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Auburn Recruiting: Tigers, Gators Share Common Targets; Q&A With Hail Florida Hail

By Nicholas Ian Allen

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Signing Day is next week, and as the Auburn recruiting class of 2015 comes into focus, many of the Tigers’ top targets are also being pursued by the Florida Gators. With that in mind, we sat down to discuss recruiting with Terry Lane, the editor of fellow FanSided site Hail Florida Hail, to get some perspective on some of the top common targets from Gators fans. You can also check out our answers to Terry’s questions here.

Fly War Eagle: First things first, we know that Florida fired Will Muschamp as head coach and he has been hired at Auburn as the new defensive coordinator.

Whether you love him or hate him, Muschamp has a reputation for being a great recruiter. What impact has the coaching change had on the Florida class to date?

Jan 2, 2015; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Team Highlight head coach Herm Edwards and Team Highlight MVP defensive end Byron Cowart (99) pose for photographs after the 2015 Under Armour All-America Game at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

Hail Florida Hail: Muschamp recruited well, but he wasn’t able to translate that into wins, and he wasn’t able to get offense on the field. When he was fired, the Gators were already ranked in the 70s in their recruiting.

It’s assumed that’s because the Gators mediocre season kept recruits from wanting to commit. Losing Muschamp could cost the Gators in some defensive recruits, like perhaps Byron Cowart, but it could pay some recruiting dividends on the offensive end, as new coach Jim McElwain may be able to flip some offensive recruits back to Florida.

FWE: When Muschamp was hired at Auburn, there was a lot of speculation that Travaris Robinson would join him.

The day of the Birmingham Bowl, T-Rob was introduced as the new defensive backs coach at AU. What does the loss of Robinson mean to this year’s Florida recruiting class?

HFH: Robinson’s loss may mean more than Muschamp’s, especially for some South Florida recruits. But McElwain addressed that by hiring former Miami head coach Randy Shannon as a linebacker coach and assistant head coach. He’s expected to bring in the recruits lost with Robinson’s move.

Auburn did well hiring “T-Rob,” he had the respect of all the Gator fans and I think still does.

FWE: There are a lot of recruits that have interest in both the Gators and Tigers, and the two programs are believed to be the finalists for five-stars Byron Cowart and Martez Ivey.

How confident are Florida fans that new head coach Jim McElwain can land one or both of those highly touted players?

Recently, Scout.com predicted that not only Cowart and Ivey would commit to Florida, but also defensive end CeCe Jefferson, the so-called “Big 3.” I don’t know if all or any will commit, but there’s a lot of opportunity for all three at Florida, especially Ivey.

The Gators will be very thin at offensive line, giving Ivey the chance to play right away. And with losses on the defensive line, including probable NFL first-rounder Dante Fowler, Jr., Cowart and Jefferson could also make an impact next year.

FWE: In addition to Cowart and Ivey, several other talented recruits are considering the Gators. What current uncommitted players would you say are most likely to choose to play in Gainesville in 2015?

HFH: Outside of the “Big 3”, I’m not sure how much uncommitted top talent is available. What many expect is to see talent flip their commitments from other schools to the Gators. The list could include Bradenton quarterback Deondre Francois, who is an FSU commit, running back Jordan Scarlett, a Miami commitment, and uncommitted running back Jordan Cronkrite.

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Auburn commit D’Anfernee McGriff, who played mainly running back in high school, visited Florida this weekend and rooted for the Gators growing up, but he seems unlikely to switch his commitment.

Still, McElwain is approaching him like he is a lot of players who grew up rooting for the Gators, giving them an opportunity to put on that “orange and blue.” The pitch may not work for McGriff but I expect it to work on a few of the other top recruits who are reconsidering Florida in light of McElwain’s hiring.

FWE: The 2015 Florida recruiting class currently has only eight committed players, but there are obviously several big-name prospects that could choose the Gators on Signing Day. What would be the best-case scenario for Florida fans?

The best case is to get the “Big 3,” get a four-star quarterback to flip their commitment to the Gators and get a few more offensive weapons in running backs or wide receivers.

Realistically, the Gators have some returning offensive talent and capable defensive backs, but any recruits that can address needs on the offensive and defensive line are most crucial, as they’ll have a shot at seeing significant playing time next season.

Thanks Terry, we’ll see how everything shakes out on February 4.

Next: 3 Reasons Why Byron Cowart is the Most Important Recruit of 2015

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