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Florida Football Recruiting: Gators announce 2017 class

By Connor Muldowney

GAINESVILLE, FL - SEPTEMBER 17: Head coach Jim McElwain leads the Florida Gators onto the field before the game against the North Texas Mean Green at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on September 17, 2016 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images)
GAINESVILLE, FL - SEPTEMBER 17: Head coach Jim McElwain leads the Florida Gators onto the field before the game against the North Texas Mean Green at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on September 17, 2016 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images) /
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With National Signing Day here, this is how Jim McElwain’s Florida Gators recruiting class looks like for 2017.

It’s the most exciting time of the year for those who follow college football recruiting religiously, especially with some programs zeroing in on top recruiting classes. The Florida football recruiting class for 2017 isn’t quite full just yet, but National Signing Day could decide whether it’s top-10 worthy.

Jim McElwain has pieced together a solid group in 2017 and there are still a number of top targets still left on the board such as five-star defensive end LaBryan Ray, four-star guard Tedarrell Slaton, four-star linebacker Levi Jones, four-star receiver James Robinson and four-star corner Christopher Henderson, among others.

The jewel of the class thus far is four-star defensive end Zachary Carter who is ranked the No. 127 player in the class, according to 247Sports, from Tampa, Fla. He’s followed by talented cornerback Brad Stewart who is No. 153 overall and could fill in for a number of departing defensive backs such as Quincy Wilson and Teez Tabor.

The offense needed to be a priority in this cycle with Florida ineffective at times in 2016. The quarterback situation was a major issue, but that could be fixed with the recent recruiting classes. Wide receiver is also a major priority with Tyrie Cleveland already on the roster and Daquon Green committed. Robinson could add to the class on signing day.

Next: Predicting where top 25 uncommitted recruits sign

Another name to keep an eye on before National Signing Day is Elijah Conliffe, a four-star defensive end from Hampton, Va. He is likely leaning toward the Gators. This could be McElwain’s best class with the Gators yet.

Here are the current commits for the Florida Gators in the 2017 recruiting class. The list of commits will update as announcements are made on National Signing Day.

This recruiting class will set the standard for future Florida cycles under McElwain. He is slowly piecing together a perennial SEC contender.

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