The college football transfer portal is currently wide open as a myriad of student-athletes seek the next stop on their collegiate journeys. Among the many schools looking to reload following the 2023 campaign are the Florida Gators, who have many positions of need.
This past weekend, Billy Napier and Co. hosted a handful of recruiting targets, including three-star defensive lineman [autotag]Brien Taylor[/autotag] out of Blinn College in Texas on Sunday. The 6-foot-5-inch, 270-pound defender came away impressed with what the Orange and Blue had to offer.
“I love everything about it, for real,” Taylor told Swamp247. “The whole coaching staff and everybody involved in UF… it seems real family oriented and they make you know when you come here, it ain’t just football. They’re going to make sure you’re prepared for life as a man. You’re going to develop different characteristics that you need and will help you in life. It’s the No. 1 public school so it’s somewhere to be, for sure.”
However, Florida is not the only major suitor for the lineman’s talents. The Oklahoma State Cowboys, Auburn Tigers, Georgia Bulldogs and Tennessee Volunteers have also hosted him for official visits as well. Nonetheless, Taylor seems to be high on Gainesville as his next destination.
“He said this is the place to be,” Taylor said, “and that we can turn it around, for real.”
The one area where Florida has faltered in his recruitment was with the dismissal of defensive line coach Sean Spencer, stating that he “wasn’t happy” with the move. The good news is that defensive line graduate assistant Kali James and outside linebackers coach Mike Peterson, who had already been involved in his recruitment, have picked up the slack.
“The staff and everybody made sure to do a good job,” Taylor said. “Make sure that even though Coach Spencer’s gone, I’m still a priority.”
Taylor appeared in 13 games in two seasons at Blinn College, amassing 39 total tackles, including 9.5 for a loss, 2.0 sacks and a forced fumble.
The 247Sports composite JUCO has him ranked No. 8 overall and No. 3 at his position nationally in the 2024 cycle while On3’s JC industry ranking has him No. 14 overall and No. 4 at edge defender nationally.
The Gators have three crystal ball predictions for Taylor from 247Sports while On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine gives Florida a 94.7% chance of landing him.
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