The talking season for Florida Football is nearing its end, and one of the last milestones is the release of the 247 Talent Composite rankings. While these rankings aren’t flawless, they offer a glimpse into the potential talent a team has on paper.
As was the case last season, Florida’s roster is better than its reputation suggests and, on paper, should give them confidence against most of their schedule.
Florida Football: Paper Champions
The Talent Composite primarily evaluates players based on their star ratings from high school and ranks each team’s roster according to their perceived talent on paper.
Florida is ranked 12th in the nation in the Talent Composite, boasting four former five-star players, 48 former four-stars, and 32 former three-stars. This is an improvement from last season when they were ranked 15th.
Although Florida might not be considered among the elite college football teams, they do have a stronger roster on paper than eight of their 12 opponents for the 2024 season.
Opponent |
Talent Composite Rank |
---|---|
Miami |
14th |
Samford |
N/A |
Texas A&M |
7th |
Mississippi State |
34th |
UCF |
32nd |
Tennessee |
17th |
Kentucky |
24th |
Georgia |
2nd |
Texas |
4th |
LSU |
9th |
Ole Miss |
20th |
FSU |
13th |
Texas A&M and Ole Miss seem to be the most inaccurately ranked teams. The Aggies have consistently underperformed despite having highly ranked recruiting classes, while Ole Miss has capitalized on the transfer portal, bringing in upperclassmen who are likely more talented than their original star ratings suggest.
However, the Talent Composite also reinforces something we’ve emphasized all offseason: while Dan Mullen’s recruiting may not have been up to par for winning a national title, the talent pool in Gainesville isn’t as depleted as some have claimed. Although Florida’s roster has its flaws, it’s far from a team of “Little Giants” and can be coached into a successful season.
Florida kicks off their season next Saturday against Miami, who were ranked 12th in the Talent Composite last year before finishing with a 7-6 record.