Florida National Signing Day 2015: 5 Takeaways from Gators' Class

The Florida Gators fought through a coaching change and finished the 2015 recruiting cycle in a strong manner, inking 19 prospects on national signing day.

Jim McElwain took the reins in Gainesville on Dec. 4, swiftly assembled his staff and immediately attacked the trail for this year's top prospects.

McElwain had the benefit of being hired before a month-long dead period, which allowed him to establish a personal relationship with UF's verbal pledges and top targets. That 10-day stretch was clearly valuable considering Florida has soared up the rankings since then.

All of the hits, flips, misses and key storylines result in the biggest takeaways from the Gators' 2015 edition of national signing day.

Flipping for Joy

Credit: 247Sports

Jordan Scarlett

McElwain and Co. received eight signatures from prospects who were verbally pledged elsewhere within the last month. The Gators stole running back Jordan Scarlett from in-state rival Miami and defensive end Jabari Zuniga from North Carolina State.

Additionally, they snatched a pair of offensive linemen—flipping Steven Clark from Syracuse and Richerd Desir-Jones from Florida International—and 3-star safety Kylan Johnson from Kansas State.

On signing day, Keivonnis Davis bolted from Oregon State in favor of the Gators, per Luke Stampini of 247Sports, and D'Anfernee McGriff left Auburn for Florida, according to Justin Hokanson of 247Sports.

Nick Buchanan, a former Cal commit, has also elected to attend college in Gainesville.

The Gators coaching staff ultimately showed how remarkably volatile a commitment can be in college football and deserves a ton of credit for its work since early December.

Big Names, Come on Down

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Martez Ivey

Florida entered signing day with the hopes of grabbing a collection of 4- and 5-star talents, and it finished the anxious moments with four more besides Buchanan and McGriff.

Speedy wide receiver Antonio Callaway chose the Gators over Miami, per Andrew Spivey of Gator Country. Callaway gives Florida a true downfield threat, which spaces the field for the rushing attack.

McElwain inked Martez Ivey, a 5-star offensive lineman and the No. 2 overall player in the 2015 cycle. Ivey tabbed Florida over Auburn, according to Stampini.

CeCe Jefferson, the seventh-best prospect in the class, spurned Auburn, Alabama and Ole Miss, per Spivey. The 5-star is absolutely expected to help replace NFL-bound Dante Fowler Jr. right away.

The Gators also snatched 4-star athlete Jordan Cronkrite over West Virginia, as noted by Spivey.

Auburn Crushes Hopes, Dreams

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Byron Cowart

The Gators earned the upper hand with a few important players, but Auburn enjoyed a few celebrations at the expense of Florida.

Early in the day, Brandon Marcello of AL.com noted Mike Horton flipped from UF to Gus Malzahn's team. 5-star defensive end Byron Cowart chose Auburn over Florida shortly after, and the defeats didn't stop there.

Standout receiver Ryan Davis followed suit, per Spivey, and 4-star linebacker Jeffery Holland did the same, per ESPN. Javarius Davis capped the Gators' painful stretch, per Justin Barney of the Florida Times-Union.

As it turns out, former Florida head coach and current Auburn defensive coordinator Will Muschamp is still killing the Gators.

Odds and Ends

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Derrick Dillon

Derrick Dillon committed to Florida in late May but never officially visited the campus, and the 4-star from the Bayou State signed with Les Miles and the LSU Tigers, per Spivey.

Offensive lineman Tyree St. Louis reaffirmed his commitment to Miami, according to his school, IMG Academy. The Gators did officially add Fredrick Johnson, who was long considered a Hurricanes lean before a visit to Gainesville swayed the 3-star lineman.

Jefferson, Zuniga, Andrew Ivie, Luke Ancrum and Rayshad Jackson join what was already the nation's No. 13 rush defense last season, while Johnson, Chris Williamson and Tyler Jordan were each important signings for depth.

McElwain didn't sign an elite group from top to bottom, but after seeing what the former Colorado State coach accomplished in two months at Florida, just wait for a full season of his recruiting.

Rising Up the Rankings

Credit: 247Sports

Antonio Callaway

Just 53 days ago—a short eternity in the recruiting world—Florida was the punchline of an unfortunate yet entirely true joke. After all, the Gators' 2015 haul was ranked 85th at the time, trailing the likes of Rice, Connecticut and Houston while Texas State lurked in the shadows.

Texas. Stinking. State.

But McElwain and his coaching staff didn't merely scramble and manage to piece together a not-totally-terrible class. The Gators finished signing day with the No. 20 unit, an admirable result after a once-disastrous outlook.

Now, Florida's focus turns toward overcoming a combined 11-14 record over the last two seasons. And all things considered, the 2015 class is a small step in the right direction.

Note: Stats courtesy of CFBstats.com. Recruiting information via 247Sports.

Follow Bleacher Report college football writer David Kenyon on Twitter: @Kenyon19_BR.