2025 Class

To quote Rooster, "It's not the plane...it's the pilot." Well, it's not the player...it's the coaching. Class rankings mean something but they ain't everything that's for damn sure. Some of these kids have 5 star talent but 1 star heads.

 

Agreed, but the ranking could drop as well if we've overspent for HS players or allocated too much of the NIL to the current team to get enough studs. I'm happy with ending up an overall #7, but I was primarily referring the HS classes rankings not the combined rank, which has only been a thing for a year or 2.

Over time we'll see how the combined rankings work out. UDub bought themselves a championship game appearance in the portal and FSU came close to buying their way into the playoffs, so anecdotally, the portal methodology may work as well or better than the HS recruiting route.

 

OK

Where is the consensus #10 ranking? Best I've seen was 11.

 

Considering where things were after getting blown out at home by aTm, a top ten class and the positive mojo is a nice recovery.

 

ESPN has UF at #10.

 

I couldn't access that one.

 

No it isn’t, and you’ll never convince me otherwise.

 

But what we really want is players with 5 star hearts.

 

Ah yes, it's the day after signing day here at GC and everyone is in line to give their opinion. And so am I....

People seem to love labels and love labeling outcomes. The players we signed are full of potential and everyone has an opinion to that potential, usually guided by the "Stars" system. Theo says they are not elite, but second rate. Crusher talks that rankings can change and NIL money matters. HHP speaks of blue chip ratios and how specialists bring down the ratings. Others try to put this whole thing into context how the season has unfolded and how we got here.

I for one, when trying to compare or "rate" this class, would rather look at history. Not the Gators history, but the history of each of our signees and compare that to what maybe ahead. You see, history gives us a much higher view of this class when you think of how they performed on the field and where they came from. Some of them haven't even finished their season, going deep into the playoffs and hopefully state champions. Let's a take real look at our class and see what we got.

I'll start with a "specialist". Evan Noel is a lowly 3 star player out of Mississippi based on 3 different recruiting sites. But if you look at his history he regularly booms field goals up to 60 yards and is ranked the top kicker in the country by some. I'm not just talking about the record breaking kick of 61 yards, look at his 40 yard field goals. They sail out of the camera's view to the back of the stadium fence. Sure he only made 25 out of 40 field goals but if he improves his accuracy in college, he probably will be kicking in the NFL one day. Oh wait. I'm drifting into his potential not the history.

Okay, look at "average" signees like Lagonza Hayward out of Georgia. He's a two way player on the field and multisport athlete. He comes from a great small town program at Toombs County and is still playing in the playoffs. LH is not your average recruit and is not going to settle for second tier success.

How about big man Trell Shivers. Watch his highlights. As CBN says, "When is the last time you’ve seen a 380-pound guy run a 75-yard touchdown." Look at his weight room photos. This is not your average 3 star high school football player. He has the potential to make Gator fans forget about Dez Watson. Oops, sorry, there's that p word again.

Lastly, I'll pick some low hanging fruit and go with the cream of the crop players, Ben Hanks and Vernell Brown. No not the players from the 90's but their Gator legacy sons that have become Top 10 players in the state of Florida. You know Ben Hanks, the all time interception leader in Miami-Dade County history. Or Vernell Brown with a long, and I mean long, list of accomplishments over his high school history that is still going.

History matters more than labels and opinions. Looking back is the best way to look ahead to know where you came from and potentially where you might be headed. Let's hope Coach Napier and his staff can bring this whole thing together next year.

 

The ESD rankings are just one part of the metric. I don't understand why people continue to hype them so much based on what happened last year with our portal takes.

 

Keep in mind we had 3 guys come in that were elite high school recruits that signed elsewhere. If Zandamela, Grimsley, D Robinson sign uf on early signing day the class is perceived differently.....but the end result is they are at uf

 

If we got to 5, some of y’all will still bitch about the players we missed or be disappointed we didn’t get top 3. My point is if you are anywhere in top 15 you will be fine and can compete at a high level.

 

Recent playoff teams and last 4 years recruiting ranking:
Michigan 17,9,13,10
Texas 3,15,15,9
TCU 21,45, na, 23
Wash 26,na,30,17
Na means not even in top 50 that year.
OSU has been top 5 last 4 years, and has 0 to show for it.
Don’t fall in love with Recruiting rankings. If you can be top 10 to 15 each year and get key portal additions you will be fine.

 

But if you look at the top 5 every year, you see the teams that are at the top year after year.

Top 15 is very good....it's just not elite, imho.

 

Sorry @gatorbreeder I should have added a smiley to make it clear I was joking.

 

OSU's records have been 11-2, 11-2, 11-2, 10-2. Top 10 every year. No championships but they've competed at the top every year. I don't know about you but I'd take it.

 

(Warning: Extreme sarcasm to follow.)

Hmmm…. Well that’s not elite. Those recruiting classes only resulted in three of those teams having the most NFL draftees in 2024.
13 Michigan
11 Texas
10 Alabama, Florida State, Washington
8 Georgia
4 Ohio St.

Those that don’t think the top 6-15 classes are recruiting at an elite level are not interested in facts. It’s the narrative that interests them. They’re selling ideas like old snake oil salesmen. Zero truth and only subjective statements to support their position.

 

Boy oh boy, if not being "elite" caused serious panty binding, wait until someone says UF was AVERAGE in the SEC. #8 out of 16 per ON3 industry rankings, no terminology mental gymnastic rants here, just statistically average. Funny how well that aligns with UF's finish in SEC the past couple years, but I'm sure that's a fluke too.

 

It's funny how last year a class ranked as high as #3 that finished I believe 14 was a collapse, yet from 50's to 11 is positive mojo. At the end of the day, they pretty much ended up about the same. Billy is a master of lowering the bar to make himself look like Javier Sotomayor when he jumps over it.

 

Well that's not reassuring at all.