Dan Mullen Comments on Alabama's Recruiting Success in Florida: "Nobody Asked My Opinion on Rankings"
HOOVER, Ala. — Alabama football hasn't lost to Florida since 2008, winning seven consecutive meetings including the 52-46 victory to clinch the 2020 SEC Championship last December.
The Crimson Tide and Coach Nick Saban have also won their fair share of battles on the recruiting trail in the Sunshine State as well.
Since Saban arrived in Tuscaloosa in 2007, Alabama has signed more five-star Florida prospects than the Gators, Miami (FL) and Florida State combined. Even during the 2021 cycle, the Crimson Tide signed seven players from the state in offensive tackle JC Latham, wide receivers Christian Leary, Agiye Hall and Jacorey Brooks, edge rushers Dallas Turner and Keanu Koht and defensive back Terrion Arnold.
Florida coach Dan Mullen was asked how he expects to change the tune surrounding recruiting battles against Alabama and Saban on the first day of the SEC Media Days inside the Wynfrey Hotel.
"A couple things," Mullen said. "They've built the program. Nick's been there a long time and has done a good job of building a consistent program and consistency within his program. I guess the short answer of that is — I mean, there's — nobody asked my opinion on ratings. So maybe I'd rate everybody differently on who we go after and who we want, that way.
"But for us, I think the facilities that we're getting caught up with, when you look at the University of Florida now and you look at the only school in America that is a top ten public university academically and really considered a top ten football program consistently over the last three years, you're looking at that change. You look at the facilities we have academically, the opportunity to play in The Swamp, the opportunity now with name, image, and likeness and what that means to kids in Florida and how they'll be able to brand themselves within their hometowns in Florida.
"Then you look at the Heavener Football Complex coming up, now to catch us up facility-wise with other teams in America, that's really, I think, how it's going to change where, if you look at it, that's a school of saying, hey, I don't know if there's a better place you can go in America than Florida. If you want the complete package, if you want every aspect of it with alumni connections, with the education, with the opportunity to play for championships and the facilities, I don't know if there's a better place than Florida."
So far in the 2022 cycle, Alabama has two verbal commitments from Florida in wide receiver/tight end Amari Niblack and offensive tackle Tyler Booker and is in the mix for more.
As far as what happens on the field, the Gators will have a shot at redemption from last season's title-game loss when the Crimson Tide visits Gainesville for the first time in 10 years on Sept. 11.
Mullen shared excitement for the rematch and hinted at the Southeastern Conference making a change in its current scheduling policy to make more premier matchups, like the one in September, happen on a regular basis.
"I think it's really exciting," Mullen said. "I don't want to get the commissioner [Greg Sankey] in trouble here, but I'd love us to maybe do away with the permanent crossover team so you get these type of games more often. I think for the players, for the fan bases, I really think it's exciting to see some more of maybe mixing up the teams from the west and playing two different teams each year instead of a permanent crossover. I think that would be really exciting so you get this matchup.
"I think that's going to be an exciting day. It's going to be a great atmosphere. It's going to be a fun game to be a part of, and as you said, for ten years we haven't seen it. We'd love to see that more. There's ten teams that will visit — there's non-conference teams that will visit The Swamp a lot more than conference teams. I think you'd love to see maybe a better rotation of those teams."
Opening up SEC play with the defending national champions is no easy task and Gators linebacker Zach Carter added that Florida will be ready when the time comes.
“Man, they've got to come to The Swamp this year," Carter said. "It was a hard-fought game last year, and I'm pretty sure it's going to be the same this year. We're trying to come out on top this year.”
