Category: 2021 Recruit Profile

2021 Gators Football Recruiting Profile: Corey Collier

A four-star prospect himself, the 247Sports Composite rates Collier as the No. 3 safety in the class and a top-15 player in the state.

Name: Corey Collier

Position: Safety

Height: 6’2″

Weight: 170 lbs

Hometown: Miami, Fla.

High School: Palmetto High School

Twitter: @_ccollierjr2

247Sports Composite: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rivals.com: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Overview:

Collier committed to the Florida Gators on August 10, one day after his Miami Palmetto Senior High School teammate, four-star cornerback Jason Marshall, Jr.

A four-star prospect himself, the 247Sports Composite rates Collier as the No. 3 safety in the class and a top-15 player in the state.

Primarily recruited by quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson, one of the Southeastern Conference’s (SEC) best on the trail, and cornerbacks coach Torrian Gray, he chose the Gators over the Baylor Bears, Clemson Tigers, Virginia Cavaliers, Washington State Cougars, and 30 reported others.

Listed at 6-foot-2-inches and 170 pounds, Collier should continue to add muscle to his frame once he enters strength and conditioning coach Nick Savage’s program.

Although there seem to be some growing pains in his man coverage abilities on tape, he has shown the ability to take smart angles to the football while in the air and a willingness to help against the run.

The second-highest rated member in the class, trailing only Marshall, Collier is one of five defensive backs in the cycle for Florida, joining four-star Canonsburg, Pennsylvania safety Donovan McMillon and two three-stars, Winter Park safety Dakota Mitchell and Tampa cornerback Jordan Young.

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2021 Gators Football Recruiting Profile: Jason Marshall Jr.

The highest-rated commit in the Florida Gators’ 2021 class, per the 247Sports Composite, Marshall is the No. 2 cornerback in the cycle.

Name: Jason Marshall, Jr.

Position: Cornerback

Height: 6’2″

Weight: 180 lbs

Hometown: Miami, Fla.

High School: Palmetto High School

Twitter: @jasonjr3_

247Sports Composite: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rivals.com: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Overview:

The highest-rated commit in the Florida Gators’ 2021 class, per the 247Sports Composite, Marshall is the No. 2 cornerback in the cycle, trailing only uncommitted Pinson, Alabama product Ga’Quincy McKinstry, and the No. 7 player in the state.

Primarily recruited by quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson and position coach Torrian Gray, he announced his commitment on August 9, the day before his high school teammate, four-star safety Corey Collier, did the same.

Also a standout basketball player at the prep level, Marshall, listed at 6-foot-2-inches and 180 pounds, drew high praise from 247Sports Miami Hurricanes Insider Andrew Ivins, who compared him to former Florida State Seminole Xavier Rhodes.

Although he has not been asked too much at Miami Palmetto, he has shown the ability to press wide receivers at the line of scrimmage and, while not the fastest athlete in the class, he has more than adequate speed to stay with burners downfield.

Set to participate in the 2021 Under Armour All-America Game at Orlando’s Camping World Stadium on Thursday, January 7, Marshall has all the tools to continue Florida’s tradition of elite defensive back play.

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2021 Gators Football Recruiting Profile: Desmond Watson

This is a prospect player profile for defensive tackle Desmond Watson of the Florida Gators football recruiting class of 2021.

Name: Desmond Watson

Position: Defensive Tackle

Height: 6’5″

Weight: 380 lbs

Hometown: Seffner, Fla.

High School: Armwood High School

Twitter: @DesmondWatson12

247Sports Composite: ⭐⭐⭐

Rivals.com: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Overview:

Successful in landing four-star running back/wide receiver Charles Montgomery’s commitment on May 24, the Florida Gators landed another Armwood High School Hawk, located in Seffner, about 130 miles south of Gainesville, in three-star Desmond Watson on July 30.

A massive defensive tackle at 6-foot-5 and 380 pounds, he is the No. 21 player at his position and a top-55 player in the state, per the 247Sports Composite.

The whirlwind life of a Power Five student-athlete is not unfamiliar to Watson, as his half-brother, Darrian McNeal, a three-star prospect in the 2017 class, played one season for then-head coach Willie Taggart’s Oregon Ducks, catching two passes for 10 yards (five avg.) and adding three rushing attempts for 21 yards (seven avg.).

Unfortunately, McNeal’s athletic career took a dark turn, as he left the Ducks in the spring of 2018 and was arrested and charged with first-degree theft and second-degree robbery in June 2020, following an incident at a Eugene apartment.

As for Watson, he originally picked up his Florida offer on January 17, 2019, and he attended two Junior Days in an approximately five-week span from February 1-to-March 7, 2020. Primarily recruited by defensive line coach David Turner and cornerbacks coach Torrian Gray, he chose the Gators over the Alabama Crimson Tide, Florida Atlantic Owls, South Florida Bulls, West Virginia Mountaineers and 16 reported others.

Andrew Ivins, a Miami Hurricanes insider for 247Sports, highlights Watson’s quick hands and effectiveness against double teams as some of his strengths and points to his weight as a possible concern.

Overall, he is the fourteenth-highest rated of the program’s 24 commits in the upcoming cycle and the eighth-highest on the defensive side of the football. Turner has picked up pledges from three defensive linemen in the class, with Fort Lauderdale’s Tyreak Sapp and Sumter, South Carolina’s Justus Boone, both four-stars, joining Watson.

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2021 Gators Football Recruiting Profile: Rocco Underwood

This is a prospect player profile for long snapper Rocco Underwood of the Florida Gators football recruiting class of 2021.

Name: Jonathan Rocco Underwood

Position: Long Snapper

Height: 6’4″

Weight: 220 lbs

Hometown: Lake Mary, Fla.

High School: Lake Mary High School

Twitter: @rocco_4015

247Sports Composite: ⭐⭐⭐

Rivals.com: ⭐⭐

Overview:

While he does not possess the high-notoriety or name recognition of classmates Trevonte Rucker and Tyreak Sapp, Underwood is one of the more important commits in Florida’s 2021 class.

Special teams represent one-third of a football game and, simply, Underwood is one of the best in the business. The Rubio Long Snapping camp, America’s longest-running camp at the position, ran by former UCLA Bruin Chris Rubio, ranked him the No. 1 prospect in the class.

“Underwood was on fire at the Rubio Long Snapping Fall Camp in Georgia on November 24, 2019,” the company said in their breakdown.

“He ended up winning the whole camp and left no doubt he is the top long snapper (in the class). His size is fantastic, he moves well on his feet and his snapping motion is so smooth that it doesn’t even look like he is doing anything.

“The more he continues to finish his follow through, the more he simply will not miss his target. Ball is ready right now for the next level. Underwood is a flat out stud.”

The 14th in-state commit out of the Gators’ 22 in the class, Underwood plays his prep football for the Lake Mary Rams, located about 130 miles southeast of Gainesville. He also plays tight end on the high school gridiron, which is where 247Sports lists him positionally.

Underwood chose to pledge to running backs coach Greg Knox and tight ends coach Tim Brewster over offers from the Alabama Crimson Tide and Arkansas Razorbacks, plus three Group of Five schools.

Exemplifying the type of young man Florida has placed an emphasis on recruiting since Dan Mullen assumed control, he also excels in the classroom, owning a 3.9 grade point average.

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2021 Gators Football Recruiting Profile: Marcus Burke

This is a prospect player profile for wide receiver Marcus Burke of the Florida Gators football recruiting class of 2021.

Name: Marcus Burke

Position: Wide Receiver

Height: 6’3″

Weight: 180 lbs

Hometown: Jacksonville, Fla.

High School: Trinity Christian Academy

Twitter: @CERTIFIED_MB4

247Sports Composite: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rivals.com: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Overview:

Burke committed to Florida on July 20, choosing the Gators over the rival Georgia Bulldogs and Penn State Nittany Lions.

Despite his verbal pledge, he does plan to visit Athens and State College once the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) lifts their recruiting restrictions because of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Kirby Smart’s program is worth keeping an eye on here, as the Bulldogs have had wide receivers coach Cortez Hankton and tight ends coach Todd Hartley remain in consistent contact with Burke and have made him a clear priority in the 2021 cycle.

A four-star prospect and the No. 40 wideout in the class, per the 247Sports Composite, Burke caught 37 passes for 831 yards (22.4 avg.) and nine touchdowns for the Trinity Christian Academy Conquerors as a junior, including a 99-yard score against the Venice Indians on September 6.

Measuring in at 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds, the in-state prospect has displayed some versatility in his game, showing the ability to line up either in the slot or out wide.

Including Seffner’s Charles Montgomery, Burke is the fourth wide receiver in the cycle for the Gators, joining Ocala’s Trevonte Rucker and Loganville, Georgia’s Daejon Reynolds, all of whom are four-stars.

Overall, he is the sixth-highest rated of the program’s 22 commits and the fourth-highest on the offensive side of the football, trailing only Rucker, Reynolds, and quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, who is set to play his senior season with Reynolds for the Grayson Rams.

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2021 Gators Football Recruiting Profile: Donovan McMillon

This is a prospect player profile for safety Donovan McMillon of the Florida Gators football recruiting class of 2021.

Name: Donovan McMillon

Position: Safety

Height: 6’2″

Weight: 193 lbs

Hometown: Canonsburg, Pa.

High School: Peters Township High School

Twitter: @donovanmcmillo3

247Sports Composite: ⭐⭐⭐

Rivals.com: ⭐⭐⭐

Overview:

The second-most recent member of the Florida Gators’ upcoming recruiting class, McMillon committed to head coach Dan Mullen’s program on July 18.

A big-bodied, hard-hitting safety at 6-foot-2 and 193 pounds, he is the No. 26 player at his position and a top-15 player in the state of Pennsylvania, per the 247Sports Composite.

Primarily recruited by safeties coach Ron English, McMillon received his offer from Florida on April 18 and took a visit to Gainesville in June, despite not being able to interact with the coaching staff because of the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions.

In addition to his prowess on the gridiron, McMillon stars on the wrestling mat for the Peters Township Mighty Indians, boasting a 101-18 career record.

Barton Simmons, 247Sports’ Director of Scouting, forecasts the Pennsylvanian as “a Power Five impact starter with some positional versatility, who we view as a future mid-round National Football League draft pick.”

Overall, McMillon is the twelfth-highest rated commit in the cycle for the Gators and the six-highest on the defensive side of the football.

He is one of four defensive back pledges, joining Winter Park three-star Dakota Mitchell, a fellow safety, and IMG Academy four-star Kamar Wilcoxson and Tampa three-star Jordan Young, both of whom project to play cornerback at the collegiate level.

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2021 Gators Football Recruiting Profile: Jordan Young

This is a prospect player profile for cornerback Jordan Young of the Florida Gators football recruiting class of 2021.

Name: Jordan Young

Position: Cornerback

Height: 6’1″

Weight: 185 lbs

Hometown: Tampa, Fla.

High School: Gaither High School

Twitter: @jordan_young2

247Sports Composite: ⭐⭐⭐

Rivals.com: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Overview:

Joining Winter Park three-star safety Dakota Mitchell and IMG Academy four-star Kamar Wilcoxson, Young became the third defensive back to commit to the Florida Gators in a four-day span when he pledged on June 21.

Spending his first three years at Jesuit High School in Tampa, where he was teammates with 2020 Florida tight end enrollee Jonathan Odom, Young will make the roughly nine-mile north move to Gaither High School for his senior season this fall.

Standing 6-foot-1 and weighing 185 pounds, he has the ideal frame cornerbacks coach Torrian Gray and linebackers coach Christian Robinson look for on the recruiting trail. Initially receiving his offer from the Gators’ staff on June 7, 2019, the same day he attended a camp in Gainesville, Young returned to campus on February 1 for the program’s Junior Day.

While his three-star rating does not necessarily jump off the page, Young’s reported offer list is 26 schools deep and features the Alabama Crimson Tide, Arkansas Razorbacks, Florida State Seminoles, and Georgia Bulldogs.

The No. 29 cornerback in the cycle and sixty-third best player in the state, per the 247Sports Composite, he is Florida’s third commit at the position in the class, accompanying Baltimore, Maryland four-star Clinton Burton, Jr., and Wilcoxson.

Overall, Young is the thirteenth-highest rated of the program’s 20 commits in the upcoming group, slotting in behind Jacksonville tight end Nick Elksnis and ahead of Orlando offensive tackle Javonte Gardner.

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