5-Star CeCe Jefferson Officially a Florida Gator, Will Terrorize SEC Immediately

Our long national nightmare is over.

After committing to Florida on ESPNU on national signing day last Wednesday, 5-star defensive end CeCe Jefferson has finally faxed in his national letter of intent to the program, the school announced on Monday.

The delay was due in part to defensive line coach Terrell Williams' departure after signing day to the Miami Dolphins. But as GatorCountry.com's Andrew Spivey notes, new defensive line coach Chris Rumph has a long-standing relationship with Jefferson:

The five-day wait for Jefferson will be well worth it for the Gators.

Once he arrives on campus this summer, he has what it takes to become an instant impact player for the new-look Gator defense.

At 6'2", 275 pounds, Jefferson is exactly what new defensive coordinator Geoff Collins is looking for from a strong-side defensive end. He's a freak athlete who moves like a pure pass-rushing defensive end but has the size and strength to be a force against the run from the moment he sets foot on campus.

What's more, the arrival cleans the slate for a talented defense. 

As B/R national recruiting writer Damon Sayles noted in January, Jefferson can be the new face of Florida.

"Florida may be the best spot for Jefferson for a variety of reasons," Sayles wrote. "Jefferson can come in and be the face of a defense with new faces among the coaching staff. The Gators are looking to improve from a season that saw their defense allow more than 21 points and nearly 330 yards per contest."

Collins runs more of a 4-3 scheme, but he can keep the 3-4 scheme in place at times—as he did at Mississippi State on occasion. Whatever the situation, Jefferson can find a home.

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He has the size and strength to be Florida's version of Preston Smith, who was a first-team All-SEC performer in 2014, according to the conference's coaches. Dante Fowler, who probably would have slid into that spot, chose to declare early for the NFL draft.

The opportunity is there for Jefferson.

When Collins does go more 3-4 at times, Jefferson can slide right into that defensive end position and become a force playing the 5-technique or slide down and play the 3-technique as a defensive tackle in passing situations in a 4-3 defense.

Simply put, Jefferson is the kind of ultra-versatile defensive end Collins needs in his first year as Florida's defensive coordinator. He gives the coaching staff options, and with options comes flexibility. With him on board, it'll be much easier for Collins to get his best four defensive linemen on the field and tinker with the lineup based on matchups.

Because of that, Jefferson could be one of the players in the 2015 class who makes the biggest impact as a true freshman.

Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and video analyst for Bleacher Report, as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on Sirius 93, XM 208.

Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All stats are courtesy of cfbstats.com unless otherwise noted, and all recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports' composite rankings. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.