GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- After more than two years of hand-wringing about where Florida was in the recruiting rankings and whether coach Jim McElwain could recruit at the level necessary for the Gators to win with the big boys, those concerns seem to have been put to rest.

Florida has landed 12 commitments in the last two weeks, surging all the way from No. 62 nationally in the 2018 recruiting rankings to No. 8.

It's been a long time coming.

"This whole deal is about relationships, all right?" McElwain said. "There weren't a lot of people that knew much about us, and I think what's come to fruition is the honesty in which we talk to them and we tell them."

Some saw it quicker than others, though. And they've known all along that it was just a matter of time until McElwain started to get more people to see his vision.

Like borderline five-star prospect Antonneous Clayton, Florida's highest-rated signee in McElwain's first full recruiting class in 2016.

"The main thing that stood out to me about him was he emphasized more about teamwork, guys taking care of guys, Gators taking care of Gators," Clayton said.

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There was plenty of talk about how McElwain is too laid-back on the recruiting trail. How his staff doesn't push quite as hard as others.

You might have heard the phrase 'Florida just doesn't have that bulldog type recruiter other SEC schools have.' That narrative missed one key thing, though. It's not that McElwain isn't putting in just as much time. It's just that he's far less salesman than many other coaches.

"Just his demeanor, how he carries himself, he's not a selfish person," Clayton said. "A lot of people don't know him personally, they just know him as a coach. But if you really sat down and talked to him face to face, you notice that he's really into every person.

"The moment I committed I didn't decommit. I didn't even go on another visit. I knew exactly where I wanted to be just by sitting down and talking to me. He just told it to me straight like 'hey we want you, you can be part of something special. Not only for football but lifelong connections if you come to the University of Florida.'"

After taking Florida to two straight SEC East titles, McElwain is starting to see more recognition from prospects he's recruiting. He's no longer some guy they've never heard of from Montana.

More importantly, the way he has gone about recruiting and building the Florida program in general is very sustainable. As he says, it's a process. High school players and coaches alike are picking up on that.

"Our current players relay that to them, that what they're saying is true," McElwain said. "It's not made up, and when you get here it's different. And I think that's made a huge difference. I think the high school coaches, they know this is who I am and this is what I'm all about, and the way we treat our players I think is something that's a real positive."

McElwain has had some ups and downs, to be sure. He has replaced some subpar recruiters with better ones, guys who have better ties to key areas Florida wants to hit in the state.

That has paid off big-time, with the proof showing up again and again over the past two weeks.

"Obviously we've got guys that are really working at it, and yet we always have," he said. "But it takes some time to develop that. I think the support of our administration has been great and the things that are about to happen in the future, and that's something that's very positive."

The vision for the Florida program has never been cleared under McElwain than it is now, with fall camp about to begin, a five-star quarterback prospect committed and loads of momentum in both recruiting and on the field.

That's all attributable to the man at the top, who has quietly gone about building the culture he wants. It's working.

"I think right now there's just that general vibe, and them understanding that when they become a Gator, coach is going to take care of you, and even when you're after (your playing days), coach is going to take care of you, and I think that's something that's really important," McElwain said.

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