It appears as if the race for No. 1 overall recruit Robert Nkemdiche will feature one more surprise contender—the Florida Gators.

For Florida, it's truly a case of "better late than never," and what looked to be a final showdown between just Ole Miss and LSU could get a lot more interesting.

According to Woody Wommack of Rivals.com, Nkemdiche will take a visit to Florida this weekend:

After saying at the Under Armour Game in Orlando, Fla., that he was basically down to Ole Miss and LSU, the nation's No. 1 player, Robert Nkemdiche, is planning on taking an official visit to Florida this weekend, according to his high school coach. Loganville (Ga.) Grayson High head coach Mickey Conn confirmed Nkemdiche's visit plans via a text message to Rivals.com on Tuesday.

This is a huge surprise, and it truly did come out of nowhere for those closely following Nkemdiche's recruitment. Ever since Nkemdiche's decommitment from Clemson, Ole Miss has appeared to be the favorite, and LSU has slowly but surely made its way into his final two.

The addition of Florida into this equation could seriously shake things up, and this upcoming visit is going to be crucial for all parties involved.

If Florida makes a good impression with the No. 1 overall recruit, the Gators have the potential to make life very stressful for LSU and Ole Miss—especially for Ole Miss, because its status as favorite could be in major jeopardy if Florida has a strong showing during this official visit.

Will Muschamp is a great recruiter, and he's put together an extremely strong defensive recruiting class. The Gators boasted one of the best defenses in the country this past season, and it's a unit that's only bound to get stronger because of their 2013 class.

In fact, it's a unit that could become elite, and that's not even considering what the addition of Nkemdiche would mean for the program.

Florida can offer the No. 1 recruit the chance to play amongst other truly elite defenders. 5-star cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III has superstar potential, 4-star outside linebacker Alex Anzalone recently flipped from Notre Dame to Florida and those are just two big-time recruits Florida has committed.

This class is already elite (currently ranked No. 1 overall by Rivals.com). If Muschamp can convince Nkemdiche that Florida offers him the football future with the most potential, Florida's 2013 class will be epic.

The Gators could then offer Nkemdiche a realistic opportunity to win national championships at a huge football school that's more than relevant nationally. The potential Florida's program would possess, especially defensively, would be staggering.

Florida's sudden addition to this recruiting race could really change the game for both LSU and Ole Miss, and not in a positive way.

The Gators are a legitimate contender, both on the playing field and on the recruiting trail.