The Sunshine State has been a hotbed for college football talent stretching back a few decades, and Billy Napier and Co. know it. That is why Florida’s second-year head coach has put a mandate on recruiting within a reasonable radius of Gainesville as the Orange and Blue continues its rebuild.
While a ton of attention has been directed toward the blue-chippers in the 2024 recruiting cycle, the Gators are also searching for diamonds in the rough, such as three-star offensive tackle [autotag]Tye Hylton[/autotag] out of Oviedo (Florida). The 6-foot-4-inch, 270-pound lineman has visited the Swamp thrice this spring, with his most recent stop coming during the first week of May.
Now, the rising high school senior is set for an official visit to Florida, with the weekend of June 16 locked in, according to Swamp247. In his previous Hogtown stops he managed to impress the Gators’ coaching staff.
“They said I have elite feet. They said I move to the second level really well. I have great pass pro and stuff like that. They want to keep building that power run scheme on offense and think I can help with that. Coach [Rob] Sale and [Darnell] Stapleton told me all that today.”
The university itself also appears to have a strong allure for the in-state product.
“My parents like it, I like it, so I would say Florida is pretty high on my board. They are just constantly recruiting me, but it doesn’t even feel like recruiting. It’s just genuine with them. They ask me about things going on with me, check up on me, and make sure I am good mentally.”
Hylton is ranked No. 959 overall and No. 83 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking has him at Nos. 912 and 67, respectively. On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine has Florida in front with a 55.0% chance of signing him, followed by the Florida State Seminoles, South Florida Bulls and Central Florida Knights.
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