Gators earn second commitment, complete flip of former 4-star OSU commit

The Gators went 2-for-2 on Thursday and earned commitments from two priority defensive backs.

Florida was hoping to add two names to the class of 2023 on Thursday, and Billy Napier‘s recruiting team got the job done. After getting the nod from safety [autotag]Bryce Thornton[/autotag] earlier in the day, four-star cornerback [autotag]Dijon Johnson[/autotag] announced his commitment to UF Thursday evening. On3’s Hayes Fawcett broke the news.

Johnson backed off a three-month commitment to Ohio State at the end of July after stopping by the Swamp to watch Friday Night Lights. Rumors swirled that he’d be committing to Florida in the weeks following the decommitment, but the flip wasn’t official until now.

In the end, Florida’s scheme and coaching staff were too enticing to say no to.

“I like that they play multiple cornerbacks,” Johnson said to On3. “The people in the building there, I like what coach Napier is building. The atmosphere is crazy, I definitely saw myself playing in that stadium. I am definitely going to help build this class coming in.”

Johnson is ranked No. 100 overall on the On3 consensus and No. 96 on the 247Sports composite. 247Sports likes grades him as the No. 7 safety in the class, and On3 sees him as the No. 10 cornerback in the class. He’ll most likely suit up at corner for Florida and be under the guidance of defensive back guru Corey Raymond.

“They have produced a lot of great ones, and I see myself being the next one there,” Johnson said. “I have the size and length, plus being developed by one of the best cornerback coaches and what he has done in the past definitely stands out to me.”

With the addition of Johnson and Thornton, Florida moves up to No. 8 in the team rankings on both 247Sports and On3.

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