning point in the game. Florida capitalized on the turnover and took a 20-10 lead with a 5 yard pass to Lamical Perine. One series later, Jordan Scarlett found the endzone for what might be his final touchdown as a Gator.

    With their backs against the wall, Shea Patterson led the Wolverines on a drive that got all the way down to the Gators 6 yard line after a little help from a pass interference call on freshman cornerback, Trey Dean. A holding penalty against Michigan drove them back to the 16 and forced a field goal.

    With a 27-13 lead, the Gators weren’t finished yet. On the heels of a sack and a bumbled double pass, the Gators found themselves facing a third and twenty situation.

    Receiving Leaders

    UF Jefferson: 4 REC 64 YDS Hammond: 2 REC 61 YDS Perine: 4 REC 22 YDS 1 TD

    UM Collins: 5 REC 80 YDS Peoples-Jones: 8 REC 71 YDS 1 TD

    It looked like Mullen was trying to pick up a few yards on third down to help his punter to flip the field. Lamical Perine didn’t get the memo as he burst through the middle and into the secondary for a 58 yard touchdown.

    Todd Grantham’s defense continued to assault Patterson and the Wolverines running backs, forcing a punt.

    Florida was held to a three and out on the ensuing drive. Michigan came after Tommy Townsend’s punt and got their second block of the day. This one bounced out of the back of the endzone resulting in a safety.

    An afternoon full of pressure and being made one dimensional spelled disaster just a few plays after receiving the safety kick. Patterson’s pass was batted at the line of scrimmage and into the waiting arms of Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, who returned it for the final score of the game.

    With nothing left to do but run out the clock, the Gators sideline was a mix of celebration, relief, and raw emotion. Mullen received the obligatory Gatorade bath as players soaked in the atmosphere. Feleipe Franks could be seen with a towel over his head, shedding tears of joy.

    His journey has been a long and interesting one with many highs and lows in just two seasons. With this win, he avenged his first career start. A loss which was also against Michigan.

    There is still much to do but this is a team with a rocket trajectory and many more joyful sideline and locker room celebrations. For the first time in nearly a decade, the Gators and their fans can feel pride and optimism throughout the off season.

    It’s Peachy to be a Florida Gator!

  • MBB: Gators F Chase Johnson to transfer, per report

    MBB: Gators F Chase Johnson to transfer, per report

    Photo by Kan Li / 247Sports

    According to a report from WatchStadium.com writer Jeff Goodman, Florida sophomore F Chase Johnson will leave the program via transfer.

    Johnson was a four-star prospect in the 2017 recruiting cycle and was the top prospect from West Virginia, according to 247Sports.

    The 6’9 forward has played extremely limited minutes in two seasons at Florida due to several concussions and the depth of the Gators’ frontcourt.

    Despite the loss of Johnson, Florida will still have a front court of Kevarrius Hayes, Keith Stone, Isaiah Stokes, Keyontae Johnson, and Dontay Bassett.

  • FB: A Peachy Preview

    FB: A Peachy Preview

    Photo via Getty Images

    In 2016, the Florida Gators faced the Michigan Wolverines in the Citrus Bowl after being beaten mercilessly by Alabama in the SEC championship game. The end result was a 41-7 thrashing that all of Gator Nation desperately wanted to avenge and forget.

    Many thought they might get the opportunity to do just that when the Gators opened the 2017 season against Michigan on a neutral site in Arlington, Texas. But in the week leading up to the game, news broke that the Gators would have nine players serving a suspension for their involvement in a credit card scam. Unfortunately for the Gators and their fans, things would only get worse from there.

    The Gators would start a shellshocked redshirt freshman quarterback named Feleipe Franks and the Wolverines defense would deliver one of the many crushing blows to his confidence that he would endure throughout year. Taking advantage of a poorly prepared and undermanned Gators team, Michigan once again bullied the boys of ol’ Florida, winning 33-17.

    All told, the Gators are 0-4 all-time versus the maize and blue as they prepare to meet for the third time in three calendar years (four seasons). So what’s different this time around? Will it be another loss in a disappointing series?

    Michigan opened as a 7.5 point favorite over the Gators and on paper, they appear to be the more talented team. However, there are other factors at play here. Let’s examine this a little closer.

    The Wolverines rank No. 1 in total defense, coming in at No. 2 against the pass and 16th versus the run. Additionally, Michigan ranks 12th in scoring defense, allowing just 17.6 points per game.

    While these numbers are quite impressive, this is a defense that was blasted by Ohio State in the final game of the regular season, to the tune of 62 points. They will also be forced to play without linebacker Devin Bush and defensive end Rashan Gary, who have decided to forego the bowl game to prepare for the NFL draft.

    This seems to be a popular decision within the confines of the Wolverines locker room as right tackle Juwann Bushell-Beatty and running back Karan Higdon have also opted to sit this one out. Higdon’s absence may prove to be the most impactful.

    The Wolverines have relied heavily on a stout defense and a steady rushing attack all season. Higdon accounted for the majority of their production on the ground with 1,178 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.

    Image via chick-fil-apeachbowl.com

    It isn’t just the players who are electing to not participate in the bowl this year. Of the allotted 13,000 tickets for Michigan fans, only 8,200 have been sold, barely 63%. Things get even more bleak when looking at the secondary market.

    26% of all tickets sold on the secondary market have been purchased in Florida zip codes. Just 6% have gone to zip codes that belong to Michigan. Combined with a destination that is much closer to home for the Gators, this could be a strong indication that Michigan will be entering into a hostile environment.

    All of this factored together with the emotional state of each team can add up to a decidedly advantageous situation for the Gators.

    Florida enters the game as an underdog so it is unlikely that they will be overly confident and looking past the team from up north. They are also riding the momentum of a very strong finish that saw them crush in-state rival Florida State, 41-14.

    On the other end of that spectrum is Michigan, who is coming off of that miserable beating by Ohio State that I mentioned earlier. There could be a bit of a hangover from this loss and missing out on the CFP. On top of that, they have been praised and applauded for much of the season and post season and deservedly so.

    When two teams mirror each other as well as Florida and Michigan do, you have to read between the lines to find that advantage. Both teams have leaned on solid defense, reliably efficient running, and a serviceable passing game.

    Both teams have game managers at the quarterback position. For Michigan, that manager is Shea Patterson who has probably underwhelmed compared to what he did at Ole Miss.

    For Florida? That would be the same shellshocked quarterback that was defeated physically and mentally in his first career start versus Michigan.

    Patterson is the more celebrated of the two signal callers and although I said he underwhelmed this season, by no means was it a bad year. He just didn’t light it up the way that he was expected to in Jim Harbaugh‘s offense.

    For the season, Patterson completed 64.8% of his passes totalling 2,364 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. All of which, earned him a QB rating of 153.8.

    Franks, on the other hand showed incredible statistical improvement from his freshman campaign under the guidance of Dan Mullen. For the season, Franks completed 58.5% of his passes and acquired 2,284 passing yards, 23 touchdowns, and just 6 interceptions for a QB rating of 144.1.

    This is another one of those situations where Michigan wins, on paper. Both quarterbacks are capable and they both will face top 10 passing defenses. Patterson will be facing a defense that is playing with all of it’s cards, however.

    Furthermore, something clicked with Franks in the final three games of the season. During that stretch, the Gators went undefeated, winning a pair of blowouts and a game that required two multiple score comebacks to win.

    For the final three games, Franks went 50/74 (that’s 67.6%) for 689 yards, 7 touchdowns, and 0 picks. He also added 103 yards on the ground and 3 rushing touchdowns. His QB rating during this run? A very cool 177.1. Pretty neat, huh?

    All of this is to say that Florida is playing with confidence. They’re having fun again. Under Mullen’s leadership, this team has bought in and is playing with a chip on their shoulder.

    They will face a very good –even with four key starters sitting out– Michigan team at 12 p.m. EST on Saturday, December 29th. They will do so in front of a large contingent of Gators fans who are equally eager to get their first win against Michigan.

    With Michigan missing several of its key contributors on both sides of the ball and essentially playing an away game –in which they have not fared well this season– I give the Gators the edge here. Florida will come out hungry and prepared, knowing what a win will mean for the program.

    My prediction: Florida wins 31-20.

    You can watch the game Saturday at 12:00 PM EST on ESPN and as always, be sure to follow along with the action on the ChompTalk.com Facebook and Twitter accounts.

  • FB: 2021 4-star DE Tyreak Sapp commits to Florida

    FB: 2021 4-star DE Tyreak Sapp commits to Florida

    Photo by Andrew Ivins / 247Sports

    The Florida Gators have landed yet another monster pledge from the 2021 recruiting cycle. 4-star DE Tyreak Sapp announced his pledge to Dan Mullen’s program on Monday.

    Sapp, the nephew of NFL Hall of Famer Warren Sapp, is a 6’2, 255 lb native of Fort Lauderdale and attends St. Thomas Aquinas.

    247Sports has Sapp rated as the #83 prospect in the country and the #7 DE in the 2021 recruiting cycle.

    Sapp becomes the fifth commitment in the Gators’ 2021 class, joining (#4 overall prospect) DE Bryce Langston; (#60 overall prospect) WR Trevonte Rucker; (#91 overall prospect) ATH Kamar Wilcoxson; and OT George Jackson.

  • Peter Alonso named to 2018 All-MiLB team

    Peter Alonso named to 2018 All-MiLB team

    Photo via Getty Images

    Peter Alonso earned yet another accolade after a stellar season that saw the first baseman rise to the #2 prospect in the New York Mets organization according to MiLB.com.

    On Sunday, Alonso was named to the 2018 All-MiLB team.

    Alonso opened the 2018 season in Class-AA Binghamton before earning a promotion to Triple-A Las Vegas. Between both levels, Alonso hit .285 while cranking out an MiLB high 36 home runs (tied for the most) and 119 RBI.

    Alonso also participated in the Arizona Fall League earlier this year and played in 27 games. Despite hitting at just a .255 clip, he managed to hit six homers while driving in 27 RBI.

    Alonso will likely be invited to big league spring training, but ultimately open 2019 in Las Vegas.

    Alonso was drafted in the second round of the 2016 MLB Draft out of the University of Florida.

  • MBB: Gators soar past FGCU, 77-56

    MBB: Gators soar past FGCU, 77-56

    FINAL: FLORIDA 77, FGCU 56

    1st 2nd OT FINAL
    FGCU 26 30 X 56
    GATORS 37 40 X 77
    Photo via AP Images

    Sunrise, FL- Florida guard Jalen Hudson sank a three pointer with just under twelve minutes to play in the opening half to snap a streak of three games without a made trey. Hudson would go on to score 14 points and helped lead the Gators past Florida Gulf Coast on Saturday in the Orange Bowl Classic.

    The win pushes the Gators record to 7-4 while the Eagles fell to 5-9 under first year head coach, Michael Fly.

    Game Trends

    Florida held a 14-8 advantage prior to Hudson’s three pointer, which forced an FGCU timeout. Hudson completed the bookend baskets with another shot from deep to extend the lead to 20-8 before the midway mark of the first half.

    At the under-four timeout, the Gators held a slim 26-22 lead, but freshman Keyontae Johnson made a jumper which was followed by Kevarrius Hayes laying in a basket. The Gators continued the run by forcing a pair of turnovers which led to a KeVaughn Allen layup. Allen also hit a three before the intermission break and the Gators entered the locker room with a 37-26 lead.

    Florida opened the second half on a 12-1 run which was highlighted by a Noah Locke three and a Johnson dunk, which forced an Eagles timeout. The only point that FGCU managed during that stretch was a made free throw by Troy Baxter, Jr after UF head coach Mike White received a technical with 17:51 to play in regulation.

    Fast Facts

    • Freshman guard Noah Locke led the team in scoring with 15 points, while shooting 5-9 from the field (all from beyond the three point line).
    • Senior guard Jalen Hudson was prominent for the first time in a while, finishing with 14 points off the bench. Hudson also grabbed six boards in 23 minutes of play and was named the Orange Bowl Classic MVP.
      • Photo via AP Images
    • Senior Kevarrius Hayes finished with 12 points and 7 boards while making all five attempts from the field.
    • Sophomore guard Deaundrae Ballard added 11 points in 14 minutes off the bench.
    • The Gators were outrebounded by FGCU 34-32.
    • Florida shot 10-14 from the free throw line for a 71% mark. Junior Keith Stone finished 3-3 from the charity stripe.

    TEAM STATS:

    FGCU GATORS
    FG % 39 45
    3-PT % 14 37
    FT % 67 71
    Offensive Rebounds 12 12
    Total Rebounds 34 32
    Assists 10 17
    Steals 7 7
    Blocks 3 5
    Turnovers 22 12

    What’s Next

    The Gators will face Butler in Exactech Arena on Saturday December 29. The Bulldogs topped Florida in the fifth-place game at the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament over Thanksgiving. Butler is now 9-3 on the season.

  • Early Signing Day: What we know so far

    Early Signing Day: What we know so far

    Photo via Getty Images

    For all of the excitement and build up surrounding the second annual Early Signing Period, there has been very little to get excited for as we reach the end of day one. Of the 18 previously committed recruits, Florida signed 17 of them before noon.

    This sealed up the foundation of the 2019 class and leaves only Diwun Black‘s letter of intent remaining to be signed. There is no cause for alarm there, as this has been the plan all along. Black remains firmly committed to the Gators.

    Head coach Dan Mullen‘s first full year on the recruiting trail has produced a class that entered the day ranked 20th in the nation and 10th in the SEC. That rank slipped to 21st and then 22nd before surging forward 7 spots (247Sports) with the signing of the trio from Lakeland.

    In just eight minutes time, Florida went from having zero commitments from the top 150 prospects to landing three of them. With the signing of Deyavie Hammond, Lloyd Summerall, and Keon Zipperer, Florida reestablished a pipeline that was once a mainstay of the Gators program.

    The Lakeland three as I’ve been calling them, were enough to propel Florida’s class rank up to No. 15. However, the Gators missed on a few other high value targets that would have gone a long way to signing a top-ten class.

    IMG standout, Trey Sanders chose Alabama over the Gators, while Siaki Ika and Derick Hunter chose LSU and Texas A&M, respectively.

    The Gators are still in the hunt for a few more commitments and can still shore up a solid recruiting class for the cycle.

    4-star CB Chris Steele has signed with his school today but won’t announce until halftime of the Under Armor All-American Game on January 5th. While it remains unknown who he signed with, crystal ball predictions have suddenly shifted in Florida’s favor.

    If Florida does indeed get a commitment from Steele along with perhaps, Quashon Fuller and Kaiir Elam, this can still be a top-ten effort for Dan Mullen and company by the end of the cycle.

  • MBB: Previewing Mercer

    MBB: Previewing Mercer

    Why this could be the night that KeyVaughn Allen makes it into the Top-20 in the program’s scoring ranks:

    Photo via Getty Images

    The Florida Gators will host the Mercer Bears at Exactech Arena on Tuesday. The Bears are coming into the game with a record of 4-6, including going winless on the last three games, most recently losing to Georgia Southern by 15.

    On the other hand, Florida has had 10 days off and are coming off a four point loss to a top-ten ranked Michigan State squad. Now that finals week is completed, and Mike White‘s team has had 10 days of practice and to regroup to prepare for Mercer, I expect the Gators to come out with some fire in this one.

    Mercer currently leads UF in the all time series 7-6 however, the last meeting ended in a 76-54 blow out win for the Gators in a neutral site game in Jacksonville.

    What to expect from the Bears?

    Mercer is the winningest program in the state of Georgia over the past decade winning 200-plus games since the 2008-’09 season. With Bob Hoffman at the helm, Mercer has had at least 19 wins in six different seasons since taking over in 2008. Hoffman is an outstanding coach when it comes to creating an offensive game plan and scoring isn’t something his teams often struggles with. This season, Mercer has four players averaging in double figures in Ross Cummings (13.5), Djordje Dimitrijevic (12.2), Jaylen Stowe (11.6) and Ethan Stair (10.1).

    Defense on the other hand is a weak spot for the Bears. Mercer seriously lacks height with their tallest starter measuring at only 6’7.

    How the Gators can win:

    Bob Hoffman likes to rebound and stop the offensive team from penetrating the lane. Unfortunately for the Bears that will be to Florida’s advantage. The Gators have the size inside with Kevarrius Hayes and Keith Stone to get those rebounds over a shorter, thinner, and an overall weaker Bears team.

    The Gators will have the green light from three, as not only are they loaded with shooters, but Mercer’s defense will have to make adjustments if they want to be able to defend the perimeter.

    Due to Mercer looking for answers down low defensively, look for freshman Noah Locke to have another good game. KeVaughn Allen is just 27 points shy of passing Brett Nelson (’99-’03) for 20th on Florida’s all time leading scorers list and could have a big game. Allen currently sits at 1,390 points. Allen and Jalen Hudson have the perfect game to find their rhythm again, and hopefully can carry the momentum from beating Mercer into the remainder of the non-conference schedule and into SEC play.

  • W2W4: Early Signing Day 2019

    W2W4: Early Signing Day 2019

    Photo via Getty Images

    It’s almost here! That magical time of year that puts a little extra pep in your step as millions of little boys and girls wait with eager expectation and wonder. The anticipation of what surprises await is enough to drive anyone to the brink of euphoric joy and the heights of madness.

    Yes, Early Signing Day is chock full of holiday bliss for college football fanatics everywhere. With that special date fast approaching, what better time than now to go over our Early Signing Day wish lists one last time?

    Right now, the Gators hold the No. 20 overall ranking for their recruiting class and are tenth in the SEC. With 18 commitments, Florida has a projected team score of 229.3. Ideally, that score will be above 265 by the end of the early signing period.

    Over the past ten years, the average composite score of the tenth ranked recruiting class is 266.38. Florida needs to eclipse this mark to guarantee a top ten class. So what’s the clearest path to that mark?

    The short answer is signing 5-star talent. Now, Dan Mullen has shown throughout his career that he is capable of defeating more talented teams on coaching acumen alone. However, for the program to truly show that it has turned a corner and is heading in the right direction, he needs to sign a top-ten class in this cycle.

    Assuming that the Gators are able to pull the Lakeland trifecta of DE Lloyd Summerall, TE Keon Zipperer, and OG Deyavie Hammond, the composite score spikes from 229.3 all the way to 241.01. Zipperer has the highest value to that increase, while Hammond simply adds depth.

    Taking that same hypothetical and inserting DB Chris Steele (Bellflower, CA) to the commitment list adds another 10.6 points to the total. While there may not be an abundance of 5-star players left for the taking, the caliber of 4-star talent taken is what can make or break this class for the Gators, as demonstrated by Steele’s impact on the overall composite score.

    In a dream scenario, Florida would land all of the above plus the only remaining 5-star prospect that they are still in the running for, RB Trey Sanders. Securing Sanders in combination with Steele, Zipperer, and Summerall, puts the class composite above 262.

    This dream scenario may not be so far fetched as the Gators hosted Sanders on his final visit before early signing, while his brother Umstead is currently playing for the Gators.

    Florida is in great position to get Summerall and Hammond but Zipperer is a bit of a wildcard at this point. Steele, is a real possibility and would almost make Mullen’s early west coast efforts seem worth it.

    Mullen’s staff has been receiving help from some of the very kids they’ve recruited all year long. Guys like Diwun Black, Jaydon Hill, and Mohamoud Diabate have been ever present and vocal in their efforts.

    Diabate has recently claimed that those efforts are paying off.

    “We have a lot of people committed that haven’t went public yet, we’re just waiting on the right time to unleash it all.”

    Who those silent commitments may be remains a mystery. But going with the most likely to sign with the Gators on Wednesday, they should finish just inside the top ten. Florida will need to sign at least five of their top 10 targets.

    I like their chances with the three Lakeland recruits, Steele, and Elam. Beyond that, I believe the Gators have made incredible strides in pulling in Trey Sanders and DT Siaki Ika from Utah.

    If I’m correct, that would be good enough for a 273.02 composite score. As the recruiting class rankings stand today, that would put Florida at No. 5. However, I expect the classes already in the top 5 to also improve on Wednesday. Regardless, that finish would have the Gators securely within the top 10.

    With a top ten finish in recruiting and a Peach Bowl victory, the Gators will take massive strides towards improving on an already fantastic first year under Dan Mullen.