Billy Napier has made monumental moves on the recruiting trail this year, catapulting his program into the upper echelon of collegiate gridiron destinations. Among the many highly-regarded recruits expected to join the team in 2024 is four-star defensive end [autotag]Jamonta Waller[/autotag].
ESPN’s Blake Baumgartner put together his five top plays from the prep ranks last week and included a pair of Gators commits, with an appearance from him and his standout performance for Picayune (Mississippi) Memorial.
“If Billy Napier gets Florida back to competing for SEC titles, its defense might have to carry the weight,” Baumgartner begins. “And Waller, one of two five-star prospects in the Gators’ third-ranked class, along with QB DJ Lagway (Willis, Texas), will be a force to be dealt with by opposing offensive linemen.
“The Picayune Memorial High School (Mississippi) defensive end demonstrated why in a 42-7 win over Long Beach High School (Mississippi) on Friday,” he continued.
@JamontaWaller with a huge tackle for a loss!!!@HightopDave pic.twitter.com/VrueGdY2n2
— GatorJosh (@GatorJosh01) October 21, 2023
“Waller, who’s ranked No. 18 overall in the ESPN 300, had 39 tackles (23 solo) with 13 tackles for loss and seven sacks in the seven games he had played coming into the weekend.”
The Magnolia State product is rated at four stars and ranked No. 70 overall and No. 6 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking also rates him at four stars and has him at Nos. 78 and 7, respectively.
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