Florida football recruiting: Gator train back on track

Last week, the Florida football class looked like a train wreck. Dan Mullen has it back on track now, and it’s gaining steam.

After Matt Corral and new Gator head coach Dan Mullen parted ways, Florida football recruiting looked like a train wreck. With his 2018 class ranked number ten in the SEC and number 36 nationally, Dan Mullen went to work returning key de-committed prospects to the Florida football fold and finding the key to  his offensive success,  a big strong quarterback that can throw the ball far.

Mullen found his quarterback in Georgia, Emery Jones from Georgia’s Heard County High School. The 6’2” 200 pound Jones is the seventh ranked dual threat quarterback in the country.

Check out Jones’ talents.

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Success begets success

Florida built on its success with Jones by traveling down the road to sign Dutchtown High School’s Trey Dean.

Dean’s path to Gainesville illustrates the chaos the SEC head coaching changes brought to the early signings.

Dean received his first scholarship offer from Florida, but committed to Tennessee in early August. He reopened his recruitment after the Butch Jones firing at Tennessee and visited Alabama, Florida, and Kentucky officially in December.

Familiar faces from different places

At Florida, Dean found a familiar face, former Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen, telling Zach Abolverdi of SEC Country, “He recruited me at Mississippi State. While I was committed to Tennessee, that was the only school that really kept trying to come get me. So I know the coaching staff pretty well.”

He also found new Florida football secondary coach Charlton Warren at Florida. Warren was at Tennessee last season and recruited Dean. Try to keep up. Yes, Tennessee is where Dean originally committed.

Elite receiver now a Gator

The Gators are now also in the hunt for Pensacola four-star wide receiver Jacob Copeland.  Copeland committed to Florida, then de-committed following former head coach Jim McElwain’s firing. Copeland is back in play for the Gators, and if Mullen can hold off Alabama and Tennessee, it will be a statement that the Gator recruiting machine is again chomping off chunks of major talent.

This tweet out to new Gator quarterback signee Emery Jones has the Gator faithful hopeful.

Not satisfied to depend on high school recruits, Mullen claimed an elite wide receiver talent through transfer. Former wide receiver Van Jefferson plans to be a Gator.

Jefferson had 91 receptions for 999 yards and 4 touchdowns in two seasons with the Rebels. Jefferson is a redshirt sophomore with two years of eligibility remaining. He is required to sit one of those years, but will apply for a waiver to play in 2018.

Either way, anyone would take one year of Jefferson if they could get it.

Gators rising

With the addition of Jones and Dean, the Florida football 2018 recruiting ranking has jumped to number four in the SEC and number 12 nationally.

Next: New SEC Coaches Creating Chaos

The Gator train is back on track. Expect more good news for Florida before signing season ends.