The start of the fall football season is nearly here, which means that recruits will begin trickling into college stadiums around the country to get a look at what their suitors have to offer.
Florida football is among those teams hosting a handful of blue-chip prep prospects during the 2023 campaign as Billy Napier and Co. continue to rebuild a program that was neglected on the recruiting front for far too long before his arrival. One current high schooler that the staff is looking to get on campus is four-star defensive lineman [autotag]Brandon Brown[/autotag] out of Melbourne (Florida) Eau Gallie in the 2025 recruiting cycle.
The 6-foot-2-inch, 275-pound trench warrior — who is a legacy through his uncle, former Gators defensive tackle Joe Cohen — visited the Swamp in late June while also dropping in for the Grill in the Ville event at the end of July. After enjoying the Gators’ hospitality during his previous stops, the high school junior is eyeing another visit during the college football regular season.
The main point of contact between Brown and the team’s coaches has been defensive line grad assistant Kali James Jr., who “hits (him) up every day,” according to On3’s Keith Niebuhr.
“I like him and his workout,” Brown told Gators Online. “We did speed and agility drills, stuff like that. I feel like I needed to run back more after I do a one-on-one. Get back. I wasn’t running like I normally do. He liked how I used my hands… I liked the (June) camp and I liked how it was inside.”
The blue-chip recruit has plenty of suitors among the top programs in the nation, with the LSU Tigers, Texas Longhorns, Texas A&M Aggies, Tennessee Volunteers and the Miami Hurricanes also strongly under consideration by the Sunshine State product. The ‘Canes are currently at the head of the pack when it comes to his recruitment.
“Miami definitely is hard to beat right now,” Brown said. “No. 1 probably. The love they show is great down there. I’ve been there three times and I feel like home every time I’m down there.”
He has a trip to Coral Gables set for Sept. 9, when the Hurricanes host the Aggies in South Florida. Despite his lean toward Miami, Brown still insists that Florida is in play for his talents.
“Yes, definitely… I’ve just got to get back out there for a visit,” Brown said. Hopefully, his next stop is more than the “quick little walk-through” it was last time, when he “didn’t really take a full visit.”
Brown is ranked No. 210 overall and No. 24 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking has him at the Nos. 168 and 19, respectively.
On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine favors Miami (33.9%) with the Central Florida Knights (10.5%), Florida (9.0%) and South Florida Bulls (7.5%) trailing in the race for his commitment.
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