Tag: 2023 football recruiting

This big-time 4-star offensive lineman sets visit in April

Four-star offensive lineman Sam Pendleton has set a two-day visit to Florida in April.

Four-star offensive lineman [autotag]Sam Pendleton[/autotag] has been a major target for coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and staff since Florida offered him in early March. The Gators coaching staff’s relentless pursuit of Pendleton is starting to pay off and he’s now scheduled to visit the Swamp on April 11 and 12 with his family.

The Pfafftown, North Carolina, native is ranked as the 359th overall prospect and the 23rd best player at his position. He told 247Sports that Clemson, Michigan, North Carolina State, Penn State and Virginia Tech are standing out the most in his recruitment so far but added that the Gators are getting there.

Offensive coordinator and offensive line coach [autotag]Rob Sale[/autotag] has been the main point of contact for Florida in Pendleton’s recruitment so far. He looks forward to meeting Sale, Napier and offensive line coach [autotag]Darnell Stapleton[/autotag] in person the most during his visit in April.

Many offensive line prospects, including Pendleton, are intrigued by the idea of having two coaches dealing with the unit. When looking forward to a decision, he wants to go to a school with an emphasis on developing offensive linemen. He said Florida checks that box off because of its two coaches that it has dedicated to the offensive line.

Sale is really high on Pendleton and has told him that he can be a culture changer for his unit. However, he said they still haven’t discussed where the Gators see him fitting the best.

He originally wanted to make a decision in March but is in no rush because of the new offers that have rolled in.

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Florida offers another 4-star quarterback in 2023 recruiting class

Florida football offered four-star quarterback Eli Holstein out of Zachary, Louisiana, on Monday.

Florida football has passed out a handful of scholarship offers to quarterback prospects over the last two months. The latest one to receive one is four-star [autotag]Eli Holstein[/autotag] out of Zachary, Louisiana. Offensive coordinator [autotag]Rob Sale[/autotag] extended the good news to Holstein Monday.

Holstein is ranked as the 54th overall prospect and the eighth-best at his position, according to the 247Sports composite rankings. He finished his junior season, completing 65% of his passes for 3,228 yards and throwing 30 touchdowns and only six interceptions. Holstein added 523 yards on the ground and 14 scores.

247Sports spoke to Holstein’s father, Scott Holstein. He said they are looking forward to getting to know Florida more and hope they can take a visit to the Swamp.

The Holsteins have some connections with the Gators coaching staff, too. Scott played with cornerbacks coach Corey Raymond at LSU. Off-the-field analyst Russ Calloway also recruited Eli for the Tigers.

He said Ohio State, Alabama, Georgia, Miami, Stanford, Oregon and Texas A&M are on him the hardest currently so far in his son’s recruitment. He’s also fresh off a visit to the Crimson Tide earlier this month.

It’ll be interesting to see what this means for the top of the Florida quarterback board. Coach Billy Napier had [autotag]Arch Manning[/autotag], [autotag]Christopher Vizzina[/autotag] and [autotag]Marcus Stokes[/autotag] toward the top of his list.

It probably means nothing and that the Gators are still doing their due diligence but it still sits in the back of my mind.

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Florida cracks top 5 for nation’s No. 3 cornerback prospect

Five-star defensive back Tony Mitchell has narrowed things down to just five schools after visiting the Swamp.

Two days after calling the Florida Gators the leader in his recruitment, five-star defensive back [autotag]Tony Mitchell[/autotag] officially narrowed down his options to five schools on Monday.

Alabama, Georgia, Oregon and Texas A&M are the other finalists. He’s expected to take official visits over the summer, but there’s no set timeline for his commitment. Mitchell has said that he’ll decide when things feel right to him.

Hayes Fawcett of On3 was able to speak with Mitchell about each of the teams in his top five. He praised [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag] after his trip to Gainesville, and it seems to be the elite coaching staff Billy Napier has assembled that has Florida still in the race.

“Great new coaching staff and great DB coach who knows how to develop,” Mitchell said. “Now they just need the elite players like myself to build them back to the old Florida.

Mitchell is the No. 2 safety in the class of 2023 on the On3 consensus and the No. 3 cornerback on the 247Sports composite. Both services agree that he’s the 19th-best recruit in the nation, and he’s got the physical tools to play anywhere in Florida’s secondary on.

The Gators may sit at the top of this list right now, but Mitchell’s mood could change with the most recent visit he takes. Next up on his schedule is Texas A&M on April 9 for the Aggies’ spring game.

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Florida looks to steal this tight end commit from Florida State

The Gators are looking to shore up their tight end room with this Seminoles commit.

The recruiting trail continues for Florida football as new head coach Billy Napier navigates the Gators into what everyone hopes will be a promising future. The acquisition of top prep talent is a sure way to turn around a floundering football program and his army of staffers are burning the midnight oil in their efforts to woo top prospects to Gainesville.

One of the areas of concern heading into the 2022 season and beyond is at tight end, which currently only has two scholarship players who naturally play the position — senior [autotag]Keon Zipperer[/autotag] and redshirt freshman [autotag]Gage Wilcox[/autotag]. Florida could bolster its room with the addition of three-star prospect Randy Pittman from A. Crawford Mosley in Lynn Haven, Florida, who recently paid a visit with the Orange and Blue.

Currently a Florida State commit, the 6-foot-2-inch, 230-pound prospect stopped by on Saturday to watch Florida’s sixth spring practice and meet with the coaches. Unfortunately, Wilcox did not participate while [autotag]Nick Elksnis[/autotag] and [autotag]Jonathan Odom[/autotag] were out with injuries, so he did not get to see much from his potential peers, but did come away with a positive impression of staff, including tight ends coach William Peagler.

“It was amazing out there,” Pittman told Jacob Rudner of Swamp247. “The tempo that was going on, the way that [head coach Billy] Napier was moving everyone around and coaching and teaching people how things work over here, it was amazing.”

“I was able to watch the tight ends working on the drills doing different types of blocks, reblocks and things like that,” he added. We got to break down some offensive plays and some offensive schemes. It was nice.”

Pittman committed to the Seminoles on April 16, 2021, but has kept the door open for other schools to court him and has continued to make visits over the past several months. While FSU is obviously in the lead for his services, UF is hot on the trail with UCF throwing its hat in the ring as well according to On3, with Tennessee, Florida Atlantic, South Carolina and West Georgia also listed as suitors.

The in-state three-star tight end is the No. 396 prospect in the nation and No. 21 among 2023 tight ends in the 247Sports Composite while landing at No. 509 overall and No. 26 at his position on the On3 Consensus.

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New staff has Florida near the top of this 5-star DL’s recruitment

Another weekend, another five-star recruit impressed by the culture Billy Napier has created at Florida in just a few months.

Billy Napier worked hard to get the right people on his staff to help change the culture at the University of Florida. The latest five-star recruit to be impressed by the changes in Gainesville is Warner Robbins (Georgia) defensive lineman Vic Burley.

“Way up at the top. They are way up there,” Burley told 247Sports’ Blake Alderman. “I love what they’re doing. GatorMade, that’s a real big improvement from the old coaching staff. They are really focused on the character development, really just trying to raise young men.”

There’s no doubt that Napier’s personal approach made a difference during Burley’s visit. Being treated as more than just a football player stood out to him as it has to so many other recruits since Napier took over.

Burley was also impressed by the intensity he saw on the practice field. He spent plenty of time with defensive line coach [autotag]Sean Spencer[/autotag], who would be his position coach at Florida. He was appreciative of Spencer’s ability to balance criticism and praise as a coach without going overboard in either direction.

“I really love what the coaches are about,” he said. “Coach Spence, coach Napier, coach (Jamar) Chaney. All of them. It was really a great atmosphere here. Really watching the practice I really love the tempo, the energy they have.”

Florida appears well-positioned in Burley’s recruitment following the visit, but upcoming trips to Clemson and Georgia next weekend could affect that standing. Oklahoma and Tennessee are some other programs standing out right now.

The plans are for Burley to make official visits in June and make a decision before the football season starts. An August commitment appears likely, but anything can happen when it comes to recruiting.

Burley is the No. 5 defensive lineman and the No. 35 overall recruit in the class of 2023, according to the 247Sports composite.

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Florida receives new crystal ball prediction for this coveted recruit

Florida received a crystal ball prediction for three-star offensive Bryce Lovett on Saturday.

247Sports Florida recruiting reporter Blake Alderman submitted a crystal ball prediction in the Gators’ favor for three-star offensive tackle [autotag]Bryce Lovett[/autotag] with a high confidence of seven on Saturday. The Rockledge, Florida, native is considered the 653rd overall prospect and the 57th best player at his position, according to the 247Sports composite.

Since the calendar flipped to 2022, Lovett has been a constant face on campus. He has visited three times, including visiting the Swamp the past two weekends.

The Gators have surged in his recruitment since head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and Co. after landing an offer during his visit back on Jan. 29. Co-offensive line coaches [autotag]Rob Sale[/autotag] and [autotag]Darnell Stapleton[/autotag] have led the charge for Florida in Lovett’s recruitment so far.

Alderman said he doesn’t believe Lovett will make a decision anytime soon, but dropped a prediction for him because of the number of visits he’s taken to the Gators.

A three-star offensive tackle may look uninspiring to Florida fans on paper but he is one of the top players within that 4.5-hour circle around Gainesville that Napier wants to lock down.

The Gators also need more talented offensive linemen after former offensive line coach [autotag]John Hevesy[/autotag] struggled to recruit the unit well.

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Florida in the lead for this 5-star defensive back, per 247Sports

Florida is now in the mix for the top three cornerbacks in the class of 2023.

Five-star defensive back [autotag]Tony Mitchell[/autotag] made his second trip to Gainesville of the year on March 26, and he left the Swamp with the Gators on top of his recruitment, according to 247Sports.

Mitchell has long admired cornerbacks coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag]’s ability to prepare players for the next level, and seeing him work in person seems to have strongly impacted the Thompson (Alabaster, Alabama) recruit.

“I would say they’re in the lead,” Mitchell said. “It was great getting to see the guys, live action in practice, seeing how coach Patrick Toney and coach Raymond coach the DBs.”

Listed as a cornerback in some places and a safety in others, Mitchell has the size and athleticism to play any position in the Gators’ secondary. That flexibility would give him plenty of chances to play at Florida early on, and he feels like he’d be a good fit in the system.

Florida got Mitchell in at the right time. He has just one unofficial visit left on his schedule to Texas A&M for the team’s spring game. He’ll work out which schools he wants to take official visits to over the summer, but he doesn’t have a commitment date lined up just yet. He says he’ll do it when it feels right.

Of course, Mitchell has a history of making in-the-moment decisions. He committed to Tennessee as an eighth-grader and ultimately backed off that pledge before starting high school. Three state championships later, he’s hoping that his next commitment will be his last.

Alabama, Clemson and Georgia are the other main teams in the mix with Florida and Texas A&M. The Crimson Tide have the home-state advantage, but Napier and Raymond seem intent on getting the best defensive backs in the country to Gainesville.

Mitchell is the No. 3 cornerback and the No. 19 overall recruit in the class of 2023, according to the 247Sports composite.

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Florida is rising up this 4-star quarterback’s leaderboard

Four-star quarterback Dylan Lonergan said Florida is now among his top five or six schools due to its success in baseball and football.

Four-star quarterback [autotag]Dylan Lonergan[/autotag] enjoyed meeting Florida football head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and Gators baseball head coach [autotag]Kevin O’Sullivan[/autotag] this weekend on his visit to the Swamp. It was important for him to meet both coaches because he wants to play football and baseball in college.

After his visit, the Snellville, Georgia, native spoke to 247Sports about how it went. The recruiting service currently ranks Lonergan nationally as 95th best overall prospect and the ninth-best signal-caller, according to the 247Sports composite.

This wasn’t Lonergan’s first trek to see the Gators, making a prior visit back during his freshman year. Lonergan said it was good getting refamiliarized with the University of Florida campus since it’s been so long. One of his favorite parts of the visit was seeing the new standalone facility Florida is building that is set to be finished this summer.

He enjoyed sitting in on the quarterback room to see how Napier and off-the-analyst Ryan O’Hara works with them. Lonergan likes the idea of playing for a head coach that predominantly works with quarterbacks.

Lonergan also relished the time he spent watching practice. He said he could tell the defense was a little ahead of the offense right now but added that’s usually the case early on in spring ball.

Napier and O’Hara are already pushing him to come back for another visit in the future. They told him they will keep recruiting him hard.

Florida stands out to Lonergan because of the success it has had on the gridiron and the baseball field but said the Gators still trail Stanford and South Carolina at this point.

However, he added that Florida has jumped into his top fix or schools because of its excellence in both sports and Napier’s track record of developing quarterbacks.

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This elite defensive lineman calls UF a ‘top school’ after visit

Florida’s making a strong push for Trussville, Alabama four-star defensive lineman Hunter Osborne.

The Florida Gators made a strong impression on four-star defensive lineman Hunter Osborne on Thursday, according to Gators Online.

Osborne picked up an offer from UF on March 14 and quickly planned a trip to the Swamp. After enjoying his first visit to Gainesville, Osborne plans on returning for a second meeting with the Gators in a couple of months.

“This was my first time getting down to Gainesville, so they earned another visit back down,” Osborne said. “That is 100% sure, so I know I’ll be looking forward to scheduling another visit for the summer. They earned their right to be a top school I would say.”

Several things stood out to Osborne during the visit, but he was particularly intrigued by the new staff’s ability to prepare him for the pros. He has a strong relationship with defensive line coach [autotag]Sean Spencer[/autotag], who most recently coached for the New York Giants before joining Napier’s staff.

The two already had a good relationship before Osborne came to town, but seeing coach Chaos in person really made an impact on his opinion of Florida.

“I love the way he coaches; I saw that today,” he said. “In the meeting room watching him break down ball, it stood out to me. It’s how he talks to his players and how he coaches them up. You can see the development and how he can develop guys for the next level.”

Before returning to Gainesville, Osborne will at least make stops at Auburn, Alabama, LSU and Tennessee over the next two weeks. Many recruits begin to take official visits to their top schools in the summer, but Osborne didn’t specify the nature of his next trip to UF just yet. He narrowed down his options to a top 10 earlier in the month but doesn’t have a rigid timeline on when he’ll decide.

The On3 Consensus ranks Osborne as the No. 87 overall recruit and the No. 13 defensive lineman in the class of 2023.

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This Gators legacy running back target included Florida in top 5

Four-star running back Treyaun Webb included Florida in his top five on Friday.

Four-star running [autotag]Treyaun Webb[/autotag] trimmed his top list of schools down to five on Friday. Florida made the cut along with Baylor, South Carolina, Tennessee and Penn State.

The Jacksonville, Florida native is a legacy recruit for the Orange and Blue through his cousin, former Gators cornerback Dee Webb. He made UF the only in-state team to make his top-five list after overhauling the top 11 that he released in late January, dropping the likes of Georgia, UCF, Michigan and Oregon, among others.

Coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and running backs coach [autotag]Jabbar Juluke[/autotag] want to take two running backs this cycle to accumulate depth that the previous teams lacked. Juluke is one of the largest reasons for Florida’s resurgence in his recruitment.

The Gators have soared in Webb’s recruitment after being excluded from his top 11. Florida then got him on campus during the first weekend of March. He told reporters after the visit that he almost gave his pledge to Napier and Co.

Webb hopes to make what will be his third commitment before the start of his senior season. He previously committed to Oklahoma and Georgia.

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