(See my post on the "Rivals...changes..."-thread--don't want to have to go over all of that a 2nd time!)
Bottom line(s): Got to take into account the circumstances leading up to our signing-day--limit your expectations AND your disappointment. Even WITHOUT that caveat, it was a solid outcome. WE addressed essential needs (especially on the D-line), held onto most of the real studs Meyer and Co. had targeted, worked on and brought in over the last season or two, and picked up a handful of high-grade "extras" here at the end.
Meanwhile, we DO have all that talent (inclu. LAST year's highest-ranked class, just about to come into its own) in the pipeline. That's just one of a number of points that can't be addressed in one year's recruiting ranking. How the players turn out, what the staff does with them, and what they are in position to do the NEXT year as a result of that crop are huge factors, in the long run. We're in great shape there, it appears.
We have some redshirt freshmen and about-to-blossom sophomores that seem ready to assume big roles on offense and on defense--it'll be exciting to see what our well known "innovators" do with their respective groups of talent. And remember: Chomp and Co. still hold a clutch of scholarships in-pocket for next year. You can bet that this was no accident. "Quality, not quantity" has been the catch-phrase, and part of that was with NEXT year in mind, I'm sure.
Finally, I believe that because he signed his letter so early, got enrolled here for spring and is already attending classes, Driskel's importance has sort of been "lost in the shuffle" of hype, hats and relative rankings. Never mind that silliness about who, what or why he was worthy of 4- or 5-stars, he was and is far and away the most talented and exciting QB in the whole class. This kid is a game-changer, with enormous potential upside at the dominant, pivotal position on offense--and we got him! Yeah, we are going to be BETTER than "fine".
So hold your heads high, Gators. We walk our own road, and are in good shape and good hands to take us to the ultimate destination, our next National Championship, in due time: THAT'S the one that matters, not one or another group of media-guys' idea of which school got the biggest or the best haul of yet-to-be-proven young players to come try and make their team that year.
