Jerome Baker Flips to Ohio State: Buckeyes Land Former 4-Star Florida Commit

The Florida Gators' 2014 season has been an embarrassment for many fans, but now it may be adversely affecting them on the recruiting trail.

Four-star athlete Jerome Baker, who had earlier committed to the Gators, announced on Twitter Tuesday night that he would instead be heading to Columbus to play for Urban Meyer's Ohio State Buckeyes:

In July, Baker announced on Bleacher Report that he was joining up with the Gators.

However, with Florida struggling mightily in the hyper-competitive SEC, and major questions as to head coach Will Muschamp's future, it's a tumultuous time in Gainesville at the moment.

Bucknuts' Bill Kurelic, however, believed that Baker's future wasn't tied directly with Muschamp (via Mark Neal of ESPN Radio in Dayton, Ohio):

With Baker's defection, Florida now has 10 players signed to its 2015 recruiting class, per Derek Tyson of ESPN.com:

According to 247Sports' composite rankings, Baker, listed as an athlete/outside linebacker/running back, is the 46th-ranked recruit in the country and fourth-best athlete. He's also ranked No. 2 in the state of Ohio.

Baker's expected to play linebacker, of which Ohio State has gathered an impressive amount over the last two years, per Tom VanHaaren of 247Sports:

USA Today's Dan Wolken thought it was another twist of the knife from Meyer, who won two national titles at Florida before leaving abruptly after the 2010 season:

The Gators' loss is the Buckeyes' gain. Florida dropped 15 spots to 47th in 247Sports' team rankings for 2015 as a result of the flip, while OSU rose three places to 11th.

As Ohio State continues to close the gap on the elite of the SEC, it will need players like Baker to bridge the gap. He's a freakish athlete who could wreak havoc on opposing offenses if he fulfills his potential.

Meanwhile, a bad season for the Gators just got a little bit worse.