College Football

Florida Gators Football Recruiting: UF Visits 5-Star Recruits

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 11:01 p.m. ET

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The Florida Gators have been visiting some of the most high-profile players in the country. Find out which five-star recruits the Gators are targeting.

Nov 21, 2015; Stillwater, OK, USA;Baylor Bears quarterback Jarrett Stidham (3) throws the ball while Oklahoma State Cowboys defensive tackle Motekiai Maile (56) rushes him in the second quarter at Boone Pickens Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Though the 2016 SEC Championship Game left many devastated, the Florida Gators football team is wasting no time in getting back on the recruiting trails. Jim McElwain knows how important it is to retool and rebuild the Gators into a championship-caliber program.

In the days that followed the SEC Championship Game, McElwain and his coaching staff made strides towards doing exactly that by visiting three five-star recruits.

McElwain has already begun to piece together one of the most impressive recruiting classes in the country. He’s continuing that process by swinging for the fences on two elite 2017 recruits and the No. 1 overall player in the class of 2018.

According to Zach Abolverdi of SEC Country, coach McElwain is excited to get back to recruiting after missing last week due to the SEC Championship Game.

“The big thing is that all of them were able to see it,” McElwain said when asked about the recruiting impact of Saturday. “They were able to see the opportunity that’s going to be there for them to come into a great place, be able to contribute early and get their degree from a top-10 public institution. I’m not sure it gets any better than that.

“So, there’s a lot of momentum. We’ve got a lot of guys excited about the Gators. And missing last week in recruiting, I’m sure glad we did because that meant we were playing. And that’s the way it should be.”

McElwain has some work to do after Florida’s loss, but he could appeal to some of the best players in the country.

ESPN currently has Florida’s 2017 recruiting class ranked at No. 16 in the country. The Gators are also ranked at No. 20 on 247Sports, No. 21 on Scout, and No. 24 on Rivals, but adding one of these five-star recruits would change everything.

The question is: who are the five-star recruits on Florida’s radar and what type of impact could they have on the Gators’ future seasons?

Nov 14, 2015; Waco, TX, USA; Baylor Bears quarterback Jarrett Stidham (3) drops back to pass against the Oklahoma Sooners during the first quarter at McLane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Jarrett Stidham (JUCO transfer)

Jarrett Stidham left the Baylor Bears in the wake of the sexual abuse scandal that led to head coach Art Briles’ firing. He’s since played for McClennan Community College and developed into one of the most coveted junior college transfers in the country.

With a small sample size of elite-level football at Baylor and a history of dominating under the bright lights in high school, Stidham could save the Florida Gators’ gifted, but quarterback-absent offense.

Stidham played in a number of games with Baylor, but the key areas of focus are his three starts for the Bears in 2015. In his first appearance, he torched the Kansas State Wildcats for 419 yards, three passing touchdowns, one rushing score, and no interceptions.

Stidham then threw for 257 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions against the Oklahoma Sooners, and had 258 yards and a touchdown against the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

In his only other game with significant playing time, Stidham went 9-of-10 for 117 yards and two touchdowns to no interceptions. With solid size at 6’3″ and 210 pounds, as well as the arm to make big throws, Stidham is the type of quarterback Florida has been dreaming of.

Stidham appears to favor the Auburn Tigers at this current juncture, but Jim McElwain still has a chance to work his magic.

Alex Leatherwood

Alex Leatherwood is a high school senior and the No. 9 overall player on the ESPN 300. He’s the No. 6 overall player on 247Sports, is ranked No. 18 overall on Scout, and checks in at No. 19 on Rivals.

Simply put: Leatherwood is more than just another talented offensive lineman; he’s expected to achieve legitimate stardom in the SEC.

Leatherwood is currently committed to the Alabama Crimson Tide, but offensive line coach Mike Summers visited him following the SEC Championship Game. UF lost to Alabama, of course, but that may not have helped the Florida Gators more than it hurt them.

The Gators’ offensive line played well early, but crumbled under pressure and struggled to create lanes for the running backs—a sign that Leatherwood could earn immediate playing time.

Leatherwood is a native of Pensacola, Florida and a potential star at offensive tackle. That combination bodes well for the Gators, as they could offer him a chance to earn a starting job opposite All-SEC Second Team honoree Martez Ivey as a freshman.

If Leatherwood values the opportunity to play right away and remain close to home, signing with the Gators would be the optimal route for him to follow.

Trevor Lawrence

Trevor Lawrence is the No. 1 quarterback in the 2018 recruiting class. ESPN has him ranked at No. 1 at his position and No. 3 overall, while Rivals, Scout, and 247Sports all have him as the No. 1 quarterback and No. 1 overall recruit in 2018.

Jim McElwain isn’t afraid of the competition for the most highly-touted quarterback recruit in quite some time.

Offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier visited Lawrence, who’s garnering interest from just about every program you could think of. Standing at 6’6″ and roughly 195 pounds, Lawrence plays a methodical game and has elite potential as far as accuracy and arm strength are concerned.

If the Gators somehow manage to bring Lawrence to Gainesville, the entire trajectory of the program would change for the better.

Lawrence may be a 2018 recruit, but it’d be silly for McElwain to allow the Gators to fall behind in his recruitment. Every team that could potentially sign Lawrence will be searching for ways to do exactly that.

The question is: can the Florida Gators show enough to Lawrence to convince him that Gainesville is the best place for him to be?

It’s never too early to focus on the future.