Billy Napier made defensive back recruiting a priority from the minute he became the new head coach of the Florida Gators. The first big splash came with the signing of five-star safety Kamari Wilson during the 2022 early signing period, and the Gators have since been in the conversation for several of the top defensive backs in the class of 2023.
One of those DBs is South Oak Cliff (Dallas, Texas) cornerback Malik Muhammad, who currently ranks No. 41 overall on the On3 Consensus. If the name sounds familiar that’s because Muhammad played his sophomore season in Florida at IMG Academy. A Texas native, Muhammad figured that he could make the same name for himself back at home as a junior and senior. Betting on himself paid off as he led his team to a state championship.
Napier has targeted several players from IMG early on, so it’s unsurprising to see the Gators follow a transfer and re-offer him under the new staff (Dan Mullen’s group offered last April). Muhammad thanked the Gators on social media for the second offer, tagging Napier, defensive backs coach Corey Raymond, and defensive personnel analyst Joe Hamilton.
Blessed to be Re-Offered by Florida!! #GoGators #TheSwamp @UF_CoachRaymond @coach_bnapier @JoeHamilton__ pic.twitter.com/0RvOKbMcVK
— Malik Muhammad (@Returnof7) March 23, 2022
Muhammad is hoping to be decided by the summer. A July announcement could be in the works, which means that UF has only a few months to convince him to come back to Florida.
Texas and Texas A&M could enjoy a bit of a home-field advantage, but Muhammad’s most recent trips have been to Alabama and Miami. Notre Dame was considered an early leader at one point as well.
If the Gators want to be one of the teams in the mix when Muhammad makes his decision, they’ll need to get him on campus. He’s expected to begin taking some unofficial visits soon after attending an Under Armour training camp for elite prospects earlier in the month.
Muhammad is ranked No. 6 at his position on the On3 Consensus, but the service’s stand-alone rankings have him as the No. 2 cornerback in the class of 2023. A consensus top 100 recruit by all four major services, Muhammad is likely to be one of the most followed recruits early on in the cycle given his short timeline.
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