Once upon a time, Gainesville was among the top destinations for college football recruits after the program was brought to prominence by [autotag]Steve Spurrier[/autotag] and taken even further by [autotag]Urban Meyer[/autotag]. However, things have steadily declined since those glory days as the Orange and Blue lost its luster over the course of a disappointing decade following the end of the Golden Era.
Looking back on the recruiting classes of the past, it is easy for Gator fans to get nostalgic for a time when the best of the Sunshine State gravitated toward the flagship university to compete on the gridiron. New head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] has made a point of emphasizing the importance of collecting homegrown talent in rebuilding the program – which makes sense when your backyard is a hotbed of young talent.
Below is a look at the four Florida Gators who made 247Sports’ top-50 rankings of the best prep prospects since the turn of the century.