Tag: 2023 football recruiting

This talented 2023 3-star safety excited about March visit

Talented 2023 prospect from deep within UGA territory seems pretty hyped about the Gators.

The recruiting grind never ends for a truly successful college football program and it is clear that Florida’s new head coach Billy Napier has received the memo. He and his army of staffers have been burning the midnight oil in their quest to land the biggest and best of the prep prospects, with a group from the 2023 class of recruits arriving in Gainesville the first weekend of March.

Among those who will get a taste of what the Orange and Blue is all about next month is three-star safety Javion Clark, who is currently a junior at Jones County in Gray, Georgia. According to Jason Higdon of 1standTenFlorida, the 6-foot-1-inch, 175-pound defensive back had a lot of positive things to say about the Gators ahead of his visit on March 5.

“It feels great to receive the attention of Coach Napier and the staff he has!!! This means a lot to my family and me because we came from nothing, and I could change all that!!!”

“That kind of commitment means a lot to me as a player. The reason why I say that is because if you have a Head Coach that loves everyone from the staff to the players on your team, then most likely, your team is going to be successful in the long run!!!”

“The most important factors for my family and I are everyone is trying to be great at what they do!!! I will be visiting The University of Florida on March 5, but I’m most definitely looking to see how it is up there and how they run things at UF!!!”

“For those who haven’t seen me play before, I would say I love contact, and you can’t get that out of most people!!! From me not being scared of contact, it can translate to college football very well!!!”

So far, Georgia Tech appears to be in the lead for the young man’s services, as both Rivals and On3 have only the Yellowjackets listed, with the former noting two prior school visits and the latter giving GT a 100% recruiting prediction. Obviously, it is still very early in the game, but it is always nice to see Gators trying to poach talent out of their rival Georgia Bulldogs‘ backyard.

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4-star offensive tackle previews his Florida visit in March

Here’s a look ahead at a big Gators recruiting target, who will be visiting in March.

Four-star offensive tackle Payton Kirkland has made several trips to the Swamp under coach Dan Mullen and his staff, but March 5 will be his first time seeing the Gators under coach Billy Napier. He caught up with Swamp247‘s Blake Alderman to preview his visit to Gainesville that he’s looking forward to.

So far, most of his conversations have been with Florida offensive line coach Rob Sale. He said his phone calls with him have gone well and that they are expanding their relationship.

On his visit, Kirkland looks forward to meeting the whole staff in person and putting names to faces.

“I just want to see the consistency in person, because they have been very consistent in recruiting me since they got here,” he said. “They are prioritizing me like they said they would and they want a chance to roll out the Orange carpet for me when I get there for a visit. They are definitely trying to make it hard for me to say no. I am keeping them in close consideration like I am everyone else.”

He always appreciates the staff’s approach when they are recruiting him because they want to get to know him as a person first and foremost.

Kirkland mentioned that he likes coach Sale because he is someone who will take care of his players. He said he doesn’t know Napier that well, but it’s clear that everyone on staff believes and trusts him and that speaks volumes to him and other recruits.

Kirkland added that his mother will play a big factor in his recruitment and said the Florida staff have done a great job recruiting her as well.

“They have definitely been doing that,” he said. “My mom is very excited about getting up there on March 5. She is excited to see how things are and feel things out. We will get to know the staff when we get there and then she will be able to give her opinion more then.”

His trip to Florida next month is his only one set so far, but in April, he plans to use the first of his five official visits to Georgia.

He plans to see how trips unfold this offseason before making a decision.

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This coveted 4-star defensive end names Florida among top 8

Florida offered Zavion Hardy on Feb. 9, and he’s planning a trip to Gainesville on March 5.

The Gators made the most recent round of cuts for blue-chip defensive end target Zavion Hardy. The Macon (Georgia) Tattnall Square Academy product is a four-star recruit and the No. 94 player in the 2023 class per the 247Sports Composite (No. 15 DL), and he was just offered by Florida’s staff on Feb. 9.

On Tuesday, the 6-foot-5-inch, 262-pound player released an updated top eight that includes Ole Miss, South Carolina, Florida State, Miami, Georgia, UCF and Jackson State.

He has already taken visits to see the Gamecocks and Seminoles, and he has a trip to Gainesville to meet with coach Billy Napier and his staff set for March 5, which will be a busy recruiting weekend.

Hardy is also expected to take a trip to Oxford, Mississippi, to see Ole Miss at some point next month.

It’s still early in the process for Hardy, but he’s built quick relationships with the coaching staff at UF — especially defensive analyst Jamar Chaney.

The Gators will hope to make some progress with next month’s visit and convince the Georgia native to make the trek down south across the border for his college career.

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Gators EDGE target discusses his recent offer from Florida

Florida offered four-star prospect A.J. Hoffler on Monday night, and he’s planning a trip to Gainesville sometime this spring.

Florida offered four-star 2023 edge rushing prospect A.J. Hoffler on Monday night following nearly a month of communication with him. He received a visit at his school from outside linebackers coach Mike Peterson back in January, and after getting a chance to see his film, head coach Billy Napier extended the offer.

Hoffler told 247Sports’ Blake Alderman what he sees in Florida.

“I know a good bit about Florida, because they are a really historic program,” Hoffler said. “I can’t say I know too much about them on the defensive side of the ball, because they have been known more for offense the last few years. I like the history they have as a program. I heard they have good academics, facilities, and I like their location. I look forward to know more about the defensive side, more strictly the outside linebacker side because that is what they are recruiting me as. Both coaches I talked to said they like my pass rushing, my moves, my feet, and my physicality.”

The Atlanta (Georgia) Woodward Academy product is the No. 260 player and No. 38 defensive lineman in the 2023 class, but he’s being recruited to Florida as an outside linebacker in its 3-4 defensive scheme.

He’s currently considered an Ohio State lean and is planning to visit Columbus sometime in March. He also has a visit to Clemson set for March 5, but he said he plans to take a trip to Gainesville either the second week of March or the second week of April.

Georgia and Northwestern are also schools on Hoffler’s radar.

Hoffler said he wants to take official visits as soon as possible so that he can make a decision by his birthday on Aug. 9. The Gators will hope they can use that time to sway him.

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This highly-sought 4-star EDGE will visit the Swamp in March

4-star EDGE Isaiah Nixon has racked up nearly two dozen offers since the calendar turned over and Florida is getting to host him first in March.

Four-star EDGE Isaiah Nixon has plenty of Power Five offers under his belt, but only a handful of those schools will get to host him over the spring.

The University of Florida will be one of the first to get to Nixon once the dead period ends. He’s set to visit Gainesville on March 5, according to Gators Online. Fellow four-star recruits Grayson Howard, Savion Hardy, Payton Kirkland and Derrick LeBlanc will also be in town that weekend.

Getting to Nixon early could be a good thing for Billy Napier and his recruiting staff. Alabama, Georgia and LSU are just three of the 19 schools that have offered him a scholarship in the past two months. Florida has the benefit of being an in-state program, but Florida State, Miami and UCF are all in the hunt as well.

It’s too soon to tell which schools are standing out to the 6-foot-4-inch, 225-pounder from St. Petersburg, Florida. His only standing offer in December was from Toledo and things have only heated up in the new year. Napier has said that he wants to keep the best players in Florida at home, and Nixon is clearly a rising star in the state.

Despite being offered by nearly two dozen programs, Nixon isn’t ranked by 247Sports, Rivals or ESPN. On3 gives him a grade of 90, which is enough to earn him the four-star designation. It’s clearly just the beginning for this recruit, and it should be easier to read where he’s at in his recruitment after he visits the Swamp.

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Florida’s recruiting staff pushing right buttons for this 4-star defensive lineman

Napier and crew have their eyes on this coveted 4-star defensive lineman in the 2023 class.

Osceola teammates 4-star defensive lineman Derrick LeBlanc and John Walker have sat on top of the new Florida coaching staff’s wish list since they’ve arrived. So far, the new defensive line coach and co-defensive coordinator Sean Spencer and coach Billy Napier have made a strong impression on both of them.

Swamp247‘s Blake Alderman spoke with LeBlanc over the weekend to get an updated sense of where the Gators stand in his recruitment in particular. He told Alderman that he plans to return to the Swamp on March 5. LeBlanc also mentioned that he has visits set to UCF, Oklahoma and Miami over the next month.

Napier has been the main point of contact for LeBlanc so far to emphasize how much of a priority he is for Florida.

“Really Napier is more of the main guy I talk to at Florida, but I talk to a lot of the coaches at Florida,” he said. Coach Napier is real cool though. He shows me where we stand with how he is personally recruiting me, and I like that a lot. I like him a lot.”

Spencer is another coach who consistently communicates with him. LeBlanc said he’s full of energy and that the two click really well.

LeBlanc has teased that he could commit sooner rather than later but mentioned he may commit after he takes his official visits.

“I am going to take my official visits and then probably commit, well I really can’t say that right now,” he added. “I could commit whenever.”

He said Florida will continue to be a top school for him because of the environment there.

“It’s really different than when (Dan) Mullen and them were there, so I really like it a lot,” LeBlanc said. “It’s really different there now. The new staff really takes the recruiting part hard. They are on you constantly, so that is what I think is so different there.”

Out of the top schools, he’s working with, he said a few of them have started to stand out like Penn State, the Sooners, Hurricanes and Gators.

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Gators rope in this in-state 4-star cornerback for another visit

Napier and crew roped in this in-state prospect for another Gainesville visit.

It is no secret that Billy Napier is focused on the defensive backfield in his efforts to rebuild Florida football to its previous glory as “DBU” and the Gators recruiting staff has walked the walk so far. They landed a big fish in the 2022 class signing five-star safety Kamari Wilson from IMG Academy and they do not look to be resting on those laurels just yet.

One of the bigger targets in the 2023 recruiting cycle for Florida is four-star cornerback Damari Brown from American Heritage (Plantation, Florida). The highly-heralded in-state prospect has set his visit to Gainesville for March 6, just a day after he visits the Florida State State Seminoles in Tallahassee.

The 6-foot-1-inch, 185-pound defensive back has already drawn strong interest from the Clemson Tigers, Alabama Crimson Tide, LSU Tigers, Miami Hurricanes and Penn State Nittany Lions, receiving offers from the former three as well as the Oklahoma Sooners in 2022.

Speaking with On3’s Billy Embody, Brown said, “It’s heating up. I’m just taking it one day at a time… I’m blessed. These schools are coming in from left and right and I’m trying to weigh my options. Just not letting myself get too big-headed, staying humble. Just letting it play out.”

On3 Consensus Rankings currently has Brown the No. 31 cornerback and 317th-ranked player overall, as well as the No. 62 junior player in Florida overall. He will be joined by fellow American Heritage wide receivers Brandon Inniss and Santana Fleming — both four-star rated — as well as four-star safety Daemon Fagan when he visits Gainesville next month.

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Newly offered defensive lineman already planning trip to Florida

Kayden McDonald is planning a visit to Gainesville sometime in April after he was offered by the Gators on Monday.

Florida extended an offer to four-star North Gwinnett (Suwannee, Georgia) defensive line prospect Kayden McDonald on Monday and he’s already working to schedule a trip to Gainesville.

He told 247Sports that he’ll be visiting Oklahoma on March 4 and intends on taking trips to Arkansas, Auburn and Georgia during that month. However, he called his Florida offer a “dream come true” and said he plans to take a visit sometime during his spring break in April.

McDonald said he plans to take his official visits during the summer.

The No. 223 player in the 2023 class (and No. 33 defensive lineman) plans to narrow his list down in June and will make a decision when he feels ready, though he said he feels like he’s quite a way off from that.

While the Gators seem to be in good position, McDonald’s stock is quickly rising. In the last week, he’s picked up offers from a trio of SEC schools with LSU and Auburn joining the Gators.

Florida will hope it can use that visit in April to sway the Georgia prospect who has offers from many top programs in the region.

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This 5-star cornerback planning another visit to Florida

Tony Mitchell visited Florida under the previous staff, and now the No. 14 player in the 2023 class is planning another Gainesville trip.

Florida coach Billy Napier made defensive back recruiting a priority in his transition class, signing five-star safety Kamari Wilson from IMG Academy in Bradenton. Early in his second recruiting cycle, he continues to make the position group a priority.

And one of the biggest targets there is five-star cornerback Tony Mitchell. The Thompson (Alabaster, Alabama) product is the No. 14 player and No. 2 corner in the 2023 class per the 247Sports Composite, and the Gators are making a push for him despite interest from, among several schools, the in-state Crimson Tide.

Mitchell told On3 that he plans to take another trip to Gainesville sometime next month. He will visit Tuscaloosa on March 5 and Auburn on the 19th with visits to UF and Georgia coming at some point in the month.

He previously visited the Gators under the previous staff back in June, but this will be his first chance to meet with the entirety of the new staff. A one-time Tennessee commit early in the process, Mitchell now has offers from most of the top programs around the country.

He told On3’s Billy Embody that he had narrowed his list down to about six teams. He also discussed his relationship with Napier and cornerbacks coach Corey Raymond, specifically.

“Really like coach Napier and the new staff,” Mitchell said. “Coach Raymond develops players, NFL Pro Bowlers. Great DBs he’s put in the league. That’s where I was born so it’s kind of like going back home. I’m from Lakeland.”

Landing an out-of-state prospect like Mitchell with so much interest won’t be an easy task, but Napier and the staff will hope to make some progress when he’s on campus next month.

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These Florida targets among top performers at Under Armour Miami

Here’s a look at how Florida’s 2023 targets fared at Under Armour Miami this past weekend.

Under Armour’s annual football camp series kicked off Sunday in Miami, displaying some of the best athletes South Florida has to offer. Florida had a flurry of top targets in attendance like defensive end Derrick LeBlanc, running back Richard Young and defensive lineman John Walker.

The event had a heavy focus on testing but also included some competition drills. Here is how some of them fared.

Four-star offensive tackle Lucas Simmons earned 247Sports‘ Alpha Dog at the event, given to the prospect who performed the best. He originally hails from Sweeden and has only played the game of football for two years, which makes his performance even more impressive. He starred in individual drills, showing off his light feet, body quickness and the athleticism that coaches seek at the left tackle position.

Offensive lineman Roderick Kearney, wide receiver William Fowles and Young were three Gators targets that were tagged as the best five performing offensive players at the Under Armour event. Kearney played the right tackle and guard spots during 1-on-1 drills and displayed solid agility. Fowles took home the camp’s wideout MVP honors, flashing strong route running and ball skills. Young still made 247Sports’ list despite an up and down day because of his short-area explosiveness and his strong ability to change directions on a dime.

Moving on to defense, LeBlanc, Walker and defensive back Dijon Johnson made the cut. LeBlanc and Walker demonstrated the explosiveness and power off the line of scrimmage most college coaches look for when recruiting players for the front four of their defense. Then Johnson illustrated good natural instincts and ball awareness in 1-on-1s.

Some other players who earned honorable mentions include offensive tackle Payton Kirkland, offensive lineman Bryce Lovett, edge rusher Isaiah Nixon and safety Elliot Washington.

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