Those of us who have been around for a while think that the Gators should naturally be "a destination of first choice" for in-state high school players, presumably due to our history and prominence.
That's in OUR minds.
It is unproven whether that perception/hypothesis actually holds true for 16 and 17 yrs olds, who may or may not have good recollections going back even as far as the Meyer era.
Who would have the best feel for whether that is true? The guys out in the field, trying to recruit players to come to UF. If the target list is accurate, then that's a pretty strong indictment that "the brand" has barely any power, and the recruiters don't feel they have much of a natural in-state advantage to exploit.
Sometimes, much as you don't want to, you have to re-calibrate your mindset to the new reality, if you are going to make credible plans to move forward.
It really doesn't matter where the 5- and 4-stars come from; if we have success on the field and bring in talent, the Gator brand will bounce back fast. (I'm predicting we put up at least 62 points on FSU in 2018. It will be much fun being a Gator.)
