Florida Football: 5 keys for a successful 2019 season

2. Sign top-five recruiting class — and keep those players

By signing a top-10 recruiting class in 2019, Dan Mullen silenced those doubting his recruiting acumen, a crowd that has dwindled with each signing of a blue-chip recruit. He replenished the talent pools at key positions: cornerback, quarterback and linebacker. He outran Nick Saban and Alabama for four-star edge-rusher Khris Bogle. He got out to a fast start on the 2020 class.

All things recruiting trended positive. Until they weren’t.

The positive momentum evaporated after a May that ended with a rash of decommitments, missed opportunities and departures of several centerpieces from the freshly inked 2019 class. Chris Steele and Jalon Jones – both high-end four-star recruits at vital positions – left school and left a lasting mark which will require restoration of trust that will only come with time and results.

And now, after holding the top-ranked class for several weeks and a top-five ranked class for months, the Gators currently find themselves ranked eighth according to the 247Sports ranking.

The bleeding needs to stop, and soon.

Of course, it’s still early in the recruiting process and this may simply be a blip on the radar, but Mullen and company need to get some wins. Especially since the Gators currently hold the fourth ranked SEC recruiting class despite being in the top-ten overall. The competition remains as hot as ever.

If they want to be considered among college football’s royalty, Florida must excel in bringing the best players to the Swamp and keeping them there for their entire career. So far, Mullen has produced mixed results. The 2020 class must unequivocally prove otherwise.