The start of December means that college football recruiting is back on the front page after the end of the no-contact period and with the upcoming early signing period just weeks away. Now that the regular season schedule is complete it is time to start wrapping up the 2023 cycle and taking a look at the next step forward.
So far this year, the Florida Gators have fared well on the recruiting front under the leadership of [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag], who was brought in to fix up a program that had neglected its duties when it comes to luring the top preps prospects to Gainesville. The new regime has done admirably well in its first year, earning a spot in the top-10 rankings of most major publications’ recruiting rankings — including Sports Illustrated, which recently released its latest update to open the month.
According to sportswriter John Garcia Jr., the Orange and Blue land right at No. 10 – up one spot from the last update — with 22 total commitments, of which four are SI99 recruits. Here is what he had to say about the current state of affairs in Gainesville.
Another SEC program preparing for a splash finish, Florida got the ball rolling with one of the biggest flips of the recruiting cycle in prying [autotag]Jaden Rashada[/autotag] away from Miami. The elite QB was trending to the program before selecting the Hurricanes in the summer and it never waned on courting the Californian, who has now become a vocal part of the commitment class. There was more news at the quarterback position in Gainesville, as the program moved on from longtime commitment and in-state talent [autotag]Marcus Stokes[/autotag] after a video of him using a racial slur was posted on social media. He has since apologized for using the language while “listening to rap music.”
The Gators are also ranked No. 8 by ESPN as well as 247Sports, while On3 has Florida one spot higher at No. 7. The early signing period officially begins on Wednesday, Dec. 21.
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