It would appear several SEC coaches have the same questions that many share regarding the Gators in 2017, how will Florida find a way to once again replace its departed stars on defense? The topic came up in sections unique to both Lindy’s Sports’ and Athlon Sports’ 2017 SEC College Football preseason magazines.

Both magazines can be found at major bookstore chains as well as the online stores of both Athlon Sports and Lindy’s Sports. In addition to the traditional national college football editions, both outlets now provide exclusive Southeastern Conference editions filled with even more content for SEC fans to enjoy.

Each magazine features a section dedicated to anonymous comments from fellow SEC coaches. While quotes from the two different magazines question what the Gator defense will look like in 2017, the Lindy’s magazine features quotes containing some harsh critiques of head coach Jim McElwain’s recruiting.

For what it’s worth, Florida latest class ranked No. 11 in the nation, while McElwain’s first full class in Gainesville finished No. 12 in the nation according to 247Sports Composite Team Recruiting Rankings.

Opposing coaches views on Georgia via Lindy’s Sports’ 2017 SEC preview magazine:

“They’ve lost a lot of good defensive players for a lot of years. Will there be a drop-off?… I don’t think Jim McElwain enjoys recruiting; he won’t get his fingernails dirty in recruiting… Jim McElwain has been to Atlanta the only two years he’s been at Florida. The problem is, his last two games of the year are against Florida State and the SEC Championship game (vs. Alabama in each), and he hasn’t won either one. He’s 0-4. That’s when the Swamp gets full of Gators.”

Opposing coaches views on Georgia via Athlon Sports’ 2017 SEC preview magazine:

“They’re going to drop off on defense. It’s kind of an obvious thing to say, but they’re losing a lot of players who played a lot of football. They’ll have to invent some things to rush the passer this year, and I’m not sure if they can because Randy Shannon likes to keep things simple… The linebackers don’t scare you at all… They’ve recruited well on defense, but not great… This is a make-or-break year for them on offense. They need a QB and everybody knows it. Antonio Callaway is a damn good player, and he has had some issues. Their top three receivers are all really good players, and (C’yontai) Lewis and (DeAndre) Goolsby are good tight ends.”