The football season might have ended for the Gators, but my favorite time of the year is quickly approaching.
To me, the first Wednesday in February presents college football fans one of the best things to look forward to in the offseason.
On that day, your team’s future starts to take shape.
This year it is on Feb. 3, and it is also known as National Signing Day.
As usual, this is supposed to be a great day for Gators fans, but with questions looming over the coaching staff and a bunch of juniors expected to leave, Urban Meyer can’t afford to let any recruits get away.
The Gators have already lost the commitment of safety Matt Elam.
With two other safeties committed — Demar Dorsey and Jonathan Dowling — losing Elam is not the worst thing for the Gators.
But they can’t afford to lose too many more. Not only will it hurt them in the future, but other commits will start worrying why others are jumping ship, especially with all the coaching issues.
Over the next month, Meyer has to go out and hire replacement coaches and get them visiting the players they will coach to calm any nerves.
Meyer has done a great job of recruiting positions that will soon be in high need for Florida, but he has done an even better job of getting those players a year or two earlier than needed so they don't have to jump right into playing.
The defensive backfield for the Gators will be overhauled over the next two years. Cornerback Joe Haden leaving early for the NFL and safeties Major Wright and Ahmad Black going to be seniors next year if they stay, which I think they will. What does Meyer do? He goes out and gets five defensive backs to commit this season to replace them.
The offensive line could also be a work in progress the next two years, but Meyer took care of that last year by adding five last year.
He also has three receivers and two tight ends committed to replace a receiving corps that is mostly graduating this year.
Even though he has done a great job so far, he needs to reassure all of those players that Florida is the place for them despite the uncertainty of the program, which will not be an easy job.
And he can’t just settle for the players he has already gotten commitments from. There are still some big-time prospects out there that would put this class at the top of all the recruiting sites’ rankings.
The biggest two are outside linebacker Jordan Hicks and defensive end Ronald Powell.
Hicks would go a long way in 2011 when A.J Jones and Brandon Hicks are gone, but Powell could be a recruit that could play right away.
Jermaine Cunningham is graduating and Carlos Dunlap is likely to take off for the pros, leaving Justin Trattou as the only proven defensive end.
The Gators have fallen in love with using three ends in passing situations and behind Trattou none have stepped up.
Powell is a five-star recruit from California, who is the type of player ready to play right away.
Despite needing to rest, Meyer will be hard at work again over this next month trying to secure and improve one of the top classes, but all the questions are answered on Feb. 3, making it one of my favorite days.
