Florida football will face the South Carolina Gamecocks for their final game of the season in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, which means that this coming Saturday will be the last opportunity for [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and Co. to immerse prep prospects into the Swamp’s game day experience. The matchups on home turf are a tremendous recruiting tool when it comes to bringing the best to Gainesville as they give the young student-athletes a taste of the bright lights of big-time college football.
Among the handful of recruits who plan on attending the game, according to Swamp247, is five-star cornerback [autotag]Desmond Ricks[/autotag] out of Bradenton (Florida) IMG Academy, who represents one of the top remaining talents in the 2023 class. The 6-foot-1-inch, 170-pound defensive back has already made three prior stops in Hogtown and is still set for an official visit on Dec. 9 as well — the same day that UCF defensive tackle commit John Walker will be on campus.
Spearheading the blue-chipper’s recruitment is cornerbacks coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag], who has made quite an impression on the high school senior.
“(Raymond) just is telling me to keep on grinding and that he would love to have me here,” Ricks told Swamp247. “He isn’t the type to tell you how good you are day in and day out. He’s going to develop you and get you better and make you the best you can be. I talk to him a couple times a week. I talk with Coach Napier about once a week. He’s real cool and down to earth. We just have regular conversations.”
The in-state target currently has no shortage of suitors, with a list that includes the LSU Tigers, Alabama Crimson Tide, Miami Hurricanes, Florida State Seminoles, and others vying for the potential star player.
Ricks is ranked No. 15 overall and No. 2 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 consensus has him at Nos. 12 and 2, respectively. LSU currently holds two crystal ball predictions from 247Sports and also leads in On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine with an 84.9% chance of landing him; Florida sits in third with a 3.2% chance.
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