When the University of Florida named Colorado State’s Jim McElwain their new head coach for 2015, McElwain said he was determined to win the recruiting battle in the Gators’ own state.
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Such proclamations are a lot easier said than done. After all, UF is sharing its borders with two of the most decorated programs in college football history, the Florida State Seminoles and Miami Hurricanes. The state of Florida is also just one of the more talented states for high school football in general -- so national contenders like Alabama, Auburn, and many more are also frequently seeking out its blue chippers.
Well, McElwain’s first national signing day class backed up his big talk. He and his staff inherited an incoming class that was a measly 65th and raised it to 21st in just a few short weeks. He was also able to convince two native four-star Floridians, Martez Ivey and CeCe Jefferson, to come to Gainesville.
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McElwain isn’t satisfied yet, however. Speaking to the Atlanta Journal Constitution this week, the UF coach said that he and his staff are now setting their eyes on some out-of-state recruiting efforts, particularly Georgia.
“But for us, our thought is a five-hour radius of Gainesville,” McElwain said. “And with that being said, that (radius) goes up into Georgia, and that will be something that we’ll try to continue to make Gator Country.”
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