GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida entered the season short-handed, and by the time the SEC Championship Game rolled around, the Gators were missing nearly a fourth of their scholarship players.

Heading into the season, Florida had just 75 players on scholarship, well short of the NCAA limit of 85. Worse, of those 75, 21 appeared on the injury report ahead of the trip to Atlanta and only 60 were actually able to play against Alabama.

It left Florida with some massive problems.

"Obviously, the depth was a huge issue, and where it really shows up, guys, you know," coach Jim McElwain said. "You've been around a long time. It's in special teams. Obviously, we got our tails kicked in that area. When you're thin like that, that's the nature of it."

What's next for the Gators? Make sure you're in the loop -- take five seconds to sign up for our FREE Gators newsletter now!

Alabama blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown and also had some real success in the return game. With normal special teams starters forced into larger roles across the board, particularly on defense, Florida just wasn't as good.

Shoring up the roster and making sure the team is much closer to a full complement of 85 scholarship players will be key for McElwain this offseason. The Gators are set to lose eight scholarship seniors and will likely lose a handful more juniors to the NFL Draft.

That means Florida will have to sign a class in the 20-25 range, with only 13 commitments currently on board. Most importantly, the Gators need to add some quality players. They need a few players who can come in and play right away, especially on defense.

The program's current recruiting class ranks No. 20 nationally, behind three other teams in the same division: No. 3 Georgia, No. 10 Tennessee and No. 15 South Carolina.

If McElwain hopes to build back the talent base and start to overcome the gap that was evident in the final two games against Florida State and Alabama, it starts on the recruiting trail, bringing the roster back up to snuff.

"When you're building a program, taking over a program, you run through some attrition," McElwain said. "Your body count isn't always there. We've got to get that back up."

Be sure to enjoy VIP access to GatorBait.net with our FREE trial until Jan. 1 promotional offer.

---------------

For more news on Florida sports and recruiting, follow GatorBait247 on Twitter or sign up for our FREE daily Gators newsletter!

Contact Thomas Goldkamp by 247Sports' personal messaging system or on Twitter at @ThomasGoldkamp.