Jim McElwain is hoping to make major moves. His team’s recruiting class currently ranks 19th in the nation, but he’s hoping to vault up the list with some big commitments today. Here, alligatorSports writers Ethan Bauer, Matt Brannon, Ian Cohen and Patrick Pinak break down some of Florida’s top targets for National Signing Day.
Bauer: DT/OG Tedarrell Slaton
If he signs with the Gators, Tedarrell Slaton will immediately become the largest player on Florida’s roster.
The standout from American Heritage High School in South Florida checks in at 6-foot-4 and 360 pounds, having played both guard and defensive tackle for the Patriots.
At Florida, a permanent slot at defensive tackle seems likely because it’s a position of need for the Gators and because Randy Shannon — Florida’s defensive coordinator — was Slaton’s chief recruiter.
In addition to being the largest player, Slaton would also be Florida’s top recruit. According to the 247Sports composite, the four-star prospect is the nation’s 69th-best player. The only players who Florida could sign to outshine Slaton are linebacker Levi Jones and defensive end LaBryan Ray, who are both trending toward other schools.
Slaton, meanwhile, is considered a strong Florida lean who adds much-needed depth at defensive tackle.
The U.S. Army All-American is also considering Miami and Georgia, and he is scheduled to sign at 8 a.m. today.
Brannon: RB Adarius Lemons
Adarius Lemons was almost — and could still be — the one that got away.
The 6-foot, 195-pound running back committed and then decommitted from the Gators in fall of 2016, tweeting, “I would like to de-commit from Florida Gators and worry about my priorities first I got so much going on right na.”
But for all the uncertainty surrounding his recruitment, one thing is for sure: Lemons will bring a combination of strength and speed to whatever program he signs with.
“He’s had a couple plays where he’s run over a couple of guys all at one time, kind of making dominos out of them,” Lemons’ high school coach Don Mesick said. “He’s made an awful lot of highlight-reel plays.”
Lemons shouldered a heavy workload at Clearwater High School. In his junior season, he rushed for 1054 yards and 11 touchdowns with an average 7.8 yards per carry.
Lemons would have to work his way up to earning more carries for the Gators, as junior Jordan Scarlett and sophomore Lamical Perine have established themselves as Florida’s primary weapons on the ground.
But Lemons can separate himself from the pack in practice by doing the little things like catching passes and protecting the quarterback.
Mesick said his pass protection could use some improvement, but Lemons has proved to be a reliable pass catcher out of the backfield.
“He’s got good hands,” Mesick said. “It’s probably the place where he’s made the most improvement.”
Cohen: DE LaBryan Ray
The biggest splash Florida could make on signing day would be to steal a five-star recruit out from under Alabama’s nose.
And the Gators are pushing hard to do so.
LaBryan Ray, the nation’s No. 1 rated defensive end and a native of Alabama, will likely be making his decision close to the National Signing Day deadline. According to 247Sports.com, Ray is still deciding between Alabama, Florida and Tennessee.
And Florida could use him badly.
Outside of rising junior CeCe Jefferson, the Gators don’t have many proven defensive lineman entering 2017. And while UF hopes former four-star defensive end Antonneous Clayton takes a leap entering his sophomore year, the Gators would feel much more comfortable adding Ray to the mix.
How comfortable?
Ray told GatorCountry.com that UF head coach Jim McElwain and defensive line coach Chris Rumph said Ray would play early and often if he committed to Florida.
And it’s pretty clear why.
Ray had 99 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 11 sacks and four pass breakups in high school last season. He has good size at 6-foot-4 and 260 pounds, and he’s an explosive rusher off the edge but strong enough to bulldoze blockers on the interior.
Florida believes it has a chance to land the highly touted prospect, and Ray seemed to enjoy his official visit to UF last weekend.
And even though Alabama is Ray’s likeliest destination, the talented defensive end insists he still hasn’t made up his mind.
Pinak: LB Levi Jones
Florida would love to get its hands on a talent like Levi Jones.
Rated a four-star prospect and the No. 6 linebacker in the class of 2017 by 247Sports.com, Jones could be thrown into the mix for the Gators the same way Vosean Joseph, Kylan Johnson and David Reese were last season.
The 6-foot-3, 215-pounder would also help boost UF’s recruiting class, which currently ranks 19th in the nation behind conference rivals Tennessee (14th) and Georgia (third).
Jones is thought to be choosing between a few programs, including Florida, Florida State, UCLA, Texas A&M and Southern California. He visited UF’s campus on Jan. 13, and just Monday, he retweeted a picture of himself in a Florida football hoodie. He also interacted with Joseph on Twitter last week.
Though Jones, family members and coaches couldn’t be reached for comment, it should be noted he comes from an athletic family with ties to Florida.
Jones’ father, Robert, was a standout linebacker at East Carolina and played for the Miami Dolphins in the late 1990s under defensive assistant Randy Shannon, now the Gators' associate head coach.
Additionally, Jones has two brothers who currently play — Zay Jones, a wide receiver for ECU, and Cayleb Jones, a wide receiver who played at Texas and Arizona before landing on the Minnesota Vikings' practice squad in December.
Jones will announce his decision today at 8 a.m. on ESPN.
Coach Jim McElwain speaks during a press conference on Aug. 3.
