Jordan Cronkrite to Florida: Gators Land 4-Star ATH Prospect

After decommitting from the University of Miami, Jordan Cronkrite has found himself a new home. The 4-star athlete prospect committed to Florida on National Signing Day, ending a process that wound up going down to the wire.

Russ Quinoa of the Miami Herald provided Cronkrite's decision and provided an image from the scene of the announcement:

Credit: 247Sports

Initially a Miami commit last July, Cronkrite backed away from his intentions in September, likely amid concerns about where he stood in the Hurricanes hierarchy. Miami had inked four running backs in the Class of 2015 at the time of Cronkrite's decommitment. With his two-way skills making him more of a developmental prospect, it was probably the prudent decision.

Cronkrite's re-opening of his recruitment at such a late stage, though, clouded his status with uncertainty. 247Sports' crystal ball predictions offered four different schools with a decent chance of landing Cronkrite. Florida, Miami, West Virginia and Notre Dame were the discussed options, with Florida considered the heavy favorite.

“We try to tell him not to think about it from a football aspect because football is football,” Jack Cronkrite, Jordan's father, told Christian McCollum of Irish Sports Daily. “We try to tell him, it’s not 100 percent football and it’s not all school. You still need to grow as a person. We tell him he’s not a robot and that’s how he has to look at it."

Florida, which had eschewed recruiting Cronkrite under Will Muschamp, made a late charge with head coach Jim McElwain and running backs coach Tim Skipper leading the way. McElwain pushed for Cronkrite to make an official visit, while Skipper emphasized what he could do in Gainesville.

“I talked to Coach Skipper last week, I called him and talked to him,” Cronkrite said, per Andrew Spivey of Gator Country. “He was just telling me that he saw my film last week and that they really think I can be a great player there. Coach Skipper said that he really wants me to come up for a visit as soon as possible.”

Cronkrite is ranked No. 268 nationally and is the country's 16th-best athlete, per 247Sports' composite rankings. Listed as a safety and running back, odds are he'll play offense at the next level. His 5'11", 198-pound frame is a bit of a concern, but he's lightning-quick on the outside and runs with a clear sense of purpose. Quick, though, is a key word as his top-end speed is far from elite.

It'll be interesting to see how Florida deploys him at first. It's possible they use camp to fully determine his position, moving him around on both sides of the ball. A redshirt should probably be expected unless there are key injuries. Cronkrite isn't developed enough at either of his positions  to make an immediate impact.

That said, he's an excellent developmental prospect who should boost Florida's rankings in 2015 on the national level.

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