Score another one for Jim McElwain!
Standout DE Cece Jefferson has committed to Florida. He was down to Florida, Alabama, Auburn and Ole Miss. He gives the Gators their second five star commitment of the day, after OT Martez Ivey.
You can flip-flop Jefferson and Byron Cowart as the biggest prospects for Florida. They are similarly dominant, but Jefferson is even more explosive as a pass rusher, and possesses outstanding intelligence and recognition of plays. Few high school players in the country can simply run around offensive tackles and diagnose a play like Jefferson can. I can see him having an immediate impact on Florida’s defensive line. Or FSU’s defensive line. Or Auburn’s defensive line. Or Mississippi’s defensive line. You get the picture.
Because of Will Muschamp’s long-running offensive ineptitude, Scarlett and Ivey were needed more, but that doesn’t mean Jefferson isn’t be a gigantic catch for McElwain, especially in a class that’s not as highly touted as UF is used to. Even though the Gators’ defense appears to be in pretty good shape right now (particularly in the front seven), it’s always nice to grab a player of consensus five star caliber.
What’s really interesting is what this does for Byron Cowart (the timeline for his story, along with all over updates regarding the Gators’ class, can be found here). Who knows how this will impact his decision?
