Florida produced 66 prospects rated 4-stars or higher in the 2018 class.

No other state in the country produced more.

It’s little wonder why SEC coaches were camped out, corner to corner, Pensacola to South Beach, trying to fill their recruiting wishes this cycle.

That’s especially true when you compare the Sunshine State’s plentiful crop to the other SEC states.

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Twenty-four of the 65 Power 5 programs signed at least one recruit from the Sunshine State. That included seven SEC programs.

But who made out the best?

A familiar face to SEC fans, no doubt.

Mark Richt took some heat when two coveted 5-star prospects from nearby American Heritage picked SEC programs, but the Canes cleaned up otherwise, signing 12 of the highest rated prospects in the state. That included American Heritage’s Nesta Silvera, the No. 2-rated defensive tackle in the country, No. 11 prospect in Florida.

Why did he stay home when his high school teammates didn’t?

“Miami is home — it’s the crib,” Silvera told ESPNU. “I could go to Tuscaloosa, I could go to Gainesville, I could go to Tallahassee and make those schools great. But why not make the crib great?”

No other program reached double digits, though first-year Florida coach Dan Mullen closed well Wednesday, landing six in-state standouts, including WR Jacob Copeland.

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