Florida Spotlight: Five recruits impacted by McElwain firing
Jim McElwain may not have been building a juggernaut in Gainesville, but his removal certainly carries recruiting implications. Florida’s decision to make yet another coaching change will carry repercussion for the Gators. Until a new coach is in place, uncertainty will rule the orange-and-blue roost, and that could create some chaos when it comes to UF’s work on the recruiting trail.
Below, we take a look at five highly ranked prospects whose recruitments will be impacted by the move.
MORE FLORIDA: Farrell's thoughts | Five schools that will benefit most | Will Miami return to superpower status now? | Podcast | Fans react to firing | Who is the best fit to take over? | Recruits react | Three-Point Stance
One of the the top tackles in the country, Petit-Frere was seen as a Florida lean before the coaching shakeup. The Gators being without a coach kicks the door open for the powerhouse programs that are also in play. Petit-Frere recently visited Notre Dame and is considering Alabama, Auburn and Ohio State. Schools have little margin for error when recruiting players of Petit-Frere’s caliber, and firing coaches can set them back months. The new Gators’ staff will have to make Petit-Frere a priority upon arrival if the Gators hope to salvage his recruitment.
A recent Gator commitment, Gouraige chose UF over Clemson. He planned to take official visits after the season and will almost certainly do so now. Following an in-season visit, he cited his relationship with Florida offensive line coach Brad Davis as a perk. With Davis likely on his way out and Clemson looking stable as ever, things here will probably get interesting. Gouraige declined interviews in the wake of McElwain’s removal, saying simply “I have a lot going on right now.”
Whatever hope Florida had on stealing Pope from Miami is likely dead now. It was a bit of a long shot to begin with, but Pope continued to visit Gainesville despite his commitment and seemed to be mulling the possibility of a flip. Miami’s impressive season combined with a coaching change in Gainesville are more than enough to keep Pope in South Florida. A flip wasn’t likely and now this is simply the idea’s death blow.
Barnes will likely remain high on Florida regardless of McElwain's replacement, so all is not lost on this front. Still, what once looked like a lock now carries some semblance of uncertainty. North Carolina stands to benefit here, but the Tar Heels' disaster of a season will make capitalizing on the UF drama a little more difficult. It’s easy to imagine Barnes waiting for Florida to hire a coach before committing to the Gators. It’s also easy to see him opening up his recruitment to include a few more schools.
A 2019 prospect and four-star Florida commit, Dunmore has time to wait out the Gators’ coaching change. At the same time, he’s also never been shy about his desire to look around. Just a junior, Dunmore was always planning to visit other schools. The coaching change in Gainesville will only further encourage him. Dunmore, who said the news of McElwain’s dismissal was “overwhelming,” will be interesting to watch this offseason.
