CeCe Jefferson Delays Sending in LOI After Announcing Committment to Florida

CeCe Jefferson, one of the top defensive end prospects in the country, announced his decision to attend Florida on National Signing Day, but his mind may not be made up yet, as the young talent has yet to send his letter of intent to the university. 

Jefferson eventually sent the letter in on Feb. 9.

Continue for updates.

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Jefferson Sends in Letter of Intent

Monday, Feb. 9

Florida head coach Jim McElwain confirmed that Jefferson had sent in his letter of intent.

Earlier in the day, Jefferson once again said that he will send in his letter of intent via his Twitter account:

On Feb. 7,  Jefferson reiterated that he is heading to Florida and would turn in his LOI.

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Jefferson Hasn't Submitted Letter of Intent

Thursday, Feb. 5

Jon Shumake of the Baker County Press talked to Jefferson, who confirmed he had not sent in his letter of intent.

The five-star prospect said he was planning on sending it in today, or maybe on Friday. Jefferson also told Shumake that he was still committed to the Gators.

He confirmed as much via Twitter: 

Despite those comments from Jefferson, the player's father has tweeted that his son is holding out on sending the letter due to the coaching changes on the Florida staff.

Jefferson hinted at this earlier in the daywith a tweet in regards to former defensive line coach Terrell Williams, who left the program for a job with the Miami Dolphins:

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Jefferson Announces Decision to Attend Florida

Wednesday, Feb. 4

Arguably the nation's top defensive end prospect is headed to Gainesville, Florida.

Culminating one of the more intense and talked-about recruiting processes in the Class of 2015, CeCe Jefferson officially committed to Florida on national signing day. 

He chose the Gators over the likes of Alabama, Notre Dame, Ole Miss and Florida State.

Alex Byington of the Opelika-Auburn News confirmed the decision.

OnlyGators.com provided a quote from Jefferson following the decision:

Derek Henry of ESPN weighed in on Jefferson's commitment:

For much of the recruiting cycle, Jefferson seemed destined to play at Florida.

247Sports' recruiting crystal ball gave the Gators a 79 percent chance of landing the coveted pass-rusher, with the school's proximity and conference strength being cited as the most integral factors.

Jefferson played his high school ball at Baker County Senior High School in Glen Saint Mary, Florida.

The Gators' decision to fire head coach Will Muschamp, however, sent Jefferson's recruitment into flux. By December, he was naming Ole Miss a favorite thanks to his bond with Hugh Freeze.

Jefferson spoke with 247Sports' Barton Simmons about this matter in late December:

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When you get a relationship with somebody if you decided to go to their program, you want them to be there. You don't want to start over so that was definitely a big deal for him to turn down that job and sign that contract. It means he's dedicated to the program. He sees what he has. It's a program on the rise. He wants to build something special and I love that about him.

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Listed at 6'2" and 275 pounds, Jefferson is among the handful of first-rate recruits in the nation. He's considered a 5-star player, the second-best strong-side defensive end in his class and seventh-best overall player, according to 247Sports' composite rankings.

Only offensive tackle Martez Ivey, defensive end Byron Cowart and safety Derwin James are ranked higher among Floridians.

Jefferson built his resume on a spectacular junior season in which he compiled 68 total tackles and 17.5 sacks. In just his first three seasons, he racked up 42.5 sacks.

He's a menace to opposing offensive tackles against the pass, exploding off the ball and beating them to the edge with his quickness. There are few—if any—quicker linemen off the snap than Jefferson.

Jefferson's physical dominance also makes him a strong run defender versus high school competition, and he projects well in that regard at the next level, too.

Finding consistency and developing better technique will be key, though. Like many his age, Jefferson has a habit of relying far too heavily on his physical attributes rather than refined moves that will help him make a smooth transition.

It's also possible Jefferson will eventually fit in as a 3-4 outside linebacker. His size won't be a massive concern for Florida, but he's still a little slight for an SEC down lineman and will need time in the weight room if he hopes to contribute early.

That's a relatively minor problem. Nearly every high schooler needs more adequate strength training than they receive in high school.

Just don't be surprised if you only see him featured as a situational pass-rusher as a freshman.

Again, these are small concerns—and likely low on the Florida coaching staff's list. Jefferson is, by all accounts, an elite prospect in every facet. He's good enough now that he could help the Gators without any of the developmental training that recruits tend to engage in upon their college arrival.

It will be interesting to see how quickly head coach Jim McElwain wants to bring Jefferson along.

Florida already has one of the nation's more talented defenses, so it's theoretically possible that Jefferson could wind up redshirting as a freshman.

Given his production and motor, though, it's hard to see him not impressing enough to get a long look at cracking the starting lineup.

Either way, it's not a bad problem to have.

Unless otherwise noted, statistics courtesy of MaxPreps.

Follow Tyler Conway on Twitter @tylerconway22.