The day we’ve all been waiting for is almost upon us.
Florida will look to close its 2017 recruiting class on a strong note Wednesday on National Signing Day, as the Gators have 18 commitments in the class currently on deck, with five already enrolled.
There are a couple of targets left on UF’s board – and a few currently committed prospects still considering their options – set to announce their pledges throughout Wednesday.
Now, Inside the Gators takes a look at key storylines to follow throughout National Signing Day 2017.
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* Florida lands huge commitment
* Four-star Edwards going back and forth
* Alley: Take two off the board
* Four-star wide out Robinson won't sign with Florida
* Inside Scoop on weekend official visitors
* Cassidy: Four-star Edwards to Florida?
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How will Florida’s secondary haul from the 2017 class look by the time NSD is wrapped up? Will the Gators add at least one more Rivals250 defensive back to the mix?
After losing Jalen Tabor and Quincy Wilson to the draft, and Marcus Maye to graduation, the Gators certainly are looking to close the 2017 cycle with a strong finish at defensive back.
So far, Florida has four prospects in the secondary committed: four-stars Marco Wilson and Brad Stewart, and three-stars Shawn Davis and Donovan Stiner. However, after losing out on a Rivals100 talent like Elijah Blades, the Gators would like to add 1-2 more talented pieces to the equation in the secondary to build a strong foundation for the future.
The two defensive backs the most in play for the Gators who will be key to watch on NSD are Rivals250 members Brian Edwards and C.J. Henderson – two battles that should come down to being between Florida and Miami. The Gators have been trending well lately for Edwards, while Henderson has been more difficult to get a read on.
Adding one or both of these defensive backs would be a huge boost for this class.
At defensive tackle, a key position of need, will the Gators add any more talented pieces on NSD?
With starters Caleb Brantley and Joey Ivie leaving the program after this past season, Florida’s returning options on the roster at defensive tackle became that much thinner heading into 2017. Taven Bryan and Khairi Clark will play key roles, and Jachai Polite could potentially make a move inside to tackle, but otherwise there’s plenty of uncertainty about that position. In a temporary move from end to tackle early last season, CeCe Jefferson looked uncomfortable inside. Luke Ancrum is far from a proven entity.
That has made the need for additions at defensive tackle in this 2017 cycle so important. Four-star Kyree Campbell was a nice pickup as an early enrollee, and four-star Elijah Conliffe – who picked Florida over Tennessee and Penn State on Tuesday – was a huge get.
The big piece, though, that could take this defensive tackle crop in the 2017 class over the top is Rivals250 defensive tackle Tedarrell Slaton, who is favored to choose Florida on NSD. It would be a huge blow if the Gators somehow didn’t land Slaton, but all bets are on him selecting Florida on Wednesday.
With the Gaddy twins and Devonte Wyatt off the board, the other option at defensive tackle that Florida has considered is three-star JUCO prospect Malik Young, who looks Missouri bound at this point.
Will Florida manage to pull off any Signing Day surprises?
Although Florida isn’t highly favored right now for either of them, the commitments of two Rivals100 members, four-star defensive end LaBryan Ray and four-star linebacker Levi Jones, will be worth monitoring on NSD.
It would be surprising if Ray, who is considering Alabama, Florida and Tennessee, didn’t pick his hometown Crimson Tide, but the Gators did receive Ray’s final official visit and he appeared to have enjoyed the trip. Jones is down to Florida, Florida State and USC, but at this moment the Gators aren’t perceived as the favorite.
Then, there are two Oklahoma commits – four-star wideout Charleston Rambo and four-star cornerback Tre Brown – who officially visited Florida this past weekend and will be worth monitoring on NSD. Although Florida may be a long shot for both, it’ll be interesting to see whether they waver with their commitments. With James Robinson no longer a take, it will be worth watching whether that affects Rambo’s decision. Three-star athlete Eric Stokes, who is picking between Florida, Georgia and Ole Miss, is also a name to keep an eye on.
Where will the Gators’ 2016 class finish among Rivals’ team recruiting rankings? And how big of a class will Florida end up with?
With the addition of Conliffe, Florida’s class is 17th in Rivals’ 2017 team recruiting rankings with 1,857 points and a 3.56 star average, as the Gators have commitments from 10 four-stars and eight three-stars. Florida has room to sign a number of players on NSD, but it may not reach the 25-player mark with a couple of notable names now off the board.
With Slaton a Florida lean and two-star linebacker Lacedrick Brunson possibly a take - but the status of three-star Zech Byrd unclear due to possible academic issues and his Signing Day situation up in the air - that’s 19-20 members. If Edwards and/or Henderson commit(s), that’s 20-22. There's also the Adarius Lemons situation, which still remains unclear as of now. Then, the rest of the class size could be reliant on any other additions that may be slightly or fully unexpected.
Florida’s 2017 class is likely to finish in the teens by the time NSD is wrapped up – and if that’s the case, that would make for three recruiting classes outside of the top 10 for Jim McElwain at UF. This could turn out to be a decent class for Florida, but for a fan base accustomed to annual top 5-10 finishes in year’s past, it may not meet their high standards.
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