The ink has that signed off the 2021 recruiting class has dried, and prospects across the nation are set to transition to the next chapter of their football careers in the coming months.
22 of those high school seniors are set to play for the Florida Gators - 12 have already made it to campus - along with another four transfers from other universities. That count will raise to five come summer when former LSU tight end Arik Gilbert enrolls at UF.
Florida prioritized defensive line and secondary talent throughout the recruiting cycle, adding four prospects in the trenches and five on the backend. Linebacker Chief Borders possesses the size (6-foot-5, 242 pounds) and an intriguing skill-set to potentially develop into a defensive end as well.
Tyreak Sapp, a long-time commit from St. Thomas Aquinas (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.), headlines the crop of defensive line prospects that could infiltrate the depth-chart sooner rather than later. Florida only had four interior defensive lineman tally over 100 snaps during the 2020 season (five if you include Zachary Carter, who split time between tackle and end), and two of those players have since declared for the NFL Draft.
That should open an opportunity for early enrollees specifically, leaving Florida contented that Desmond Watson, Christopher Thomas, and Justus Boone were able to get into the program in January. At various levels of high school competition, those three prospects combined for 20.5 sacks and 61.5 tackles for loss during their senior seasons. Thomas led the way with 32 tackles for loss at Dunbar (Fort Myers, Fla.).
The defensive line group offers intrigue, while the secondary talent is star-studded. Palmetto (Miami, Fla.) cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. is Sports Illustrated All-American's No. 1 cornerback in the class, while his teammate Corey Collier Jr. is the No. 6 safety prospect in the nation.
Given Florida's passing defense ranked in the triple digits during the 2020 season, allowing 257.5 yards through the air power game, changes must be made and these two prospects could play rather immediately. Marshall, specifically, is a strong press-man coverage cornerback with a college-ready frame (6-foot-1, 195 pounds) and great awareness for the position.
Jordan Young and Donovan McMillon fly under the radar compared to Marshall and Collier, playing their respective positions, but offer promise as well. Dakota Mitchell, a hard-hitting, versatile defender from Winter Park (Fla.), profiles for the STAR nickel cornerback position and has experience as a safety, cornerback, robber, and wide receiver as well.
Kamar Wilcoxson was originally a member of the 2021 recruiting class but reclassified last August and spent the past season with Florida at the age of 17. He's transitioned from cornerback to safety.
At linebacker, Florida welcomes Borders, a priority recruit in Jeremiah Williams, and 2019 signee Diwun Black from the JUCO level. Williams, who tallied 25 sacks from 2018-19, could transition to the BUCK rush end role, while Black could play numerous positions. Black possesses the size of a linebacker or big safety at 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, the explosiveness of an edge rusher, and the speed of a coverage defender. He should find immediate playing time in UF's defense.
Florida signed 12 defensive prospects compared to nine players on offense (10, if you include long snapper Rocco Underwood, who also played tight end in high school). UF did not sign a running back out of high school for the second class in a row, but that sting becomes less painful with Demarckus Bowman transferring in from Clemson as a rising second-year player.
Head coach Dan Mullen identified his signal-caller for the class in 2019, in Cartersville (Ga.) quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson. Mullen would add a second gunslinger into the mix by obtaining a commitment from Jalen Kitnain 2020, the son of former NFL quarterback Jon Kitna.
Up until the early signing period, Florida held pledges from four wide receivers: Marcus Burke, Daejon Reynolds, Trevonte Rucker, and Charles Montgomery. Florida would only follow through on two of those offers, allowing Burke (Trinity Christian, Fla.) and Reynolds (Grayson, Ga.) to sign the dotted line. Burke is an intriguing talent who should serve as a deep threat with great speed, while Reynolds fits the mold of a big-bodied (6-foot-2, 210 pounds) possession receiver.
New tight ends coach Tim Brewster got right to work after being hired last February, obtaining two commitments at his position within a month of landing the gig. Gage Wilcox and Nick Elksnis will be developed over a long period of time, provided Gilbert's addition and UF's TE depth as it stands, but both offer intriguing talents as receivers and long frames for the position.
The offensive line haul underwent a slight makeover during the early signing period as Javonte Gardner, Adrein Strickland, and JUCO commit Deyavie Hammond did not receive letters of intent from UF either. During the same timeframe, offensive tackle Austin Barber, Burke's Trinity Christian teammate and a massive athlete who will work on enhancing his technique in college, received an offer and quickly signed with the Gators.
Barber offers intrigue, and so do interior linemenJake Slaughter and Yousef Mugharbil. However, Florida's right tackle position has been a weak spot for two seasons in a row and does not have a solidified future. Neither does the left tackle spot as Stone Forsythe is off to the NFL, leaving something to be desired on the recruiting front along the offensive line.
Look for Florida to scan the transfer portal thoroughly in the coming months for an offensive tackle who could play immediately.
Florida would swing and miss for several top talents on the recruiting trail throughout the 2021 class as well, and although it can be happy with its class, the misses raise an eye-brow.Notably, Florida prioritized defensive tackle Leonard Taylor - Marshall and Collier's Palmetto teammate -, linebacker Xavian Sorey, and safety Terrion Arnold.
Each prospect hailed from the state of Florida and was considered a top-100 player in the nation by SIAA - and each prospect elected a different university over UF. Taylor would stay at home and pledge to Miami, while Sorey committed to Georgia and Arnold locked in with Alabama during signing day ceremonies. Florida had a hat at every table.
Pairing those misses with the offensive line outlook and lack of running back recruiting payoff, and the Gators have work to do rather immediately in the class of 2022 and in the transfer portal. Veteran help at offensive tackle should be prioritized in the active transfer portal, while UF looks to add at least one and most likely two running backs in the class of 2022.
Florida will also continue to bolster its defensive line depth, honing in on numerous in-and-out-of-state prospects already in the next cycle. And, traditionally at this point, Mullen has already gotten to work on the next slate of quarterbacks, offering a dozen signal-callers to date.
UF has found success with wide receivers in the transfer portal, acquiring Justin Shorter, Trevon Grimes, and Van Jefferson in the past. After two commits didn't sign with UF at the position, it wouldn't be a complete shock if the Gators nabbed another pass-catcher from the portal as well.
All in all, Florida was able to rebuild its long-term depth in several spots that were pressing needs, but certainly not all of them. All-around depth will surely continue to be a focus as the 2022 cycle kicks off, and Florida can be expected to start filling out its class - kicked off with the lone commitment of wide receiver Syveion Ellis - in the near future.
