Florida football’s co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach [autotag]Patrick Toney[/autotag] is out on the recruiting trail on Thursday for a scheduled visit at West Orange High in Winter Garden, Florida, according to Swamp247. The Gators coach will be in town to watch the school’s spring game, which includes 4-star safety [autotag]Jordan Castell[/autotag] who is among many head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and his staff are pursuing to beef up their defensive backfield.
The 6-foot-2-inch, 195-pound athlete is no stranger to the Gators, having toured UF’s campus back in March, giving him a chance to familiarize himself with the team and its surroundings. While meeting with the coaching staff, he was also able to get a gander at some of the spring practices that were underway giving him a peek at what the Swamp has to offer.
After the visit, Castell offered the following to Swamp247.
“I love the energy there. I love the coaching staff they have at Florida. It’s just a really great spot to be at. I was at their scrimmage so I got to see the energy of their practice. They had guys that looked like they loved being out there playing for each other. It was real nice. I got to sit in the position meetings with the safeties and then I got to meet with the DB coaches like Coach Raymond, Coach Toney, and Coach Chaney. I have a good relationship with them.
“Really I just like the environment there. The coaching staff seemed really cool and I got to talk to some of the players. They get guys to the next level at Florida and have players who want to be there. I just feel like I fit in there. I think I fit in their defense. I am good at covering and I can come down and tackle. I just feel like I can help them a lot.”
The junior safety is planning on taking another trip to Gainesville in June for an official visit, though no exact date has been set yet.
Another top player that the Warriors’ program recently produced is Oklahoma Sooners 2022 signee wide receiver [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag], who the Gators pursued and managed to get a commitment from, but ultimately missed out on. Former Florida offensive tackle [autotag]Stone Forsythe[/autotag], who was the 24th pick of the sixth round (No. 208 overall) in the 2021 NFL draft by the Seattle Seahawks, also played for the high school Orange and Blue.
Castell is the No. 359 prep prospect overall while ranking as the No. 32 player at his position nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite, while the On3 Consensus has him at Nos. 332 and 30, respectively. Both services have Florida out front in the recruitment race, with 247Sports listing it as the only “warm” school and On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine giving the Gators a 46.8% chance of landing him.
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