Category: Football Recruiting

Georgia 2022 running back commit sets official visit to Gainesville

Jordan James, who has been committed to the Bulldogs since March, will take his final official visit to Gainesville.

Florida continues to push hard for running backs this offseason. The team has secured the commitments of four-star Trevor Etienne and Louisiana transfer Montrell Johnson, and it is also targeting four-star Louisiana prospect TreVonte’ Citizen. Though the running back room could be getting a bit crowded (some attrition is to be expected), coach Billy Napier is pushing for another running back currently committed to a bitter rival.

Georgia commit Jordan James, a four-star running back in the 2022 recruiting class from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, is a player the Gators are trying to flip. Running backs coach Jabbar Juluke visited him at his home on Monday, and during that visit, they locked up the dates for an official visit to Gainesville, which James will take the weekend of Jan. 28 as UF will get the last word in for him.

“It was good getting to know him and talk to him in-person,” James said of his visit with Juluke, per 247Sports Blake Alderman. “He sat down and talked to my family. We enjoyed having him over there and we had some good talks. He told me a lot of stuff about the education they have at Florida and what they can do for players on and off the field. He said some of the programs they have and he did a good job explaining them to me and how Florida can benefit me. He is a great coach. I still have more getting to know of him, but from what I know so far he’s a good coach and he’s well respected. His track record is very good and speaks for itself.”

James is the No. 16 running back in the 2022 class and No. 191 player overall. He committed to Georgia in March, but he chose not to sign during the early signing period, giving Napier’s staff a window of opportunity after arriving in Gainesville. Florida offered James last January, but the interest has renewed with the new staff in place.

UF will have some competition to flip him, though. James is also considering Oregon, where he will take an official visit this weekend. He was also considering trips to Florida State, Clemson and Notre Dame, but considering those trips never materialized, those programs seem to be out of the running to land him.

Running the ball is a core part of Napier’s offensive philosophy, and he’s clearly seeking an embarrassment of riches at the position. It seems unlikely Florida will get both James and Citizen, but picking up one of them, especially the player currently committed to its biggest rival, would be a major recruiting victory for the Gators.

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Florida coaches visiting offensive line commit Thursday

Florida’s offensive line coaches are stopping by this commit’s school before he visits Auburn and Mississippi State.

The only Florida commit that didn’t sign during the early period was three-star offensive lineman Jalen Farmer. Offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Rob Sale will be making a trip to Covington, Georgia to visit Farmer on Thursday, according to 247Sports.

Sale will be joined by assistant offensive line coach Darnell Stapleton on the visit to Eastside High. Farmer previously met with head coach Billy Napier and strength coach Mark Hocke in December, and he was able to make it to Gainesville the weekend of Jan. 14.

While Farmer did hold off on signing, he’s one of the few commits who stuck with Florida through the coaching change. He committed to Dan Mullen on Sept. 10, but the new staff made a good impression on him quickly. Farmer’s high school coach said that he felt comfortable while visiting Florida and kept mentioning how cool the coaches were.

The 6-foot-5-inch, 325-pounder has looked at other options, though. He took an official visit to Kentucky in December and is set to visit Auburn and Mississippi State in the coming weeks. Losing the No. 34 ranked interior offensive lineman in the 2022 class isn’t something Napier wants right now, so stopping in before Farmer heads to another SEC school for the weekend makes sense.

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Gators expected to visit high-priority 4-star California athlete on Thursday

Arlis Boardingham, who largely projects as a tight end at the next level, officially visited the Gators last weekend.

The Gators may have only offered four-star athlete Arlis Boardingham last month on Dec. 22, but they’re making a hard push to land the Van Nuys, California, prospect, who largely projects as a tight end in UF’s offensive scheme.

Boardingham was on campus in Gainesville this past weekend for an official visit, but Florida is reportedly sending tight ends coach William Peagler to the west coast for another visit with Boardingham on Thursday, according to 247Sports’ Blake Alderman.

The 6-foot-4-inch, 220-pound player said the coaches told him they see a versatile role for him in the offense. He could play as a standard Y tight end or an H-back, and the coaches apparently also told him they see a role for him at receiver, both in the slot and lined up on the outside as a 1 or 2. Overall, it sounds like it was a productive visit for the Gators.

“I think it was great,” Boardingham said of his official visit. “Coach (Billy) Napier made to show me everything I needed to see. The whole staff was just on pace with each other and really let me know what was going on over there. I would just say (the highlight) was either eating with the coaches or probably the living arrangements. Me doing my research on Twitter, I know what the dorms are going to be like and what they used to be. I see where it’s going with the new arrangements and see what that was about. Coach didn’t think they would benefit the team, so I can see how he pushing the program.”

Boardingham is also a top target for the Oregon Ducks, and he’s set to take an official visit to Eugene this weekend. He also has an offer from the in-state USC Trojans. Stealing a player from the west coast that Oregon and USC covet is hardly an easy task, but the Gators seemed to be well-positioned for Boardingham, who is the No. 30 athlete and No. 481 overall player in the 2022 class.

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Billy Napier visits No. 1 running back in 2023 class

Five-star Lehigh Acres (FL) Senior running back Richard Young is the No. 16 overall recruit in the 2023 class.

Running back has clearly been one of the top priorities for Florida coach Billy Napier since arriving in Gainesville. The Gators lost their only running back commit in the 2022 class under Dan Mullen when Terrance Gibbs, who is now likely heading to Texas, decommitted following the coach’s firing.

Since then, though, Napier has secured the pledge of four-star Louisiana running back Trevor Etienne and a transfer in Montrell Johnson, who was the second-leading rusher for Napier’s Ragin’ Cajuns team in 2021. The staff is also still making a push for another prospect from the Pelican State, as four-star TreVonte’ Citizen is also in play.

But Napier is also starting to turn his attention to the 2023 class, and on Thursday, he and defensive analyst Jamar Chaney visited Lehigh Acres running back Richard Young, the No. 1 running back in next year’s class.

Young is a five-star recruit and ranks as the No. 16 overall prospect in the class, according to the 247Sports Composite. Alabama, Clemson and Ohio State currently seem to be in the lead for him, but there’s certainly time for Napier to make up some of that gap. Though he has offers from many of the top programs around the country, he hasn’t received one from the Gators yet.

Florida has three running backs who enter the 2022 season with high expectations in Nay’Quan Wright (though he’s battling back from a broken leg suffered in the win over Florida State), Demarkcus Bowman and Lorenzo Lingard. The latter two are transfers and former five-star recruits who have yet to make a major impact in Gainesville.

Some attrition at the position is to be expected, and based on the offenses Napier ran in Lafayette, it’s clear that he wants a reliable group of backs to shoulder a lot of the work in his offense.

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UF staff to visit this 4-star running back on Wednesday

Citizen is set to visit LSU this weekend and Miami the following weekend, but the Gators are still making a push.

Florida has already locked up the commitment of a four-star running back in the 2022 class in Trevor Etienne, and it also added Montrell Johnson this offseason, a transfer-portal pickup who finished has Louisiana’s second-leading rusher in 2021 with 838 yards.

Considering UF returns Nay’Quan Wright, Demarkcus Bowman and Lorenzo Lingard, it could probably call it a day. But coach Billy Napier is still pushing hard for Lake Charles (LA) College Prep running back TreVonte’ Citizen, a four-star prospect who ranks as the No. 113 player in the 2022 class, according to the 247Sports Composite.

The Gators visited Citizen last week, but he will meet with another staffer on Wednesday in running backs coach Jabbar Juluke, according to On3’s Corey Bender. Citizen was originally planning to take a trip to Gainesville this weekend, but he will visit LSU instead, though he still plans to take a trip to Florida.

However, that visit won’t be in an official capacity if it happens, as Citizen will go to see Miami the following weekend. He also visited Auburn this past weekend.

Running back is not nearly as big a need for this team as it was a couple of weeks ago, but Citizen is still an elite running back prospect, and it seems that Florida still wants to see him join the class.

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Report: Billy Napier visits top 2023 prospect Arch Manning

The latest Manning quarterback prospect is the No. 1 player in the 2023 class and the Gators are out to get him.

Florida may find itself a part of the Arch Manning sweepstakes, as coach Billy Napier visited the 2023 quarterback on Tuesday while the coaches are on the road recruiting, according to 247Sports’ Steve Wiltfong.

The son of Cooper Manning, nephew of Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning and probable Hall-of-Famer Eli Manning, and grandson of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning, Arch is a five-star and the No. 1 overall recruit, according to the 247Sports Composite.

A product of the Isidore Newman School in New Orleans, which his father and uncles attended, Manning has 5,731 passing yards, 72 passing touchdowns and 18 interceptions in three years as a starter. The 6-foot-4-inch, 215-pound passer is lauded for his pocket presence, solid frame, mobility and decision-making.

Just about every top program in the south has made an offer for Manning, one of the most coveted quarterback prospects in recent memory. However, Florida is yet to make an offer, though that could be coming shortly. He said in October that a college decision could come as soon as this spring or summer, though he hasn’t announced a commitment date yet.

Florida may be getting in the game late, but it’s clear that Napier wants to at least make a push for the decorated high school quarterback with a championship pedigree.

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Gators preparing to host this 2023 5-star defensive back

One of the top defensive backs of 2023 is set to visit the Swamp.

Billy Napier and Corey Raymond landed five-star safety Kamari Wilson in their first month together at Florida, and the duo now has its eyes on 2023 five-star defensive back AJ Harris.

Harris, the No. 18 overall recruit in the country, will be visiting Florida on Saturday, according to 247 Sports. His family has been trying to get him to the Swamp since the fall, and the recent coaching changes only appear to have helped in his recruitment.

Florida’s hiring of former LSU defensive backs coach Corey Raymond caught Harris’ eye, and the familiarities with Napier’s staff don’t end there. Co-defensive coordinator Patrick Toney was on a Zoom call with Harris last week when assistant athletic director of recruiting strategy Katie Turner (who the Harris family met when she was at Georgia) popped in. They also knew senior director of player relations Savannah Bailey from her time at Clemson when she made an appearance.

“Coach Napier is definitely putting a good staff together,” Harris’ father said to 247Sports. “I will find out more scheme and stuff like that but from what Coach Toney was telling us they play five DBs. I assume two are probably safeties, but even if they play three corners, that’s more opportunity for AJ to see the field and that’s appealing.”

Harris wants to reach a decision sooner rather than later. He may stop by Clemson later in the month before taking official visits in the spring and making a decision. Florida certainly seems to be back in the race at this point along with Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State and Cincinnati. He released a top seven prior to all of the coaching changes that took place around the country but hasn’t updated his list since.

Harris is the third-highest ranked cornerback on the 247Sports Composite and the No. 18 overall player in the class of 2023.

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Billy Napier visits this quarterback committed elsewhere

Napier and several other coaches went to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to meet with Central Michigan dual-threat quarterback commit Max Brown.

After losing the pledge of quarterback Nick Evers, who ultimately signed with Oklahoma in December during the coaching change, Florida no longer has a quarterback commit in its 2022 recruiting class. Though the Gators added a transfer from Ohio State in Jack Miller, a former four-star recruit who served as the backup to Heisman finalist C.J. Stroud in 2021, they would likely still prefer to add another signal-caller out of high school.

The top target at the moment seems to be Tulsa (OK) Lincoln Christian School dual-threat quarterback Max Brown, a Central Michigan commit. Brown pledged to the Chippewas back in July, but he chose not to sign during the early signing period in December.

With many of Florida’s coaches in the state of Texas visiting prospects this week, a group of them took a small trip to the north to visit with Brown, including head coach Billy Napier as well as offensive analyst Ryan O’Hara (the de facto quarterback coach) and tight ends coach William Peagler. Brown told 247Sports’ Blake Alderman that O’Hara has been his primary recruiter.

Brown is scheduled to visit Florida this coming weekend, though he does have a trip planned to Seattle to visit Washington the following weekend. The No. 1718 player in the country and No. 109 quarterback, Brown’s stock is rising and the Gators could be in a good position to land him.

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Florida coaches to visit recently offered 3-star cornerback

Khamari Terrell, who is also a track star, was offered by the Gators on Dec. 30.

Coach Billy Napier has made defensive back recruiting a priority since arriving in Gainesville. He added four-star safety Devin Moore and five-star safety Kamari Wilson on signing day, and since then the team has landed a commitment from another safety in Alabama prospect Miguel Mitchell.

But there are more still that the team is targeting, and one of those players is Killean (TX) Shoemaker safety Khamari Terrell, a three-star recruit and the No. 386 player in the class of 2022, according to the 247Sports Composite.

Florida sent a cohort of coaches, which includes defensive backs coach Corey Raymond, defensive coordinator/safeties coach Patrick Toney and defensive analyst Jamar Chaney, to visit Terrell on Monday while the group was on a trip to visit prospects in Texas, per 247Sports’ Blake Alderman.

Terrell was offered by the UF staff on Dec. 30, but he had a prior relationship with Raymond, who also recruited him at LSU. Raymond appears to be Terrell’s primary recruiter. A track star with the fastest 400-meter time in the nation, Terrell also holds numerous track offers, including from Florida.

Terrell took official visits in the month of December to Mississippi State and Baylor, with the Bears considered the favorite to land him. But the Gators are making a late push, and if this visit went well, they could be able to add him to the class.

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Florida checking in on this four-star Georgia commit

This four-star running back has been committed to Georgia since March but didn’t sign early. Can the Gators flip him?

After a busy weekend of recruiting and hosting players in Gainesville, Billy Napier’s staff is back on the road to touch base with several targets. One of those is four-star running back Jordan James, who committed to Georgia in March.

James decided to hold off on signing with the Bulldogs during the early signing period, and a number of teams have reached out looking to get him on campus. Florida is one of those teams and running backs coach Jabbar Juluke should be in Tennessee to visit him on Monday, according to 247Sports. Florida State, Notre Dame, Oklahoma also reached out after the signing period ended.

The Gators offered James a scholarship in January when Dan Mullen was leading the program, but he chose Georgia instead without ever visiting the Swamp. If Napier can get James on campus, the Gators could jump into the race for another four-star running back. James used one of his five official visits on UGA in October, and he’s coming off another at Oregon over the weekend.

Florida added four-star recruit Trevor Etienne and Lousiana transfer Montrell Johnson recently to the running backs room recently, but Napier seems to want to add at least one more. Four-star TreVonte’ Citizen has also been linked to the Gators in the last month so.

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