Florida ended signing day with the No. 6 class in the SEC -- better than last year, but still not near the standard set before Jim McElwain arrived in Gainesville.

The focus for this recruiting season, though, was not on what happened Wednesday. Florida still ended up No. 12 nationally, with an A-minus on its report card, largely because of the work it did before this week.

Sure, getting a few more commitments Wednesday from ESPN 300 players would have enhanced the class. But what is most important to the Florida coaches is this: 12 mid-year enrollees are already on campus, more than any program in the country except UAB (which does not begin playing football again until 2017).

Getting ESPN 300 quarterback Feleipe' Franks on campus early could help Florida avoid a repeat of its late-2015 woes at that position. Tom Hauck for Student Sports

That was part of the plan on signing day 2015, when McElwain decided he needed to identify as many players as possible who could enroll early for the following January, preferably on offense. If that meant asking those with interest in going to Florida to take an extra summer course or two to be able to graduate early, then they did.

As a result, Florida has more early enrollees on campus than it ever has, surpassing the previous mark of 11 in 2010 under Urban Meyer. Two are quarterbacks, including ESPN 300 prospect Feleipe' Franks. Three are receivers, including ESPN 300 members Josh Hammond and Freddie Swain. Two are running backs, including top junior college prospect Mark Thompson.

When spring practice opens next month, Florida will have five quarterbacks competing for the starting job: two freshmen, transfers Luke Del Rio and Austin Appleby and returning starter Treon Harris. There are high hopes for Franks, who has an NFL skill set but remains raw. Whether he plays this year depends on how much progress he makes in the spring and offseason.

“We're excited about him and Kyle [Trask] that are in here with that class as freshmen,” McElwain said. “Here is the great thing, at that position, too, is you're getting an opportunity through these workouts right now to really kind of build a lot of -- kind of see the leadership piece of it, too, as to how they go about their daily work. I know this: We are going to be able to complete some routes on air because these guys can throw it now.”

Thompson, a power runner, is expected to fill the shoes Kelvin Taylor leaves behind. Hammond and Swain, along with junior college transfer Dre Massey, will have every opportunity to play starting in September. And that doesn’t even count ESPN 300 receiver Tyrie Cleveland, the biggest wideout the Gators signed at 6-foot-2, 194 pounds. One Florida coach said, “It’s not often you find someone with his size who can run a 4.3 40.”

Then there is the offensive line. At this time last year, Florida had six scholarship offensive linemen available for spring practice. Then one got hurt, leaving five. Now the Gators have six offensive linemen who started at least one college game and 15 scholarship linemen ready to compete.

The next biggest area of need, aside from offense? Kicker. Florida was a disaster on special teams last season. So the Gators went ahead and flipped Eddy Pineiro from Alabama. Pineiro, who has become an Internet sensation with his 70-plus-yard field goals, also is already on campus. Asked whether he had ever recruited a kicker so hard, McElwain said, “No, absolutely not. Never have. ... I think we have a chance to maybe put one through the uprights.”

Defensively, Florida ended up replenishing two spots that have been extremely fruitful over the past several seasons: defensive end and safety. ESPN 300 defensive end Jordan Smith already is enrolled; so is ESPN 300 member Chauncey Gardner, the No. 4 rated safety in the country. Antonneous Clayton, rated No. 10 on the ESPN 300, signed Wednesday. Coaches called the DE's first step “unbelievable” and are eager for him to arrive on campus.

Was the class perfect? No class ever is. While there might not have been a late firework finish, Florida coaches were not expecting one. They filled the most glaring needs they had, and got the double bonus of having 12 already on campus to get started.