Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier might have trouble finding road wins, but he certainly knows how to build for the future. The second-year head coach and his staff are recruiting every day and the results are starting to show.
ESPN released its rankings of the 2024 college football recruiting classes and the future of the Florida football program looks bright in the eyes of ESPN staff writer Craig Haubert.
Haubert ranked the Gators’ 2024 recruiting class at No. 3, but have the second-best class in the SEC, behind the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs.
“The Gators lost one of the top QBs late in the 2023 cycle but have scored big for 2024, landing five-star DJ Lagway out of Texas,” Haubert said. “A tough, competitive player who can run well and create, he also has a smooth, compact release as a passer. ”
Lagway is the No. 2 quarterback in the 2024 class and No. 16 overall in the nation, according to 247Sports.
“Defensively, the Gators have made some potentially impactful additions,” Haubert continued. “Five-star Jamonta Waller has a bit of a tweener build at 6-2, 230 pounds, but he is a disruptive force off the edge with a good blend of quickness, agility, body control and effort.
“ESPN 300 LB Myles Graham, who has an explosive closing burst, joins him, and the Gators also added one of top ILB prospects in Aaron Chiles, who has good football instincts and can be a reliable tackler. DL Amaris Williams could end up being a steal. His stock has risen during the offseason, and he was a top performer at the Elite Underclassmen camp, where he posted strong testing numbers, including a 4.78 40-yard dash at 260 pounds.”
Waller is the No. 5 edge rusher in America and ranks at No. 16 overall for the Class of 2024. Williams is a four-star recruit from Clinton, North Carolina, and the No. 10 defensive lineman in the nation.
Four-star linebacker Myles Graham is a Gainesville local at F.W. Buchholz High School and is ranked No. 7 at his position.
The Florida Gators have commitments from two five-stars, 14 four-stars, and five three-stars.