Random, ESPN article about your boy, McE's recruiting

[msstate7]

"Since ESPN began keeping track of recruiting class rankings in 2006 and up until signing day in 2014, a span of nine years, the Gators average recruiting class rank was fourth. Over the last two years under Jim McElwain, the Gators finished with the 20th and 12th-ranked classes and currently have the 19th-ranked class behind schools such as Maryland and South Carolina.

Lack of on-field success of the previous coaching staff, below average facilities, a floundering offense since Urban Meyer left, and a current coaching staff that doesn?t have many elite recruiters among it are some reasons for the decline.

While the lack of recruiting success cannot be fully blamed on the current staff, there are certainly some areas where the Gators need improvement."

http://insider.espn.com/blog/sec/insider/post?id=126381

...

It's just a matter of time till Florida realizes they made a mistake. Top 5 classes are being replaced with 15ish classes... Boom's defensive guys are almost all gone now

[lamont]

Florida- like Georgia- loses few starters this year.

They return 10 starters on offense if you dont count their back-up QB who had to take over because of injury. Between Franks and Del Rio they should be solid there. Defensively they are losing a few guys- we'll see if guys like CeCe Jefferson and others are ready to step in. Lots of talent returns

Florida-Georgia will decide the East in 2017.

[msstate7]

Florida-Georgia will decide the East in 2017.

I don't argue you that at all, but I think the winner of that game is very likely still a 3-loss team and a sacrificial lamb in Atlanta. Smart is loading up with elite talent and has a much better outlook beyond '17 though. No way Florida should be recruiting 5th in the east

Sec east recruiting...
#3 Georgia
#10 Tennessee
#15 South Carolina
#23 Kentucky
#24 Florida

[lamont]

Current commits:

2 4-star OT's
2 4-star CB's
4-star TE
4-star DE
4-star WR

at 15 commits so far- so likely they close with a couple more before its over. While ranked 24th- they are 15th in avg ranking- so their small number of commits is dragging them down

[lamont]

I don't argue you that at all, but I think the winner of that game is very likely still a 3-loss team and a sacrificial lamb in Atlanta. Smart is loading up with elite talent and has a much better outlook beyond '17 though. No way Florida should be recruiting 5th in the east

Sec east recruiting...
#3 Georgia
#10 Tennessee
#15 South Carolina
#23 Kentucky
#24 Florida

They are only behind Georgia in avg rating on recruits

[msstate7]

They are only behind Georgia in avg rating on recruits

Georgia 93.32
Tenn 87.47
Usce 87.12
Kentucky 86.07
Florida 88.67

[lamont]

Georgia 93.32
Tenn 87.47
Usce 87.12
Kentucky 86.07
Florida 88.67

yep

[msbulldog]

"Since ESPN began keeping track of recruiting class rankings in 2006 and up until signing day in 2014, a span of nine years, the Gators average recruiting class rank was fourth. Over the last two years under Jim McElwain, the Gators finished with the 20th and 12th-ranked classes and currently have the 19th-ranked class behind schools such as Maryland and South Carolina.

Lack of on-field success of the previous coaching staff, below average facilities, a floundering offense since Urban Meyer left, and a current coaching staff that doesn?t have many elite recruiters among it are some reasons for the decline.

While the lack of recruiting success cannot be fully blamed on the current staff, there are certainly some areas where the Gators need improvement."

http://insider.espn.com/blog/sec/insider/post?id=126381

...

It's just a matter of time till Florida realizes they made a mistake. Top 5 classes are being replaced with 15ish classes... Boom's defensive guys are almost all gone now

I think Scott Strickland's first move is a campaign to improve their facilities, he did a good job for us.

[TUSK]

UF's recruiting has suffered under McE, and the natives are concerned... an average rating in the 80s is unacceptable...

Additionally, all of Muschamp's defensive guys will be gone... Fortunately for McE, the rest of the East (save UGA) is horrible...

[confucius say]

Any team in the west would have a shot at winning the east next year, for the fifth year in a row.

[dawgday166]

Any team in the west would have a shot at winning the east next year, for the fifth year in a row.

Probably not. Lots of folks think the west is always better than it really is. There's Bama then meh. One of the east teams will be turn out to be pretty decent while the west usually has 2 or 3 average to poor teams. OM and ?? next year (probably us, TAM, or Arky).

[greenbean]

Cohan should lobby to switch us and misery. We would be very competitive in football and misery would be much closer to their competiton. Basketball would be tougher (but making the tourney is the only thing that matters anyway). Baseball would likely be a wash?

[msstate7]

Cohan should lobby to switch us and misery. We would be very competitive in football and misery would be much closer to their competiton. Basketball would be tougher (but making the tourney is the only thing that matters anyway). Baseball would likely be a wash?

Only divisions in football.

[greenbean]

Even more reason!

[msstate7]

Even more reason!

Sorry, I lied. Baseball does have divisions, but basketball doesn't

[lamont]

The SEC was very young this year with very few starting QB's returning. Next year is going to see a big jump in toughness in the SEC

Georgia returns 17-18 starters and their QB
Florida return 15 starters and their QB
Kentucky returns 14 starters and 2 starting QB's
Tennessee returns 15 starters but has to find a QB
Auburn returns 17 starters and adds a 5 star QB
LSU returns their QB and alot of talent
UPig returns their QB and 13 starters

Bama, Auburn, Fla, and Georgia will easily be the top 4...then LSU, Tenn, and who knows from there

[Schultzy]

One of Georgia's 4 star OT's should be ranked a 2 star, according to both his HS and JC coaches. But both say he is a good guy but just can't block.

[lamont]

One of Georgia's 4 star OT's should be ranked a 2 star, according to both his HS and JC coaches. But both say he is a good guy but just can't block.

Odd that they would take him considering they are recruiting so well

[msstate7]

Odd that they would take him considering they are recruiting so well

I assume he's talking about Hayes. Georgia's oline was bad last year, so a 4* juco tackle had to be tempting. No idea if the kid is overrated or not

[Schultzy]

Odd that they would take him considering they are recruiting so well

It will be interesting to see how he pans out.

[confucius say]

The SEC was very young this year with very few starting QB's returning. Next year is going to see a big jump in toughness in the SEC

Georgia returns 17-18 starters and their QB
Florida return 15 starters and their QB
Kentucky returns 14 starters and 2 starting QB's
Tennessee returns 15 starters but has to find a QB
Auburn returns 17 starters and adds a 5 star QB
LSU returns their QB and alot of talent
UPig returns their QB and 13 starters

Bama, Auburn, Fla, and Georgia will easily be the top 4...then LSU, Tenn, and who knows from there

Yea the sec as a whole will be better due to qb play across the conference if nothing else.

[msstate7]

Yea the sec as a whole will be better due to qb play across the conference if nothing else.

We have a real shot at having the best qb in the sec

[confucius say]

We have a real shot at having the best qb in the sec

I agree. But there are about 4-5 other schools who are saying the same thing.

[msstate7]

I agree. But there are about 4-5 other schools who are saying the same thing.

Yeah, but only one led the sec in total yardage haha

[lamont]

I agree. But there are about 4-5 other schools who are saying the same thing.

exactly

Patterson has his entire OL returning and some nice targets
Georgia has a talented QB with a huge arm
UPig has a really good QB in Allen
Hurts returns and is good with alot of weapons
Florida has two talented QB's and returns all of its offense
Auburn's transfer with all that talent should be very good
Kentucky should get good QB play

Huge upgrade in SEC QB's for 2017

[lamont]

Yeah, but only one led the sec in total yardage haha

Allen and Eason dont run - doesnt mean they wont be very good QB's

[dawgday166]

Yeah, but only one led the sec in total yardage haha

I figure next year may depend on our new/improved Oline.

#somewhat hopeful

[Schultzy]

Allen and Eason dont run - doesnt mean they wont be very good QB's

Like Allen , predicting bust for Eason.

[lamont]

Like Allen , predicting bust for Eason.

Eason was knocking their WR's down this year. He will get a little more touch- and his WR's will get used to catching his passes. He will push for All-SEC if they have any OL at all

[BayouDawg]

I figure next year may depend on our new/improved Oline.

#somewhat hopeful

If O line does not see a good sized jump next year does Dan make the change?

[dawgday166]

If O line does not see a good sized jump next year does Dan make the change?

I wouldn't count on it. I expect it'll be a work in progress next year. Maybe it will gell by end of next year and on into 2018, and then maybe we can go on a run that a lot of folks are predicting on here ... and I see as being somewhat possible too.

[msstate7]

Florida just lost a top 100 player that was thought to be headed to Florida to Miami. Florida just had blades de-commit. Florida is now 31st nationally and 11th in the sec. McE better keep winning the east bc fans want him gone.

[TUSK]

Florida just lost a top 100 player that was thought to be headed to Florida to Miami. Florida just had blades de-commit. Florida is now 31st nationally and 11th in the sec. McE better keep winning the east bc fans want him gone.

1) MacE has some "cushion" because:
1a) he's 2 for 2 in SECEC...
1b) he beats who he's supposed to and does "ok" vs favorites and UF's "rivals"...
1c) he's almost as likeable as Les "Miles>Saban" Miles...
1d) he's 13-3 vs the SEC (reg season) and 19-8 OA...

However, he better start recruiting better, or he's gonna be screwed...

[smootness]

Current commits:

2 4-star OT's
2 4-star CB's
4-star TE
4-star DE
4-star WR

at 15 commits so far- so likely they close with a couple more before its over. While ranked 24th- they are 15th in avg ranking- so their small number of commits is dragging them down

So also 8 3-stars. They have none in the top 100 and none in the top 20 in FL. Come on, man.

[Bubb Rubb]

Probably not. Lots of folks think the west is always better than it really is. There's Bama then meh. One of the east teams will be turn out to be pretty decent while the west usually has 2 or 3 average to poor teams. OM and ?? next year (probably us, TAM, or Arky).

This is nonsense. There's a lot of parity in the west after Alabama. A whole bunch of evenly-matched teams. Any one of them could trade three games in the west with that Kentucky-Vanderbilt-Missouri-South Carolina gauntlet in the east and get to ten wins easily. Plus, Florida and and Georgia aren't exactly imposing, and Tennessee is gonna Tennessee every year.

TAMU was an average-to-poor team in the SEC West last year. They played and beat South Carolina and Tennessee. If you roll off LSU, Auburn, and us, for example, and roll on Kentucky, Vanderbilt, and Georgia, their record jumps to 10-2 and possibly winning the east. And that's with wiggle room...I didn't give them Missouri and left them with Alabama.

[TUSK]

So also 8 3-stars. They have none in the top 100 and none in the top 20 in FL. Come on, man.

Exactly... that's kinda what I meant in the "recruiting/screwed" comment...

[Westdawg]

what about this supposed video of UF coaches offering money to a recruit and he has turned it in to his high school HC, who has now banned the entire UF staff from campus and turned the video over the the NCAA ? and supposedly, it was right after this incident and the word spread amongst HS coaches that UF had a mass defect of commits and prospect commit elsewhere, namely Miami

[lamont]

Either they will get it done or they wont. In 2017- they are one of the best 4 teams in the SEC

[msstate7]

Either they will get it done or they wont. In 2017- they are one of the best 4 teams in the SEC

Bama, lsu, auburn, and Florida your top 4?

[smootness]

Either they will get it done or they wont. In 2017- they are one of the best 4 teams in the SEC

Who are their two talented QBs? They have Franks, who has yet to do anything, and....?

Their offense was horrid last year, so returning most of it doesn't inevitably make for success.

[msstate7]

Who are their two talented QBs? They have Franks, who has yet to do anything, and....?

Their offense was horrid last year, so returning most of it doesn't inevitably make for success.
Yeah, I remember hearing Arkansas is returning a ton of defensive starters in '16...

'15 scoring def -- 27.4 ppg
'16 scoring def -- 31.1 ppg