Florida attractive job because of huge recruiting base, world-class facilities coming

There are a lot of different reasons why Dan Mullen didn’t succeed at Florida.

Gator fans are quick to point out the defensive struggles, including an embarrassing 40-17 loss to South Carolina on Nov. 6. Then there is the woeful offense and suspect coaching decisions that played a huge role in Florida’s 2-9 run in the past 11 games against Power 5 opponents.

All of those are key factors why the Mullen era is over in Gainesville. But the biggest reason has to be the lackluster recruiting efforts by Mullen and his staff.

This is the first season in which the bulk of Florida’s starters are Mullen recruits, either from high school or via the transfer portal.

And the results, or lack thereof, speak for themselves.

The Gators are just 5-6 this season heading into the regular-season finale against rival Florida State. Under Mullen, the Gators signed only one top-10 class (No. 7 in 2020). His classes averaged an overall ranking of 14^th in the country.

For many programs, that’s good enough to succeed league.

But that’s not the case when you’re getting lapped in recruiting in your league by Georgia, Alabama and Texas A&M. To make matters worse, the Gators were so inconsistent on the trail in this recruiting cycle they had fallen behind even Kentucky, Arkansas and Missouri.

“They were the most under-achieving recruiting team in the SEC and maybe even in the entire country under Dan Mullen,” one rival SEC recruiter told On3 on Sunday.

But there is hope for Gator fans. That’s because whoever inherits the job will land one of the best-recruiting foundations in the country.

Florida is hotbed for top talent

The most recent data from the NFL, indicates Florida is still one of the top talent-producing areas in the country. Since 1936, Florida has produced 1,327 NFL players, which is only behind Texas and California.

Over the last decade, including the Class of 2022, there have been 363 players ranked as five stars in the On3 Consensus. Florida leads the way with 64 players, which is ahead of Texas (53).

Plus, some of the most successful players in NFL history have come from Florida. This includes Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith, who holds the NFL rushing touchdown record.

All of this means whoever gets the job will walk in the door with a long list of blue chips recruits in his backyard. It’s a situation that’s rivaled only by the biggest states like California, Texas and Georgia.

Florida’s NFL track record

Recruits want to play in the NFL, especially the ones that are needed to win in the SEC. It’s one of the biggest recruiting lures out there. Every school talks about how they can get you into the league. But few schools can back it up like Florida.

From 2011 to the start of the 2021 season, Florida (63) ranks only behind Alabama (95), Ohio State (78) and LSU (77) in producing the most amount of NFL players. The Gators also rank in the top five from the 2021 NFL draft with eight players picked this past spring, which was only behind Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia and Notre Dame.

The new coaching staff will be able to walk into living rooms and sell prospects on the new vision for the future. But they’ll also be able to entice recruits on getting to the league – something that’s a powerful lure when you’re targeting prospects that it takes to win in the SEC.

Florida has new recruiting resources

Florida is currently going through an $85-million football facility upgrade to the 142,000-square foot Heavener Football Training Center.

While it won’t have a bowling alley or waterfalls like some of the other recently upgraded facilities across the country, the new coaching staff at Florida will have everything it needs to compete in the facility arms race.

A 30,000-square-foot outdoor amenity area will feature a basketball court, a 3,000-square football leisure pool and a 3,500-square foot lawn. The training complex also will feature a barbershop, virtual reality gaming centers and golf simulators.  

“It’s an important investment for our present and also our future,” Gators athletic director Scott Stricklin said. “We talk about championship experience with integrity and that’s a mark of Gator athletics, and Bill (Heavener) embodies that in every shape and form. It’s fitting that this facility is going to help Gator football moving forward for generations to come.”

No reason not to succeed on trail

All of the factors above should give whoever lands the new job plenty of ammunition to succeed in recruiting.

The road to turning things around might initially be difficult, largely because of the success Alabama, Georgia, Texas A&M, Ohio State and Oklahoma are having with so much success recruiting in the Sunshine State. Then there are in-state recruiting rivals Florida State and Miami.

However, another SEC recruiter said he thinks there’s a real chance for Florida to do well.

“I think the first priority for whoever gets the job will be to find the face of the future at the quarterback spot,” the coach said. “That’s one thing Dan Mullen, shockingly in many ways, struggled with. But if the new coach can get a top 2023 quarterback to commit to them, they should have no problem getting some momentum.

“They have the talent in their backyard. They have the ability to sell NFL success. Florida State is down. So, is Miami.

“It’s a really appealing job from a recruiting standpoint. There’s a lot of work to do. It won’t be easy, but there’s no reason why they can’t have a lot of success.”