Best, Worst, and Realistic National Signing Day Scenarios for Florida
Less than a week away from National Signing Day, teams all around the country are attempting to make a late push for talented prospects to choose their school.
The same goes for the University of Florida.
With Dan Mullen leading the charge, the Gators continue to stay in hot pursuit on the trail by targeting some notable names including safety Avantae Williams, running back Jahmyr Gibbs, offensive lineman Sedrick Van Pran, running back Ashaad Clayton, defensive end Princely Umanmielen, and athlete Dee Beckwith.
As of now, the Gators go into February 5th with three available spots to fill in the 2020 recruiting class.
Ahead of what may be the most exciting National Signing Day in quite some time for Gator Nation, let’s take a look at what would be the best, worst, and most realistic situations possible.
Best Case Scenario for National Signing Day: Avantae Williams, Sedrick Van Pran, and Jahmyr Gibbs.
In a perfect world, Florida would acquire three of the most talented recruits left on the board with this trio.
Adding pieces in every aspect of the game would go a long way for the Gators and the future of their program.
With extra emphasis on obtaining the ball-hawking safety out of Deland, FL, in Avantae Williams, this would be the ideal prospect to get a commitment from come February 5th. With a safety unit that struggled at times in 2019, Florida could find that missing piece to pair with other incoming freshmen Mordecai McDaniel and Rashad Torrence II.
Despite not being the Gators’ number one priority in terms of being a must-land, Jahmyr Gibbs would possibly be the most significant get of the cycle if Florida can get the job done.
Flipping Gibbs from his commitment to Georgia Tech would prove huge for the Gators.
Acquiring a player that runs with excellent field vision, smooth feet in and out of his cuts, and track speed to separate from defenders in the open field is always critical. Gibbs would be a perfect addition to mix in with five-star transfer Lorenzo Lingard would catapult this recruiting class not just in the rankings, but in the eye of the fan base as well.
In Gibbs, you’re getting a three-down back that is a game-changer with the ball in his hands. Therefore, landing him would arguably be Dan Mullen’s biggest recruiting accomplishment since he arrived in Gainesville.
Finally, in Mullen’s efforts to secure the trenches in this year’s class, receiving a commitment from the big man out of New Orleans in Sedrick Van Pran would top off those efforts.
Currently committed to Georgia, the 6-4, 285-pound center is an absolute brute who mixes pure power and athletic ability playing the most important position in football. Being a natural talent that is far from polished, offensive line coach John Hevesy hopes to add a centerpiece to the offensive line for years to come in Van Pran.
Worst Case Scenario for National Signing Day: All targets go their separate ways
What would wind up being an absolute catastrophe in Gainesville would be for the remaining targets to all go their separate ways.
Left on the list, all players are considering between at least two schools as signing day approaches.
If the Gators were to see the likes of Williams take his talents to Miami, Gibbs stick to his commitment at Georgia Tech, the chances of swinging their class into the top five would be gone.
On top of that, in a situation where Florida also misses out on Ashaad Clayton to Colorado, sees Sedrick Van Pran stick to his verbal commitment with Georgia, and have Tennessee steal away Dee Beckwith in the closing stages; the Gators could be in a very rough spot.
Still having a few needs to fill coming down to the wire, the Gators are unlikely to miss on all of those mentioned above. However, if Florida were to whiff on all of these guys, this recruiting class would leave another bitter taste in fan's mouths.
While it’s possibly the furthest thing from what is likely to happen, it’s still a situation to consider going into the most critical week in the offseason.
Who the Gators will realistically pull in: Avantae Williams and Dee Beckwith, with Ashaad Clayton as a cherry on top
In the realistic world, the Gators are unlikely to be able to pull off the flip of Jahmyr Gibbs and even Sedrick Van Pran.
However, after a busy schedule of official visits last weekend, the program saw multiple targets take steps that nearly ensured their intentions to become Gators.
As mentioned earlier, Williams is an essential acquisition Florida could make on February 5th. After visiting Florida this past weekend, Williams canceled his official visit with Georgia hours after his visit to Florida.
Being the clear cut front runner for Williams, Florida is in an excellent position to land the four-star safety.
A two-sport athlete from Florence, Alabama, Beckwith has shown substantial interest in the Gators for quite some time now.
As a guy with incredible length and track speed, Beckwith is dangerous whenever the ball touches his hand. Being far from a finished product in regards to route running and overall technique at the Tight end or wide receiver positions, Beckwith has an unteachable intangible— his length.
One of the trends seen from wide receivers since Billy Gonzales has taken over as wide receivers coach is their ridiculous length and size. Very similar to the sleek but tone body type of Van Jefferson, Beckwith can be a playmaker with some adjustments made to his game when he steps on campus.
Outside of playing as an X-wide receiver, he would also be a near-perfect fit to play in the big slot position with his 6-4, 215 frame.
Tight end Kyle Pitts currently occupies that position when he isn't lined up in-line, but Beckwith has the tools needed to be his successor when the time comes.
Beckwith has a decision to make with Tennessee and Florida as his front runners, where he will have the chance to play both football and basketball at both universities.
Finally, the list includes four-star prospect out of New Orleans Ashaad Clayton. The high school teammate of Sedrick Van Pran at Warren Easton, Clayton, is a bruising downhill runner who hits holes with a purpose.
In a race with Colorado, LSU, and Florida, Clayton made it known he was happy with his visit last weekend and set up the possibility for a prominent announcement on Signing Day.
The current Colorado commit could make the jump to Florida after being offered this past weekend, so this will be a race to keep an eye on until the end.
Final Thoughts
While not being the flashy finish the recruiting staff would have hoped for; this finish would still be strong in gaining players to fill position needs around the field.
At the end of the day, running back and wide receiver were Florida's biggest remaining needs following National Signing Day. Those have both previously been filled, with Justin Shorter and Xzavier Hendeson being added out wide while securing a transfer from Lingard at RB.
Though, Florida is in a position, much like Early Signing Day, where they can turn the 2020 class from "really good" to "great" if they close strong. That didn't happen last time, but will it now?