ESPN released their updated 2021 recruiting class rankings on July 6 (subscription required), with the Florida Gators dropping two spots to No. 7 in the nation.
“Dan Mullen’s third consecutive top-10 class in Gainesville is a near lock coming off back-to-back 10-win seasons and top-10 Associated Press Poll finishes, as well as the hiring of ace recruiter Tim Brewster,” the network began of their breakdown.
“Brewster immediately addressed the need at tight end with ESPN 300s Gage Wilcox and Nick Elksnis. There are two quarterbacks in the class in ESPN 300 Carlos Del Rio and four-star Texan Jalen Kitna.
“A pair of ESPN 300 wide receivers are in the fold in Trevonte Rucker from an hour’s drive away and Georgia playmaker Daejon Reynolds. ESPN 300 in-state athlete Charles Montgomery could play on either side of the football.
“ESPN 300 Chief Borders is a versatile jumbo athlete, who projects as an outside linebacker. ESPN 300 (cornerback) Clinton Burton, Jr. starred at the Under Armour Future 50. Joining Burton in a talented secondary group is ESPN 300 and Tennessee flip Kamar Wilcoxson and LSU flip Dakota Mitchell. ESPN 300 defensive end Tyreak Sapp will likely move to defensive tackle long-term.”
Last month was a busy one on the recruiting trail for Mullen’s staff, as the program added Mitchell, Wilcoxson, and Tampa cornerback Jordan Young in a four-day span from June 18-21.
Despite this run on talented players in the defensive backfield, the Gators were jumped by the Oregon Ducks, who moved up two spots in ESPN’s rankings to No. 5, and LSU, who saw a whopping five-spot increase to No. 6.
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Holding steady, the Ohio State Buckeyes continue to occupy the No. 1 spot, with the North Carolina Tar Heels, Tennessee, and Clemson Tigers completing the top-four.
Led by Del Rio, who will play his senior season at Grayson High School in Loganville, Georgia, Florida has 10 commits ranked in the ESPN 300, the second-most in the Southeastern Conference, trailing only LSU’s 11.
Other SEC schools to make ESPN’s top-25 were the Alabama Crimson Tide at No. 13, Georgia Bulldogs at No. 14, Auburn Tigers at No. 21, and Texas A&M Aggies at No. 23.
While the two-spot drop is not what Gator fans would like to see, this No. 7 ranking is still two places higher than the program’s rating on 247Sports, which grades Mullen’s group as the ninth-best in America.
Florida is still chasing several players in the upcoming cycle who could vault the program back into the top-five, including Miami five-star defensive tackle Leonard Taylor, a player whom the school possesses all four of his Crystal Ball predictions, and IMG Academy four-star linebacker Xavian Sorey, considered by many industry experts to be an Alabama lean but one position coach Christian Robinson has been prioritizing.
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