The performances of Antonio Callaway, Luke Del Rio and Kyle Trask have led many Gators fans to trust coach Jim McElwain over the recruiting rankings when it comes to offensive skill positions. Before becoming a head coach, McElwain coached offense for 27 years as a position coach and coordinator. If McElwain likes a quarterback’s mechanics or a receiver’s route running more than the recruiting experts, the prospect is likely underrated.

But what about the other side of the ball? A coach’s ability to recruit positions outside of his expertise can make all the difference, and McElwain’s predecessors are Exhibit A.

Urban Meyer’s background included coaching receivers and the spread option offense, but he also was an ace at landing five-star defensive talent like Carlos Dunlap, Will Hill, Jelani Jenkins, Matt Elam, Dominique Easley and Sharrif Floyd. His successor, Will Muschamp, was a veteran defensive coordinator before becoming the Gators’ head coach. Muschamp’s inability to sign SEC-caliber quarterbacks in 2012 and 2013 set the first-time coach up for a failed tenure that ended in the 2014 season. He also left McElwain a wide receiver depth chart of one playmaker, Demarcus Robinson, and an abundance of benchwarmers.

So far, through two years, McElwain’s recruiting tally of those who have signed letters-of-intent for Florida:

Offense: 1 five-star, 8 four-star, 15 three-star
Defense: 1 five-star, 4 four-star, 16 three-star

It’s obviously not a problem in 2016, as Florida is again expected to have one of the best defenses in the SEC. But in 2017, 2018 and beyond, can the defense survive against the SEC East, LSU and FSU by signing 76 percent three-star prospects? It’s not impossible, but it’s not easy.

LSU and FSU are particularly interesting comparisons, as both have head coaches with offensive backgrounds like McElwain. At LSU, Les Miles signed 12 defensive signees in 2016, and 10 ranked four or five stars. FSU coach Jimbo Fisher’s most recent class also had 12 defensive prospects, including 10 four- or five-star recruits. Meanwhile, just four of the Gators’ 12 defensive recruits graded four-stars; the other eight received three stars.

There will be always be a few four-star and five-star busts, and three-star signees like Jarrad Davis and Quincy Wilson who end up being diamonds in the rough. In a big picture sense though, the recruiting rankings tend to get it right. As SB Nation recruiting editor Bud Elliott notes, four and five-star recruits make up only 8 percent of Division I prospects, but 70 percent of the first-round picks in the 2016 NFL Draft. Put simply, to get the best talent, you have to sign the blue chippers.

If a talent gap develops with annual opponents like the Tigers and Noles, it could prove particularly challenging for the Gators coaches. McElwain’s defensive assistants – Geoff Collins (DC), Chris Rumph (DL), Randy Shannon (LB) and Torrian Gray (DB) – all have impressive resumes in their areas of expertise, but it’s asking a lot of them to develop a majority of three-star signees into overachievers for Florida to stay on a level playing field with its rivals.

All above recruiting rankings cited are 247Sports composite