Welcome to Florida, Coach Austin (you'd better be good)

Congratulations, Teryl Austin: With your official addition to Florida's coaching staff this afternoon, your first career coordinator gig will be at the helm of one of the most talented and consistent units in the country. Under head coach Urban Meyer and former defensive coordinator Charlie Strong, the Gator D was the only defense nationally to finish in the top 10 in every major category (scoring, total, rushing, pass efficiency) three of the last four years. Despite significant attrition, most of the starting lineup next fall will begin the season with significant playing time under its belt, with an absurd incoming recruiting class that includes Rivals' No. 1-ranked defensive end, No. 1 and No. 2 defensive tackles, No. 3 inside linebacker, No. 3 and No. 4 cornerbacks and No. 2 safety, any or all of whom could contribute immediately.

Now, about that attrition: Whatever star power the latest chart-topping haul yields, it can only hope to match the heights of the crop exiting from Gainesville for the NFL, a wildly successful group headlined by three-year starters Joe Haden, Brandon Spikes, Major Wright and Jermaine Cunningham, as well as likely first-rounder Carlos Dunlap. That crop was as good as it gets over the last two years, but only after a rocky debut as similarly hyped but slightly overwhelmed noobs in 2007:

Austin has a little more to work with right away than Strong did in '07 after the mass exodus from the '06 BCS championship team, namely a pair of seasoned starters at defensive tackle and in the secondary. But his first task will be holding the line without arguably the five best players on one of the three of four best defenses in the nation two years running, and no matter how hyped the up-and-comers, that kind of overhaul almost never goes well.