Florida Gators football to welcome 12 early enrollees from Class of 2016

If Florida Gators football needs one thing, it’s an influx of talent, and the program will be able to get started on that path this week as it welcomes 12 mid-year enrollees when spring semester classes start on Monday.

Ten of those players are already on campus at the University of Florida, three of which are junior college transfers.

Four-star quarterback Feleipe Franks (Crawfordville, FL) leads the group. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound signal caller is Florida’s highest-rated commitment at No. 37 in the nation, per the 247Sports Composite, and should compete for a starting job immediately. Franks, however, is one of those two players not on campus yet as he’s participating in the U.S. Army All-America Game.

Four-star cornerback Chauncey Gardner (Cocoa, FL) is the highest rated prospect on campus at No. 68 overall. At 6-foot, 194 pounds, he should be able to play immediately for the Gators.

Four-star wide receivers Freddie Swain (Citra, FL) and Joshua Hammond (Hallandale, FL) are ranked Nos. 131 and 218, respectively.

Four-star running back Mark Thompson (Dodge City, KS) and three-star kicker Eddy Pineiro (North Miami Beach, FL) headline the JUCO transfers but are joined by an intriguing three-star prospect in 6-foot, 185-pound WR Dre Massey (Goodman, MS).

Defensive end Jordan Smith (Lithonia, GA) is the only other four-star prospect enrolling early. The rest include three-stars QB Kyle Trask (Manvel, TX), linebacker David Reese (Farmington, MI), offensive lineman Stone Forsythe (Winter Garden, FL) and athlete McArthur Burnett (Pahokee, FL); Burnett, like Franks, is not yet on campus but has until Jan. 11 to arrive in Gainesville, Florida.

The Gators have 13 other high school prospects committed as part of their Class of 2016. Head coach Jim McElwain believes Florida will ultimately bring in 28-30 new players this cycle as a combination of early enrollees, February signees and transfers.

National Signing Day is exactly one month away on Feb. 3.

Gator Nation: Let's give a #Gator welcome to our midyear enrollees who officially move on campus today! Welcome home, gentlemen. #GoGators

— Jim McElwain (@CoachMcElwain) January 3, 2016