5-Star RB Dalvin Cook Signs Financial Aid Agreement with Florida

Dalvin Cook has taken a step forward in his recruitment process with Florida but it's far from a foregone conclusion that he ends up in Gainesville. The 5-star running back prospect signed his financial aid agreement with the Gators on Thursday morning, according to GatorCountry.com writer Andrew Spivey.

It's the third financial aid agreement Cook has inked this week, along with those from Florida State and Miami. Under new NCAA guidelines, neither the player nor the school is legally bound to these documents.

The Miami Central High School standout follows a path similar to 4-star wide receiver recruit Josh Malone, who signed financial aid agreements with Georgia, Florida State, Tennessee and Clemson in November. Malone ultimately committed to Tennessee on Wednesday.

The agreement permits unlimited contact between Cook and these programs. Although he committed to Florida in April, Cook isn't ready to close the recruitment process.

He signed an agreement with Miami on Wednesday, fueling speculation that Cook may be on the verge of flipping his allegiances to the Hurricanes. High school teammates Joseph Yearby (running back) and Trevor Darling (offensive tackle) committed to Miami a while ago and also signed aid agreements on Wednesday.

The Hurricanes hope to keep the trio together in Coral Gables. Cook and Yearby have formed one of the nation's most formidable offensive backfields in recent years.

"I think there is definitely a strong possibility Joe and I still end up playing together at the next level," Cook told Miami Herald writer Manny Navarro.

The 5'11", 190-pound playmaker is rated the nation's No. 3 running back and the state's second-best overall prospect in 247Sports composite rankings.

Cook currently remains a member of Florida's 2014 recruiting class, but even after taking another stride toward national signing day he is clearly still open to joining an in-state foe instead.