If Florida’s 24-17 loss to Georgia showed anything about the long-term outlook for Dan Mullen and the Gators’ program, it was that the Gators need to improve their recruiting operation. Florida needs to add more high-level talent for depth and must improve on both lines of scrimmage, where they were bullied a bit by Georgia on Saturday afternoon.

Following the loss, Mullen was asked how close his team was to being on the championship-competing level of its archrival Georgia.

“Seven points,” a frustrated Mullen quipped.

On the scoreboard, he’s right, and certainly there was plenty of blame to go around Saturday. The Gators didn’t lose only because of a talent gap.

Still, the talent gap exists and short-term pieces focusing on Florida’s coaching errors Saturday aren’t wrong, necessarily, but they miss the larger, more vital point: If the Gators are to compete for championships in a SEC East that contains Kirby Smart’s monster in Athens, Florida must improve the talent.

Florida’s recruiting class appears to be another solid group, with the recent commitment of 4-star athlete Marc Britt vaulting the Gators back into the 247 composite top 10.

Mullen has upgraded Florida’s talent, as this chart shows. That means even as Smart lands elite class after elite class, Florida has closed the talent gap somewhat simply due to math.

But this was a very positive recruiting map for Florida, one that should have landed a top 5-ish class, rather than one that just hopes to sneak into the top 10 again.

Here are 5 recruiting battles Florida could still win that would elevate the class into that territory, which is where Mullen needs to be more often if the Gators are to get over the hump.

Timothy Smith, 4-star DT (Sebastian, Fla.)

Committed to Alabama, Smith is from Sebastian, Florida, about a 3-hour drive from Gainesville and has been trending toward Florida since an unofficial visit to the Gators for the Auburn game last month.

A huge yet surprisingly athletic tackle, Smith is precisely what Florida needs, especially with the program’s best defensive tackle, Adam Shuler, set to graduate.

Florida already has 1 top 50 defensive tackle in its class in Gervon Dexter; Smith would give Florida 2 in the top 150 and vastly improve the talent quotient for Florida up front.

Marcus Dumervil, 4-star OT (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.)

The top 100 offensive tackle out of powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas is another priority for the Florida staff. LSU remains the leader, but Florida closed a great deal of ground when Dumervil visited Gainesville for the Auburn game.

Florida has the commitment of 4-star OT Issiah Walker out of Miami, but adding Dumervil would give the Gators 2 elite offensive tackles, which is where the program should aspire to be on an annual basis. There’s also great symbolism in this recruitment, as Dumervil is  an in-state recruiting battle the likes of which Florida needs to stop losing routinely to College Football Playoff contenders like LSU, Alabama, Georgia and Clemson.

Demorie Tate, 4-star DB (Orlando)

Another in-state recruit, Tate is the jewel commitment in Florida State’s class. With Willie Taggart fired, Florida has an opportunity to preach stability and poach some of the best players from FSU’s class, and Tate would fill the biggest Florida need.

CJ Henderson is almost certainly off to the NFL, slotted at No. 10 on Todd McShay’s latest mock. Marco Wilson needs more seasoning, as his performance vs. Georgia showed, but no one would begrudge him for leaving early as well. That would leave Florida very thin at corner next year, a problem compounded by the departure of elite corner Chris Steele, the jewel of Florida’s last signing class, in the spring.

Tate checks all the boxes: a top 50 player with good technique, size and the flexibility to play nickel, corner or safety at the next level. Florida should go all in here to bring him on board.

Avantae Williams, 4-star S (Deland, Fla.)

Williams is a bit undersized (5-11, 170), which has caused some concern about durability and immediate impact at the next level, but the safety from the Orlando area plays bigger than he is, with a compact, muscular frame and the speed to deliver bruising hits.

Williams has good instincts in coverage as well and that, coupled with his love of contact, makes him a player that would immediately upgrade a Florida safety room that is lean on top-end talent. This battle is largely seen as one between Florida, Georgia and a (fading) Oregon, though it is tough to get a read on Williams, who has kept his recruiting relatively quiet.

In the end, he is an in-state recruit in the top 100 nationally who plays defensive back. That should be a bread and butter for Florida, which prides itself as DBU, and it is a commitment Florida fans should expect safeties coach Ron English and the Florida staff to close.

If they don’t, the truth is it is because they are getting outworked.

Xzavier Henderson, 4-star WR (Miami)

CJ Henderson’s little brother has always seemed to be trending toward a bona fide Playoff contender, whether Clemson or Alabama. Georgia has also pursued Henderson aggressively, with longtime Miami savant James Coley serving as Henderson’s primary recruiter.

In the end, many Gators insiders feel quietly confident about this recruiting battle, saying Henderson will follow his brother to Florida.

It’s a big recruitment for Florida.

First, it’s a position of immense need. Florida will graduate 4 seniors at receiver this winter, including Van Jefferson and Freddie Swain. While Trevon Grimes should return, that’s not guaranteed, meaning Florida could face overwhelming attrition with little proven talent left behind. Signing 3 to 4 blue-chip receivers is a priority given that reality.

Second, Mullen and his staff need to win head-to-head battles against Playoff contenders, especially for in-state talent.

Finally, there will be a significant optics problem when and if the Gators can’t get players with Florida bloodlines to come to the school a sibling was an All-American at, which is what happens if Henderson spurns Mullen and the Florida staff.

This is another battle where Florida needs to do what it takes to get Henderson on campus, and consider what it means staff wise if they cannot.