But at the close of the early signing period of his third recruiting class, the truth is unavoidable. He struggles to recruit at a truly elite level.
Let me be clear. Florida just got better today by signing a bunch of really good football players. That’s especially true on the defensive side of the ball, where the defensive line recruiting really shined.
I have no doubt that these players are going to represent the university well and lead the school to a bunch of wins. And with
Mullen in charge, I’m sure there will be a handful who will overachieve.
But even with all that, competing with Georgia, LSU and Alabama is going to be difficult. Basically, this recruiting class sets Florida up to be exactly what it has been the past two seasons. Good enough to get up all of our hopes, but not quite good enough to run the SEC gauntlet to a championship.
For some fans, that isn’t enough. A bunch of wins over Kentucky and Missouri isn’t going to be seen as a success now that Mullen has established that as his baseline. They want Georgia and they want championships.
And those are expectations Mullen has set for himself. He always references the “Gator Standard” when talking about his program. Like it or not, the Gator Standard means SEC and National Championships.
At the end of the day, Mullen is getting paid $6 million per season to manage a program. That includes coaching at an elite level. It includes developing talent at an elite level. But it also includes recruiting at an elite level.