Florida Football: Can the Gators Hold on to Big Recruiting Momentum?

Last weekend’s thrilling win over Tennessee did more than just help Florida improve to 4-0.

Included among the 88,000-plus spectators inside the Swamp last Saturday were a throng of stud recruits—many of whom were getting their first look at the Gators under first-year head coach Jim McElwain.

Two touchdowns scored in the game’s final five minutes propelled the Gators to an improbable 28-27 win over the Vols—and turned the energy level inside the Swamp to a level last reached in the Urban Meyer era in Gainesville.

Now, as GatorBait’s Luke Stampini reports, the Gators are trending with several elite prospects—including 5-star defensive end Shavar Manuel, 5-star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, 5-star receiver Nate Craig-Myers and 4-star defensive end Antonneous Clayton. 

“You can basically say ‘Go Gators’ right now,” Manuel told Stampini after the game. “It was fantastic. I enjoyed myself, man, from the time I got in to now leaving. I had a blast tonight, I really did.”

That sentiment was popular among the recruits in attendance, but can the Gators hold on to this momentum moving forward with a number of their top targets?

It’s possible, but there’s a lot of work to be done before labeling the Gators a lock to land a top-10 class in February.

As great as the win over Tennessee was, it’s simply a good first step in the right direction for McElwain and his staff.

Considering that Florida is preparing for a four-game stretch that includes games against Ole Miss, Missouri, LSU and Georgia—with the last three of those coming away from home—the big picture of the Gators program has the potential to look a lot different in a month.

With that said, recruits and fans alike have reason to be optimistic for the future under McElwain.

Given that McElwain’s background is on offense, the Gators' attack already seems to be leaps and bounds ahead of where it was a year ago.

Recruits are also likely to notice the performances of young talents such as redshirt freshman quarterback Will Grier and true freshman receiver Antonio Callaway—who connected for a game-winning, 63-yard touchdown strike. 

The defense looks poised to still be one of the nation’s best under new defensive coordinator Geoff Collins.

Given the foundation he and his staff were able to build with top 2016 and 2017 targets during the spring and summer, the Gators are in position to capitalize in a big way over the next few months.

Wins like the one over Tennessee will only help foster the belief among recruits that Florida is on its way back toward the upper echelon of the SEC.

Sanjay Kirpalani is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained firsthand and all recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.