College recruiting: Florida football recruiting 2022 class grade

Here are the grades for the Florida football program’s 2022 recruiting class through Early National Signing Day.

It may be rock bottom for the Florida football program, but Billy Napier and his new Gators staff have to start from somewhere.

While Napier was a phenomenal head coach at Louisiana in the Sun Belt, turning around a downtrodden blue-blood program like Florida will not be a walk in the park. The biggest reason why Napier even has this job in the first place is because his predecessor Dan Mullen did not prioritize recruiting as he should have. Napier may have been put in a tough spot, but that is life.

Here are the 247Sports Composite rankings for the 2022 cycle and Florida fared this year.

Florida football top 2022 recruit: Chris McClellan: DL, Owasso, Owasso, OK (No. 100 nationally, No. 17 position, No. 3 state)

Chris McClellan is the only top-100 recruit Florida has entering Early Signing Day. The Owasso, Oklahoma native has been committed to the Gators since late November. He had offers by all the big programs of note, but looks to be heading to Florida after his official visit on Dec. 12. McClellan projects as a multi-year starter in the trenches with a good chance to be drafted down the line.

Florida football recruiting strengths and weaknesses for 2022

In an attempt to be positive, the Gators seem to have addressed key position groups on both sides of the line of scrimmage. It may not be much, but it is a start for Napier in an attempt to catch Georgia and keep pace with the likes of Missouri, South Carolina and Tennessee in divisional play. Other than that, this is the worst recruiting class in Florida football history by a country mile.

Diamond in the rough for Florida football: Jalen Farmer, IOL, Eastside, Covington, GA (No. 973 nationally, No. 49 position, No. 96 state)

Jalen Farmer could be a potential diamond in the rough for Florida. Underrecruited out of talent-rich Georgia, this interior offensive lineman could potentially play his college career with a boulder-sized chip on shoulder. Given that he plays on the side of the ball that Napier specializes in coaching, Farmer has a shot to be a big piece along the Florida offensive line before he graduates.

Where does Florida football rank nationally and in the SEC in recruiting?

Sadly, Florida ranks dead last in the SEC (14th) and only 76th in the nation. The Gators should be recruiting top-15 classes annually. This is a year of great transition, but Florida cannot afford another awful class like this.

Florida football 2022 recruiting grade

While some of these players may turn out to be terrific Gators, what a disaster this year was on the recruiting trail for Florida football. It is not all Napier’s fault, but he has to hold the bag of the failing grade his predecessor unjustly earned for him.

Grade: F

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