Once upon a time, the Florida Gators football program was among the best in the nation when it came to recruiting prep talent. After reaching a high-water mark in the first decade of the new millennium, UF quickly descended from its perch atop the prospect charts, giving way to a re-emerging Alabama Crimson Tide team led by arguably the greatest head coach in college football history, Nick Saban.

Nonetheless, looking back over two decades the Gators still remain a major presence in a list of the top 18 among No. 1 recruiting classes over that span published by the Sporting News on Friday. Unsurprisingly, the Crimson Tide dominate the debate holding seven spots — seven of the top nine spots, including the No. 1 position, to be exact — while Florida logged the second-highest tally with three; the USC Trojans were the only other school to earn multiple entries with two.

The Tennessee Volunteers and LSU Tigers were the other two Southeastern Conference schools with top-ranked recruiting classes, ranked at No. 14 and No. 11, respectively. Note that Alabama’s No. 1 classes from 2019 and 2021, the Georgia Bulldogs‘ class from 2018 and the Clemson Tigers’ class from 2020 are ineligible because players because they have not hit the four-year mark.

Here is a look at where the Gators placed and what author Bill Bender had to say for each squad.

No. 16 Florida (2010)

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Coach: Urban Meyer

Five-star players: 5

Four-star players: 17

Four-year record: 30-21 (.588)

NFL Draft picks: 5

Star players: Sharrif Floyd, Matt Elam

Lowdown: This class had NFL talent, especially on the defensive side of the ball, but Meyer left after the 2010 season and this class finished its four-year stretch with a 4-8 record in 2013.

No. 13 Florida (2003)

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Coach: Ron Zook

Five-star players: 6

Four-star players: 8

Four-year record: 37-14 (.725)

Consensus All-Americans: Reggie Nelson (2006)

NFL Draft picks: 7

Star players: Nelson, Jarvis Moss, Andre Caldwell

Lowdown: Zook brought in a loaded class after his second season, and it’s a group that Urban Meyer helped mold into a national championship team in 2006. They had a 22-4 record in two seasons under Meyer.

No. 10 Florida (2007)

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Coach: Urban Meyer

Five-star players: 5

Four-star players: 13

Four-year record: 43-11 (.796)

Consensus All-Americans: Maurkice Pouncey (2009), Joe Haden (2009)

NFL Draft picks: 11

Star players: Haden, Pouncey, Carlos Dunlap

Lowdown: The 2006 class that brought in Tim Tebow, Percy Harvin and Brandon Spikes might have been better, but it was ranked No. 2 behind USC. This class had just as many pieces, including the Pouncey brothers, Dunlap, Haden and might have been even better had Cam Newton stayed with the Gators.