Category: Football Recruiting

Gators coaches expected to visit this 4-star WR target

D.J. Allen will take his fifth and final official visit to Gainesville this weekend.

Florida continues to push hard for four-star Gladewater (Tex.) receiver D.J. Allen and several coaches will be making the trip to visit with him on Tuesday, according to 247Sports’ Blake Alderman. Both head coach Billy Napier and receivers coach Keary Colbert are expected to be in attendance.

Allen was once committed to TCU, but he backed off that early pledge in November. Florida offered Allen on Dec. 30, and since then, Napier and his staff have been aggressively targeting him. He had a prior relationship with Colbert, who recruited him when he held the same role at USC.

“He cares about what you do outside of football and he cares about who you are,” Allen said of Colbert. “He is going to push you to be the best you can be. It’s good to have him there since I know him. I don’t know how to really describe it, but I feel like we already know each other good, so that is good. We have a good bond. He’s been telling me much about Florida but we talk on an off. I talk with Coach Napier too and Coach Hamilton too. Coach Napier tells me how he plans on changing the program around and how much I can help. Coach Hamilton is from Texas, so it’s nice having someone from Texas at Florida. I’ve talked to him a little bit, but not a ton.”

The No. 209 prospect and No. 30 receiver in the 2022 class, according to the 247Sports Composite, Allen has taken previous visits to USC, Arkansas, Baylor and TCU, and he plans to take his fifth and final visit this weekend to Gainesville. He said he wants to see both the business program (as that’s his intended major) and the football facilities.

With his last visit going to UF, the team is currently in a good position to land him. As things currently stand, the Gators have not added any receivers this offseason either through the transfer portal or recruiting. Allen would be a big win for this staff if it can lock things up next weekend.

[lawrence-related id=68747,68745,68319,68277,68272]

[listicle id=63502]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Florida lands its quarterback recruit for 2022 cycle

Max Brown, who recently decommitted from Central Michigan, joined Florida’s class after he picked up an offer during his visit this past weekend.

Florida’s 2022 class continues to grow, and now coach Billy Napier has found his first quarterback recruit. On Monday, Tulsa (Ok.) Lincoln Christian quarterback Max Brown announced that he would be committing to the Gators.

Brown was a former Central Michigan commit, but he decommitted from coach Jim McElwain and the Chippewas on Jan. 23 following his official visit to Gainesville this past weekend. It was there that he picked up a Florida offer, and he made his choice official shortly after.

He replaces Nick Evers, who decommitted following the coaching change and later signed with Oklahoma, as the quarterback recruit for this cycle. He announced his decision via his Twitter account.

Brown, the No. 1739 recruit in the class and No. 110-ranked quarterback, isn’t a highly rated recruit but he picked up some late interest, including from Washington, who he was slated to visit this coming weekend. Now, that trip is off as he prepares to make things official with the Gators on national signing day.

He told 247Sports’ Blake Alderman that getting the chance to see the campus solidified Florida as his first choice.

“Just getting out there really,” Brown said. “Just getting to see what home would be like if I came to The Swamp. It showed nothing but great things. They have a great coaching staff, great culture, and have great relationships with me. It was just everything you want in a visit, and everything you want in a program.”

Brown said the two relationships that were most influential in guiding him to Gainesville were those with Napier and Ryan O’Hara, an off-field analyst who will primarily work with quarterbacks. He told 247Sports that he knew he wanted to commit during the conversation with Napier where an offer was extended.

“When we talked about getting the offer when I was on the visit and I sat down with them, I knew I wanted to go there,” Brown said. “I sat down and talked with my family for about 30 minutes and that was when I knew I was going to be a Gator. It was a lot to process, but when we sat down, we made it official with Coach Napier.”

With the commitment of Brown and three-star defensive lineman Andrew Savaiinaea on Monday, Florida’s class is up to No. 26 in the national rankings from 247Sports, and it is no longer the SEC’s worst class, ranking ahead of Vanderbilt at 13th.

[lawrence-related id=68745,68346,68319,68277,68272]

[listicle id=63502]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

3-star Washington defensive lineman commits to Gators

Graham (Wa.) Graham-Kapowsin defensive lineman Andrew Savaiinaea pledged to the Gators following a visit to Gainesville, where he received an offer.

Florida’s 2022 recruiting class grew by two on Monday when Graham (Wa.) Graham-Kapowsin defensive lineman Andrew Savaiinaea announced his pledge to coach Billy Napier and his staff. Savaiinaea had been on campus this past weekend for an official visit, where he picked up an offer.

He declared Florida his leader while on the trip, per On3’s Corey Bender, and shortly after returning home, he committed to UF. Savaiinaea, who also had offers from a number of Pac-12 schools such as Oregon, UCLA, California, Washington State and Oregon State. He announced his pledge to the Gators on his Twitter account Monday afternoon.

Savaiinaea is the No. 732 player in the 2022 class and the No. 104 defensive lineman. As a senior, he totaled 18 tackles, three sacks, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble, according to MaxPreps. He also played some tight end, catching 24 balls for 317 yards and nine touchdowns.

He is expected to primarily play defense in college, potentially edge rusher, and if that’s the case, he’s the third defensive lineman to join the class in addition to Jamari Lyons and Chris McClellan, who have both already signed.

With the addition of Savaiinaea, Florida’s class ranks No. 26 nationally and is no longer the worst in the conference, now ranking 13th among SEC teams.

[lawrence-related id=68346,68319,68277,68272,68271]

[listicle id=63502]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Gators land commitment from 3-star preferred walk-on from Jacksonville

Capers decided to forgo scholarship offers from several Group of Five and FCS schools to join Billy Napier’s roster.

Florida’s 2022 recruiting class grew by one more on Monday as the team secured a pledge from three-star Jacksonville Riverside linebacker Bryce Capers, who is set to join the roster as a preferred walk-on. Capers is unrated by the 247Sports Composite, but on 247Sports’ own rankings, he’s the No. 154 linebacker in the country and the No. 189 prospect in the state of Florida.

Capers had scholarship offers to three FBS programs in Akron, Florida International and Liberty, as well as offers to a couple of FCS schools in Eastern Kentucky and Tennessee State. However, he announced on Monday via his Twitter account that he will be heading to Gainesville, instead.

The 6-foot-4-inch, 219-pound linebacker also took an unofficial visit to Tallahassee to see Florida State in June, but he ultimately didn’t get an offer out of that trip.

Napier has discussed the importance of walk-ons before, and given Capers’ “preferred” status, he could be more likely to see the field than some others despite the fact that he will not be on scholarship, at least initially. Florida’s 2022 recruiting class, which ranks 33rd in the nation, now features 13 players in addition to six transfers.

[lawrence-related id=68277,68272,68271,68176,67801]

[listicle id=68154]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Florida lands commitment from 3-star Texas tight end after official visit

Hayden Hansen, a former Louisiana commit, repledged to Billy Napier and the Gators.

The Gators’ 2022 recruiting class grew by one on Sunday when coach Billy Napier landed the commitment of three-star Weatherford, Texas, tight end prospect Hayden Hansen. The former Louisiana commit backed off his pledge to the Ragin’ Cajuns shortly before Napier’s departure to Florida became public, but the two will end up together after all.

The No. 1729 player in the country, per the 247Sports Composite, Hansen was one of the prospects on campus this weekend for an official visit. He also received an in-home visit with Napier, tight ends coach William Peagler and offensive analyst Ryan O’Hara on Monday. He announced his commitment on Twitter.

The 6-foot-5-inch, 250-pound prospect took an official visit to UTSA in December and he told GatorCountry’s Andrew Spivey that he planned to visit either UL or Washington State, who offered him on Tuesday, next weekend if he didn’t pick up an offer from the Gators.

He obviously picked up that offer during his official visit, and it was enough for him to shut down his recruitment and pledge to Florida. He joins an inexperienced position group that lost starter Kemore Gamble, who transferred to UCF. Keon Zipperer is the only returning player at the position with significant playing time under his belt.

Hansen’s commitment didn’t do much to change the Gators’ standing in the recruiting rankings. UF’s class still ranks just 36th in the country and remains the SEC’s worst class. But Napier is trying to close out strong, and Hansen is a player Florida seems to like a lot.

Visit makes strong impression on Florida linebacker signee Shemar James

James had positive things to say about his first trip to Gainesville with the new staff in place.

Florida hosted one of its top signees from the early signing period on campus this weekend in four-star Mobile, Alabama, linebacker Shemar James. The No. 63 player in the 2022 recruiting class and the No. 6 overall linebacker per the 247Sports Composite, James was originally committed to Florida before he decommitted in October. He was considered a Georgia or Alabama lean for the team before ultimately rejoining the class.

This weekend was his first chance to visit campus with the new staff in place, and it seems that the experience helped reaffirm his decision.

“It was fun,” James said, per 247Sports Blake Alderman. “Just getting to know the new staff and the new guys they have inside here. (The highlight) was probably Chief Borders being my host. He brings a lot of energy. Probably the first night we went to Spurriers. The was a good dinner.

“It was really just soothing to know that I wouldn’t hear that recruiting pitch that everybody sells you on. It was really just me coming back to Gainesville and enjoying my time here.”

He also had the opportunity to meet with his future position coach in inside linebackers coach Jay Bateman, one of the newer on-field hires who comes from North Carolina. James had positive things to say about Bateman and the other coaches he talked to.

“You can tell that he cares a lot about the position and about his players,” he said. “I feel that all weekend.

“I spent a lot of time around Coach (Jay) Bateman, Coach (Jamar) Chaney, and Coach (Patrick) Toney. They said I would be playing both inside linebackers, mike and will. They said they want to blitz me a lot and put me in space and show off my versatility.”

For James, the visit wasn’t just about himself. He took some time to recruit some of the other prospects that were on campus, including one of the top uncommitted players on Florida’s radar.

“I was in the ear of Max (Brown) the quarterback committed to Central Michigan and Jacoby Mathews,” he said. “I feel like we have a pretty good shot. We’ll see.”

James was a big early recruiting win for coach Billy Napier, and it seems the trip to Gainesville to meet with the staff only reinforced his pledge to the Gators.

[lawrence-related id=68271,68176,67801,67780,67778]

[listicle id=67804]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Florida recruiting staff visiting 4-star ATH at home before NSD

The Gators are pushing hard for this four-star California athlete as national signing day quickly approaches.

Florida and Oregon appear to be the two teams best positioned to land athlete Arlis Boardingham with only 10 days left until national signing day.

Gators coach Billy Napier and tight ends coach William Peagler will be out to visit Boardingham at his California home on Tuesday, according to 247Sports. He plans on visiting Oregon for the final weekend of recruitment, and a decision will come on national signing day. He also has offers from Texas, USC and Notre Dame.

Boardingham stopped by Gainesville the weekend of Jan. 14 and got to know the staff and program a bit better. That put the Gators near the top of the pack, and the staff hasn’t slowed down in their pursuit of the West Coast athlete. Peagler was in California to visit him last Thursday.

The Gators could use the 6-foot-4-inch, 220-pounds in a variety of ways. His size allows him to play tight end, but his speed lets him move out wide or in the slot if necessary. 247Sports has Boardingham as a four-star recruit and the country’s No. 20 athlete.

The Ducks will get the last word, but a visit from Florida’s head coach has to mean something going into the final days of Boardingham’s decision process.

[lawrence-related id=68176,67801,67780,67778,67733]

[listicle id=63502]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Gators remain in good position for 3-star Texas receiver

Caleb Douglas spoke highly of UF receivers coach Keary Colbert.

Missouri City (TX) Hightower receiver Caleb Douglas has called Florida his leader in the past, and it seems the team remains in a good spot to land the services of the three-star 2022 prospect. Douglas, who has previously been committed to Baylor and, most recently, USC, took a visit to Gainesville this past weekend, and receivers coach Keary Colbert stopped by his home for a visit on Wednesday while the staff was on the road.

Douglas is the No. 64 receiver and No. 457 overall prospect on the 247Sports Composite. He picked up an offer from UF shortly after decommitting from the Trojans on Nov. 30, and he said that his relationship with Colbert, who was also his primary recruiter at Southern Cal, is a driving factor for the Gators’ lead.

“It went great,” Douglas said of his visit, per On3’s Corey Bender. “Me and coach KC have been like that, so really it was just him coming to my house. We were just talking and chillin’, really.”

“We watched ESPN and saw Drake (London) come across the screen from USC. He was like, ‘Man, you guys are really similar. You guys play a lot of sports.’ He was like, ‘Your ceiling is super, super high because this is just you doing it during the season and not training for it. When you actually get the time to train for it, you’re going to be great.’

“(Colbert’s) great. He can really relate to us because he did it himself. At USC, he received for 1,000 yards and did all that we want to do, so he can actually give us real input. He isn’t a wide receivers coach who didn’t play the position, so whatever he knows, he isn’t lying about it; it’s true.”

Douglas has other suitors, namely LSU, which he intends to visit in an official capacity the weekend of Jan. 28. Still, it seems that Florida remains the leader in the clubhouse to secure his pledge.

[lawrence-related id=67801,67780,67778,67747,67733]

[listicle id=67804]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Florida hosting another group of recruits ahead of 2022 national signing day

The Gators are hosting another group of recruits this weekend, including one of the top safeties in the country.

Another week, another group of recruits headed to Florida on official visits for the weekend.

After hosting a large group of players last week, the Gators have seven official visitors planned for the penultimate weekend of the class of 2022 recruiting season. A handful of the names in town are signees who have yet to visit Gainesville with Billy Napier at the helm. Jacoby Mathews, one of the top safeties in the country, leads the list of uncommitted recruits visiting.

Some unexpected names turned up last week, so this list may grow as the weekend goes on. Gators Wire will update any new names that show up in Gainesville over the weekend.

Billy Napier and staff visit New Jersey defensive lineman

New Jersey defensive lineman Jayson Jenkins receives a visit from a group of Florida coaches.

Billy Napier and three other Florida football coaches flew out to visit three-star defensive lineman Jayson Jenkins on Wednesday, according to 247Sports.

Both of Florida’s co-defensive coordinators, defensive line coach Sean Spencer and safeties coach Patrick Toney, joined Napier on the visit along with offensive line coach Darnell Stapleton. While some may view it as overkill, Jenkins was impressed with the group sent out to meet him.

“It was overall a great experience,” Jenkins said. “Getting to meet Coach Napier, Coach Spencer, Coach Stapleton, and Coach Toney. It was just very humbling and a proud moment for me to even have those coaches even make the trip up from Gainesville all the way up to New Jersey. Overall I am just very grateful and thankful for them to take the time out to come and see me.”

Jenkins got in contact with Florida shortly after Napier’s staff arrived, but meeting the staff in person gave him a better feel for the program. He’s set to visit Gainesville over the weekend after taking a trip to West Virginia the weekend of January 14. He also plans on stopping by Tennessee before national signing day.

The Gators haven’t yet extended an offer to Jenkins, but that could come once he’s in Gainesville. The staff also wanted to see him in person to better evaluate him. They saw the film from Jenkins’ high school coach and like him as a defensive end.

247Sports ranks Jenkins as the No.182 defensive lineman in the country and the No. 26 overall prospect out of New Jersey.

[lawrence-related id=67780,67778,67747,67738,67733]

[listicle id=63502]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.