Is Dan Mullen Struggling to Wall Off State of Florida?
There is a problem emerging for the Florida Gators and their program. Clearly, head coach Dan Mullen is an offensive genius and can execute schemes on that side of the ball with the very best in the country. All things considered, Mullen is a solid coach who has done a respectable job with Florida in his tenure, although there have been peaks and valleys.
One problem that has begun to surface for Mullen is his inability to recruit at an elite level. Sports Illustrated's SI All-American staff compiles a list of the top players in the nation called the SI-99. This year the state of Florida had 16 players on the list, more than any other state. It is no secret that Florida high-school football pumps out elite prospects, but the problem is that these same players aren't staying home.
Take a look at this year's players in the SI-99 from Florida and where they ended up on early national signing day:
- OL JC Latham, No. 11 – Alabama
- DB Jason Marshall, No. 14 – Florida
- LB Xavian Sorey, No. 17 – Georgia*
- DB James Williams, No. 19 – Miami
- DL Leonard Taylor, No. 20 – Miami*
- WR Mario Williams, No. 23 – Oklahoma*
- LB Terrence Lewis, No. 27 – Miami*
- DB Terrion Arnold, No. 41 – Uncommitted
- WR Christian Leary, No. 42 – Alabama*
- WR Jacorey Brooks, No. 46 – Alabama*
- EDGE Dallas Turner, No. 69 – Alabama*
- RB Amari Daniels, No. 70 – Texas A&M
- DB Ahmari Harvey, No. 72 – Auburn
- DE Tyreak Sapp, No. 76 – Florida
- DB Corey Collier, No. 77 – Florida
- TE Michael Trigg, No. 95 – USC
*Indicates major targets on Florida's board according to SIAA's John Garcia
See a trend? Not only has Mullen been losing elite talent from his own back yard, but he is also losing it to other powerhouse programs that he has to face. Out of these 16 players, four chose Alabama, which Florida has to go through to make a national championship. Even worse, the Gators lost three of these talents to Miami, which had struggled mightily on the recruiting trail until lately.
For reference, here is how head coach Kirby Smart has done with regards to recruiting talent in the state:
- LB Smael Mondon, No. 6 – Georgia
- OL Amarius Mims, No. 13 – Georgia
- QB Brock Vandagriff, No. 15 – Georgia
- DB David Daniel, No. 35 – Georgia
- LB Barrett Carter, No. 40 – Clemson
- DB Nathaniel Wiggins, No. 43 – Clemson
- TE Cane Berrong, No. 44 – Notre Dame
- DB Jordan Hancock, No. 53 – Ohio State
- TE Miles Campbell, No. 94 - Tennessee
Bottom line? Georgia keeps its top guys in state. In addition, the Gators already lost elite hometown linebacker Xavien Sorey to Georgia, and possibly could lose his close friend Terrion Arnold, also to Georgia.
Mullen isn't pulling in elite talent from his home state, which isn't a new trend. Even during the times of COVID-19, Mullen struggled to land the elite of the elite from the Sunshine State. Take a glance around the NCAA and there are plenty of players from the panhandle who are making plays, but not for the Gators.
Going back to the class of 2019, Trey Sanders was from Florida and chose Alabama, teaming up with another Florida prospect from that class, Evan Neal. They've really struggled to recruit IMG Academy as well. Lovasea Carrol and Sorey are headed to Georgia and also Nolan Smith in 2019. Go down the list, and it takes a while to find elite players from Florida who actually attend the University of Florida.
Every year, Georgia, Alabama, Clemson and others come into Gators territory and scoop up the best prospects the state has to offer. If this isn't corrected soon, the Gators could see a depleted roster.
