Jim McElwain attacking big feeder schools, making South Florida a priority
By Kevin Duffey
Published:
A plan.
That’s what new Florida head coach Jim McElwain has in Gainesville, and he’s attacking it full force.
Much has been made about McElwain’s early success in recruiting with just two full months on the job. Florida picked up seven uncommitted prospects on signing day, and 16 of the Gators’ 21 signees came after McElwain was hired, including five-stars Martez Ivey and CeCe Jefferson.
Yes, McElwain made a swift impact in Florida recruiting, especially on offense, but the players’ locations is what’s really impressive and should give Florida fans hope that he’ll sign multiple top five classes in the next few years.
Upon the hire of Randy Shannon as the Gators’ linebackers coach, we knew UF would attack South Florida, especially with Shannon’s connections. With Shannon’s help, McElwain signed eight South Florida prospects. His biggest fish was elite running back Jordan Scarlett from powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and Scarlett was an easy sell based on McElwain’s experience with Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson at Alabama. Scarlett mirrored his game after both players, and he could be the leading carrier in 2015. St. Thomas Aquinas produces multiple elite prospects ever year.
RELATED: See what Scarlett brings to the Gators’ offense
Another interesting prospect McElwain pulled from South Florida is four-star wide receiver Antonio Callaway from Booker T. Washington, another elite feeder program in South Florida. Yes, Treon Harris, another Booker T. Washington graduate, helped lure Callaway as well, but Coach Mac’s plan sealed the deal. The Gators flipped Miami Central’s Keivonnis Davis from Oregon State and landed linebacker Rayshad Jackson from Miami Norland.
McElwain and Shannon are vying to build a fence around South Florida, a hotbed for elite prospects, and major traction was made in just two months.
Florida also landed four-star athlete D’Anfernee McGriff from Leon High School in Tallahassee, Florida, right in the Seminoles’ backyard. McGriff decommitted from Auburn just a few days prior to National Signing Day and could be the gem of the entire recruiting class.
While the South Florida pulls are impressive, the Gators also flipped safety Kylan Johnson from powerhouse Skyline High School in Dallas, Texas. Florida rarely signs prospects out of Texas, but Johnson flipped from Kansas State. Look for him to play safety or even slide down into an outside linebacker role.
Five-star offensive tackle Martez Ivey was always going to be a Gator, even if Will Muschamp had stayed, but landing Ivey from Apopka is a big deal. Remember, Apopka alums Warren Sapp and Brandon Meriweather both went to Miami before the NFL.
That all was before Chris Rumph was hired as the new defensive line coach and Kerry Dixon was hired as the new receivers coach. Rumph is a good coach and even better recruiter. With Rumph’s connections in Texas and Dixon’s connections in South Florida, Florida has built a very impressive recruiting staff that should have major hauls in 2016 and 2017.
And it starts with building relationships with high school hotbeds.
A graduate of the University of Florida and founder of Saturday Down South, Kevin is a college football enthusiast.
