Now *16 members strong (but likely to lose one of two four-star commitments), the Florida Gators’ 2015 recruiting class has a long way to go with very little time to make up ground. New head coach Jim McElwain has tried desperately to make up for lost time over the last few weeks by convincing recruits turned off by Florida’s recent losing history that the Gators are poised for a turnaround.

With National Signing Day set for Wednesday, Feb. 4, Florida is a contender – and was once the far and away leader for – some of the best players in the country. Whether the Gators will be able to lock up any of those prospects remains to be seen, but UF is absolutely in the hunt for at least 15 players that will be making their decisions this week.

Be sure to visit OnlyGators.com’s live coverage of National Signing Day, which will kick off Wednesday morning at 8 a.m. It will feature a live blog that will be constantly updated throughout the day and a checklist to keep track of every signed National Letter of Intent (NLI) and new commitment.

For now, OnlyGators.com breaks down which players the Gators are still waiting to hear from and when they may learn of their respective decisions. This is everything you need to know ahead of the biggest day of the offseason for Florida.





* Updated on Tuesday at 12:00 p.m.

^ Updated on Wednesday at 12:45 a.m.

Offensive tackle Martez Ivey (Apopka, FL)

247Sports Composite: No. 2 overall, No. 1 offensive tackle

Leaders: Florida, Auburn

Skinny: Like a handful of other prospects this cycle, Ivey is down to the Gators and Tigers. While Florida’s struggles and leadership change have seemingly affected a number of other players, the retention of offensive line coach Mike Summers and offensive upside with McElwain at the wheel seem to have Ivey feeling confident about the direction of the program. It does not hurt the Gators that they are incredibly short on scholarship offensive linemen, giving Ivey a legitimate opportunity to start – or at least play a significant amount of snaps – as a true freshman.

Announcement: National Signing Day – 11:35 a.m. on ESPNU

Prediction: Florida | Confidence: 70%

Defensive end Byron Cowart (Seffner, FL)

247Sports Composite: No. 3 overall, No. 1 defensive end

Leaders: Florida, Auburn

Skinny: Once seemingly a sure bet to commit to the Gators, Cowart’s interest waned as Florida continued to struggle under Will Muschamp, and it dissipated further when the coach was fired from the program. Cowart was already interested in Auburn, and Muschamp latching on there has helped the Tigers pick up an incredible amount of ground in a short period of time. UF did get Cowart’s last official visit, and he has a close relationship with Dante Fowler Jr. (so much so that he carries around a Chucky doll and even brought it to his AU official visit). Only he truly knows where he will wind up.

Announcement: National Signing Day – 9:00 a.m. on ESPNU

Prediction: Auburn | Confidence: 60% 51%*