Florida Gators Named an Early Signing Day Winner by SI All-American

Landing three SI99 recruits on Wednesday, the Florida Gators found about as much success as any program during the early signing period.

Photo: Kamari Wilson; Credit Zach Goodall

If Jackson State hadn't pulled off, perhaps if not inarguably, the biggest flip in modern recruiting history when the Tigers pulled the nation's No. 1 prospect in cornerback Travis Hunter from his Florida State commitment, the Florida Gators might just have been the talk of the college football landscape on Wednesday.

Alongside Texas, Texas A&M, Maryland and Mississippi State, Florida was labeled as one of the five winners of the early signing period according to Sports Illustrated All-American.

Florida: Alabama and A&M hold all the headlines from a rankings perspective, and rightfully so, but like the pair it was the Florida Gators who also signed three new SI99 recruits Wednesday. In securing Devin Moore, Shemar James and Kamari Wilson, Billy Napier and his new staff won legitimate head-to-head battles with Alabama, Georgia and Notre Dame for each of them. 

Others in consideration: Jackson State, Tennessee, Texas Tech, Ole Miss, Miami, Michigan, Auburn, Kentucky

After entering the month of October ranked No. 15 in the country in SI All-American recruiting class rankings, Florida has since lost 11 commitments, which dropped the Gators out of SIAA's top 25 and as low as the 70s (out of 130) in December according to consensus class rankings.

However, in addition to signing six of their seven remaining commitments on Wednesday, Florida received signed letters of intent from the nation's No. 1 safety/No. 29 overall prospect in Kamari Wilson, the No. 2 linebacker/No. 18 overall prospect in Shemar James, and the No. 10 cornerback/No. 80 overall prospect Devin Moore. 

Florida's three SI99 signing day additions were tied for the most in the country on Wednesday, alongside Texas A&M and Alabama. They join No. 7 and No. 11 defensive linemen Chris McClellan and Jamari Lyons, respectively, in Florida's class, suddenly supplying the Gators with a solid foundation of talent in their current haul of prospects which will be built upon by February's national signing day.

When you consider where the class stood in the rankings and the fact that Billy Napier was hired as the Gators' head coach, officially, less than two weeks ago, you can't help but be impressed with the results right out of the gate on the recruiting trail.

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