Without ever having coached a game on the University of Florida sidelines, is Jim McElwain already a better head coaching get than Will Muschamp ever was?
That's the sentiment around Gainesville after McElwain and his staff rather improbably saved the Gators from having their worst recruiting class in history.
Gators Lose a Number 1 Recruit to Auburn
Muschamp left the Gators in absolutely dire straights. Commits were already hesitant to sign on with the Gators given his job insecurity throughout the regular season. And then, once it was made clear he wasn't coming back, the precious few star recruits he had landed showed indecision or bailed on their commitment all together. McElwain signed on to become Florida's coach significantly behind schedule compared to other major programs.
McElwain knew the only way to stem the bleeding was through sheer, tireless effort. From the moment he signed on in early December, he and his coaching staff hit the recruiting trail running.
Jim McElwain's First Task? Win the Sport's In-State Recruiting Battle
The effort worked. Florida went from a dismal 65th in the recruiting rankings just days before National Signing Day; they finished at a respectable 21st, all things considered. An especially big win for McElwain was his ability to convince four star recruits Martez Ivey and CeCe Jefferson to commit. McElwain had said early in his tenure he was determined to win the recruiting battle in the state of Florida, and both the Seminoles and Miami Hurricanes had eyes on these two. Landing both is an indication McElwain is more than just talking the talk.
Florida still has a ways to go before they're national championship contenders again, like they were in the mid-2000s. However, McElwain's robust recruiting efforts, coupled with his past history as a keen offensive mind, indicates things are solidly trending upward in Gainesville.
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