Whenever you fire a coach, it’s expected that it will have a ripple that impacts recruiting. Florida’s decision to fire coach Dan Mullen on Sunday after a 24-23 loss to Missouri was no different.
In the wake of the move, the Gators lost their highest-rated commit in the 2022 class as Buford (Ga.) receiver Isaiah Bond announced his decommitment from UF via Twitter. Bond, the No. 86 player in the nation and No. 1-ranked athlete, has received interest from Alabama and the in-state Georgia Bulldogs in recent weeks, and the latter has already managed to steal one of UF’s other top-100 commits in Julian Humphrey.
Respect my decision pic.twitter.com/AmwsGGcHzo
— isaiah “007” bond 4⭐️ (@isaiahbond_) November 22, 2021
With Bond out, Florida’s class now ranks just 29th nationally and 10th in the SEC. Whoever the new coaching hire is, one of their first tasks will be trying to salvage what could be the worst Gators recruiting class in years, but it seems unlikely that there is much that can be done to save this class.
Now, quarterback Nick Evers, the No. 144 player in the country, is the highest-rated remaining recruit in the class. Evers maintained his commitment to Florida following the Mullen news, but he did say that he is keeping his options open.
If Bond were to commit to the Bulldogs, it would be yet another tough pill to swallow as UGA continues to separate itself from Florida in terms of talent acquisition.
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