Welcome to the Inside the Gators Roundtable. From time-to-time, we gather up the ITG staff along with special guests to talk about the important topics facing Florida athletics.
Of course, the question on every one's mind this time of the year is recruiting and this edition of the Roundtable features five burning questions surrounding the class of 2017.
Blake Alderman is joined by SEC Country's Zach Abolverdi (check out his work) and Graham Hall from the Gainesville Sun (The Gator Prospectus) for this in-depth discussion of Gator football recruiting.
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* Beat writer Roundtable on new assistant Brad Davis
* Recruit Reaction: Bell receiving favorable reviews
* Take Five: A closer look at new assistants Bell & Davis
* Take Five: Everything you need to know about JaJuan Seider
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1) Who in your opinion is the most important prospect Florida signed? Not necessarily the most highly-rated, but the one whose commitment is the most important to future Gators success?
Abolverdi: Marco Wilson. Cornerback was the No. 1 priority for Florida in the Class of 2017 and Wilson has the talent — and pedigree — to play right away.
Alderman: I think when you look at just how thin Florida’s defensive line was, it makes the signing of four-star Kyree Campbell incredibly important. Not only are the coaches getting a guy who will jump immediately into the rotation, Campbell also provides an extra body for spring football. The Gators lost both of their starting defensive tackles from last season, and didn’t have a lot left over to work with, so Campbell is a guy the staff is going to count on week-one against Michigan.
Hall: Florida made it a priority to shore up at defensive tackle, making the signing of Elijah Conliffe one of the most important additions in the 2017 class. You could argue Florida has been missing a true run stopper on the line of scrimmage for the past few seasons, and Conliffe has the ideal size and skill-set to potentially earn a spot in the rotation next season for the Gators.
2) Which Florida signee in your opinion is the most underrated and overrated?
Abolverdi: The most underrated signee is linebacker Nicholas Smith. His film does not warrant a 3-star rating whatsoever. C.J. Henderson has the upside to be a starting cornerback one day, but he doesn't have enough experience playing the position and will need time to develop.
Alderman: I think there are a few candidates in Florida’s class that could be seen as underrated, but the one that sticks out the most is three-star defensive back Shawn Davis. The Gators were high on this guys ability early on, and recruited him hard. Davis also has one of the more impressive senior films than anyone in the state of Florida. On the other hand a guy I feel is a little overrated is probably four-star Brian Edwards. With the need the Gators had in the secondary, most fans will expect a guy ranked in the Rivals250 to make an impact early. There are a lot of things to like about Edwards, but he likely will need a little grooming before contributing on the next level.
Hall: I’m of the belief that Kadarius Toney is underrated, and it’s up to Florida to figure out how to get the most out of him. One of the top more explosive athletes in this class, Toney has the quickness and top speed to compete in the SEC. Having Toney on campus for Spring practice should result in added muscle to his frame and a spot in the depth chart where he can contribute. On the opposite spectrum, I foresee Brian Edwards needing a season to redshirt before he can contribute in the defensive backfield. Considering Florida added six defensive backs this class, there’s little rush to get Edwards on the field. He can take a year to learn the system and polish his skills.
3) Which player did the Gators lose out on that you think hurts them the most?
Abolverdi: Alex Leatherwood. He was the Gators' top offensive tackle and they had several chances to flip him from Alabama, but never could.
Alderman: When you have a legitimate chance to flip a top offensive tackle like Alex Leatherwood, its got to hurt when they stick with their original pledge. The Gators were the first to offer Leatherwood, and the staff worked hard to flip him all the way to the very end. Leatherwood enrolled early at Alabama after seriously considering the Gators, up until very late in the process.
Hall: I think this one is obviously five-star Alabama offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood. While Florida is high on the potential of Kadeem Telfort, the Gators missed on adding a five-star offensive tackle to this class. Unless Florida foresees Tedarrell Slaton playing on the offensive side of the ball, missing on Leatherwood hurts the Gators.
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* Signing Class Grades: Offense
* Signing Class Grades - Defense
* 2017 Recruiting Class Superlatives
* Player switches positions ahead of spring ball
* Florida coaches share signee evaluations
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4) Which of the signees surprised you the most when they ended up inking with Florida?
Abolverdi: James Robinson. It's no surprise that he wanted to sign with Florida, but last Monday the administration decided against it. UF changed course on signing day and allowed Robinson to ink with the Gators.
Alderman: Probably four-star James Robinson. It wasn’t the fact that he picked Florida because the Gators had been seen as the team to beat for months. However, the Monday before signing day, Robinson was informed by the Florida coaching staff that UF’s administration would not allow the coaches to take him due to his citation for Marijuana possession a few weeks ago. So it was surprising to see Florida announce Robinson on National Signing Day, after telling him a few days before that it would not be happening.
Hall: You could make a case for either Christopher Henderson or James Robinson here. Henderson appeared to be set to join Miami, but changed his mind just days before National Signing Day. And Robinson looked bound for a non-Power 5 program after the snafu on his official visit to Ohio State. That Florida signed him moments before Jim McElwain’s press conference surprised everyone except Robinson and Florida’s coaching staff.
5) Florida filled some needs and has a class that finished ranked 9th in the Rivals Team Recruiting Rankings. What are your impressions of this recruiting class?
Abolverdi: Any time you fill your biggest needs and rank top 10 in the team rankings, it's an A class. Florida closed strong in the final week for one of its best finishes in school history.
Alderman: I think the Florida coaching staff should be commended for how they closed out this class. Just a few weeks ago the Gators found themselves ranked in the 30’s of the team rankings, and climbed all the way up to ninth when the dust settled. Florida filled a lot of needs with this class, and landed quite a few players that are going to be tested early. The Gators also signed the most top 100 players in the state of Florida than any other team in state, which is an area Jim McElwain was hoping to improve. The one thing going forward the Gators need to improve on is signing more top tend prospects. In this cycle they inked only one Rivals100 member.
Hall: They say third try’s the charm, and I think that’s true of Jim McElwain’s 2017 class. The Gators reloaded at defensive back, linebacker and defensive tackle – three areas that were of the highest priority in this class. And they seemingly didn’t reach at any position. The roster next season could be the deepest yet for McElwain and his coaching staff.
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