Tag: 2023 football recruiting

Coaching changes have Florida in the race for Arch Manning

A report claiming that Arch Manning was down to two schools isn’t true. Florida and LSU officially joined the race on Wednesday.

Arch Manning, the top recruit in the class of 2023, is taking a closer look at the University of Florida, according to 247Sports.

A recent report claimed that Manning was down to two schools, but that appears to be far from true. Cooper Manning, Arch’s father and the brother of Peyton and Eli, told 247Sports’ Steve Wiltfong that his son is still considering a handful of programs, including Florida and LSU. Alabama, Georgia, Ole Miss and Texas are the other teams in the hunt and have already hosted the nation’s top recruit.

While nothing is set in stone, Manning is expected to make a trip to Florida at some point in the spring or summer. New head coach Billy Napier stopped by Isidore Newman School in January to speak with Manning’s coach. That conversation seems to have paid off with Florida now in the hunt.

Napier’s staff has changed the culture at Florida in just a few short months. Nearly every recruit that has met with him has commented on the differences between the new staff and the old one. That growth isn’t lost Manning and is part of the reason Florida is now under consideration. The same can be said for LSU, which wasn’t an option for Manning until Brian Kelly replaced Ed Orgeron.

There’s still plenty of time for Manning to make his decision, but he isn’t afraid to eliminate schools from his board, either. He made a trip to Clemson and decided that it wasn’t the right fit for him.

The 247Sports composite ranks Manning No. 1 overall in the class of 2023.

[lawrence-related id=77641,77586,77578,77563,77540]

[listicle id=76773]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

LSU still in the mix for 2023 QB Arch Manning, his father says

LSU may not be out of the Manning sweepstakes just yet.

Last Friday, it was reported that the No. 1 recruit in the nation for the 2023 class, Arch Manning, narrowed his list down to two schools: Alabama and Texas. Upon further review, it would seem as though that is not the case.

Arch Manning’s father, Cooper (brother of Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks Peyton and Eli) talked with 247Sports on Wednesday, and he said that because of a few regime changes at some top-tier SEC schools, you can add two more contenders to the list. LSU and Florida.

Manning is listed as the No. 1 recruit in the country on every recruiting site. He is listed at 6-foot-4-inches, 215 pounds. He plays his high school ball at Isidore Newman School in New Orleans.

As a junior, Manning threw for 1,947 yards, 26 touchdowns and four interceptions with another seven rushing touchdowns. In his high school career, he’s thrown for 6,307 yards as a three-year starter with 81 passing touchdowns in addition to 19 on the ground.

 

Since Brian Kelly has stepped foot onto the Bayou, we have seen how he has made it a priority to try and keep the best athletes in Louisiana, in Louisiana. Just look at what he did in the transfer portal, especially with his secondary.

Jarrick Bernard was a top cornerback in the country before transferring in from Oklahoma State, and he’s originally from Shreveport, Louisiana. Greg Brooks Jr. transferred from Arkansas, he’s from Harvey, Louisiana. Joe Foucha transferred from Arkansas, he’s from New Orleans. That doesn’t even mention the fact that Brian Kelly signed one of Manning’s former teammates, offensive tackle Bo Bordelon.

If Brian Kelly can pull off bringing Arch Manning to LSU, he might just get a lifetime contract.

[listicle id=47543]

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Another 4-star defensive back is planning to visit Florida

Four-star DB Sharif Denson is planning another visit to UF and is hoping to get more time with cornerbacks coach Corey Raymond.

No exact date is set yet, but four-star defensive back Sharif Denson plans to be at the University of Florida during the first few days of March, according to Gators Online.

The Jacksonville cornerback out of Bartram Trail High School is still picking a date between March 1 and 4 to visit before stopping by Florida State the following weekend. The Gators were one of the first teams to offer Denson, but that was more than two years ago and under a different staff. This visit should give him the opportunity to meet Billy Napier and all of the new coaches.

After the 2022 class was complete, Napier’s staff began to prioritize certain recruits and Denson is one of them.

“After the second signing day is when the staff started going after me hard,” Denson said. “I talked to basically all of the staff except for Corey Raymond, which confuses me. But coach Toney and I had a long talk the other day about my film and what he likes about me. Coach Hamilton also talked to me yesterday about how I have position versatility. They could see me play anywhere in the secondary for the Gators.”

Raymond’s lack of contact could be an accident, but it could also be a strategic move by Napier. The two should get a chance to speak more when Denson gets into town, and it’s not exactly a bad thing to have a blue-chip recruit knocking on your door for a meeting with a position coach.

Denson doesn’t deny Florida stands in a good spot in his recruitment. Both of his parents graduated from the university, and it’s been an option for him since he was a freshman. A spring visit should put the Gators near the top of the list going into his senior year.

The 247Sports composite lists Denson as the No. 158 overall recruit in the country and the No. 18 cornerback. The On3 consensus is even higher on him, ranking Denson No. 138 nationally and No. 15 at his position.

[lawrence-related id=77578,77563,77540,77536,77422]

[listicle id=76773]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

This top-100 QB drawing interest from Florida, Napier

2023 four-star quarterback Chris Vizzina is planning a March visit to the Swamp to meet with Billy Napier’s staff.

It’s never too early to look for the quarterback of the future in college football, and Florida head coach Billy Napier has his eyes on 2023 four-star Christopher Vizzina.

Napier and his staff stopped by Vizzina’s high school in Birmingham, Alabama to speak with his coaches, and the top-100 quarterback is now planning a March visit to the Swamp. His last trip was in September to see Florida face Alabama, but that was when Dan Mullen still had control of the team.

“I was there for the Alabama game and it was a great game between, at that time, two top-ranked teams,” Vizzina said to On3. “It was loud, very loud, there, and that stood out. That noise was different at Florida.”

While the fanbase seems to have impressed Vizzina, Napier and his staff still have plenty of work to do to land the blue-chip signal-caller. Clemson, Kentucky, LSU, Miami, Notre Dame, Ole Miss and Tennessee are all in the hunt for him, and several have already got him on campus.

Florida lost the commitment of 2022 four-star quarterback Nick Evers following the coaching changes, but Napier was still able to bring in three-star recruit Max Brown and Ohio State transfer Jack Miller to keep the depth chart full.

With a full year to recruit the class of 2023, Napier is expected to bring a top-10 class to Gainesville. Adding the No. 8 quarterback and the No. 84 overall prospect on the 247Sports Composite would be a nice step toward reaching that goal.

[lawrence-related id=77563,77540,77536,77422,77405]

[listicle id=76773]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Four-star in-state DL sets date for second Florida visit of the year

One of Florida’s top defensive line targets in the 2023 class is returning to the Swamp for a second meeting with the Gators.

Four-star defensive lineman Jordan Hall will be in Gainesville on March 3 on his second unofficial visit to the University of Florida of 2022, according to 247Sports.

Hall first met with new head coach Billy Napier and his staff in January and quickly scheduled a second trip to the Swamp. Napier’s authenticity seems to have set him apart from other coaches, and defensive line coach Sean Spencer got to spend plenty of time with Hall. Patrick Toney, the team’s defensive play-caller, also got a chance to work with him in the film room.

He left the Swamp impressed with the new coaches and saw more of the campus than ever before.

“This was probably my first time really visiting and seeing all the facilities and seeing everything like the weight room and locker room,” Hall said following the visit. “It was really nice to get down there and see everything they have to offer. They have new facilities being built. It should be done on June 1, so I will probably come back down and see it all when it’s done and what all it has to offer.”

While there are no official leaders in Hall’s recruitment, Florida seems to stand in a good spot with him heading into the spring. He holds offers from Georgia, Florida State, Miami, Michigan, South Carolina, UCF, USC and Wisconsin in addition to Florida, but has only visited the Bulldogs, Knights and Seminoles so far.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see more of the nation’s elite join the race for Hall in the coming months as he’s ranked the No. 286 overall recruit in the country by the 247Sports Composite. On3 is even higher on the four-star Jacksonville talent and has him at No. 95 nationally.

[lawrence-related id=77536,77422,77405,77373,77355]

[listicle id=76773]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Gators lone 2023 commit feels at home after meeting new staff

2023 four-star athlete Aaron Gates chose to do what many wouldn’t in November and stuck with the Florida Gators football program as they looked for a new head coach.

When Dan Mullen was relieved of his duties as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team, several recruits from the class of 2023 backed off their pledges to the program.

Before Billy Napier even arrived in Gainesville, the class had thinned to just one player, four-star athlete Aaron Gates. The Trinity Christian School (Ga.) product committed to the program in late August and decided to wait and meet the new staff before making a decision on whether or not to reopen his recruitment. That patience paid off as soon as Napier and Gates got a chance to meet in January.

“I think sitting down with Coach Napier and that first interaction with him, was when I knew Florida was still where I want to be,” Gates said to 247Sports. “I had posted something on Twitter a while back, and he kind of talked about it with me. That just showed me how detail-oriented he is and how he pays attention to things. The post I made was from a year and a half ago, and that was crazy to me how he knew that.”

Twitter sleuthing aside, Napier also impressed Gates with some of his hires. Cornerbacks coach Corey Raymond is one of the most respected position coaches in the country, and Gates is expected to be a defensive back at the college level. The two spent much of the visit together and are looking forward to spending more time together once Gates gets enrolled.

Napier’s staff brought a new energy to the program that wasn’t there when Gates signed. That culture change isn’t lost on him, and he says it’s the kind of thing that makes you want to be a part of the team.

“It was really amazing,” Gates said. “The whole energy and the whole vibe was crazy when I went down there compared to other times. I just felt right at home like I always do. I liked seeing the academic facilities and the new facilities for football they are building over by the indoor. It’s all going to be amazing, everything they are doing.”

Gates should return to campus sometime in spring, but there’s no date set yet. Several of Florida’s top targets will be in town in March, so Napier could look to bring him back on one of those weekends to help recruit others.

The 247Sports Composite ranks Gates as the No. 268 player overall in 2023 and the No. 23 athlete in the class.

[lawrence-related id=77422,77405,77373,77355,77314]

[listicle id=76773]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

This elite 2023 cornerback is planning a second trip to Florida

Billy Napier isn’t wasting any time getting this five-star back on campus.

A.J. Harris, one of the top cornerbacks in the 2023 recruiting cycle, will return to Gainesville on March 19 on his second visit to the University of Flordia, according to Gators Online.

Harris first met with new head coach Billy Napier and his growing staff on Jan. 22. The hiring of Corey Raymond caught Harris’ interest and Florida quickly joined the mix of teams vying for the Alabama defensive back. On this trip, the goal is to see the full staff in action and to observe some practices.

“We will be there on the 19th now instead of the fifth,” said Harris’ father. “A.J. wants to come check out the defensive staff in their natural habitat on the field. He wants to observe a practice and some meetings, so we pushed it back later to do this.”

In the fall, Harris named Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, LSU, North Carolina, Notre Dame and Ohio State as his top seven, but a second trip to the Swamp indicates that Florida has made enough of an impact to warrant consideration. Once eager to get the recruiting process over with as quickly as possible, Harris is now slowing things down and going over all of his options.

Raymond’s presence at Florida is a major factor for Harris, and the cornerbacks coach does have a history of landing top-end talent. He was instrumental in Florida’s pursuit of safety Kamari Wilson, the No. 3 safety in his class.

Harris is the No. 3 cornerback on the 247Sports Composite and the No. 17 overall prospect in the country. He’s arguably the top defensive back on Florida’s board right now, so expect Napier to pull out all of the stops for him.

[lawrence-related id=77405,77373,77355,77314,77300]

[listicle id=76773]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Blue-chip 2023 running back set to visit Florida again

Cedric Baxter Jr. will be on campus on March 18 for what will be a busy recruiting weekend in Gainesville.

The running back position was a major priority for coach Billy Napier in his transition class. Though he eventually only signed one, he also added another in the transfer portal in Montrell Johnson, who followed him from Louisiana.

As Napier turns his attention to the 2023 class, it seems the position is set to be prioritized once again. Florida has been heavily recruiting Orlando Edgewater prospect Cedric Baxter Jr. He’s already visited Gainesville once back in January, and according to 247Sports’ Blake Alderman, he’s set for a return trip on March 18.

Baxter is a four-star recruit and the No. 4 running back (No. 69 overall) on the 247Sports Composite. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound back has offers from many of the nation’s top programs, including Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State, Texas A&M and USC. He is also set for a trip to Los Angeles to visit with the Trojans on March 5.

Running backs coach Jabbar Juluke has built a solid relationship with Baxter. He held an offer under the previous staff, but Juluke was the coach to re-offer him.

“He brought up my film and told me how much he loved it,” Baxter said of Juluke following last month’s visit. “He said I am versatile. I can run in between the tackles, I can run outside of the tackles. He was telling me about his history of backs he’s coached. It was amazing hanging out with them.”

Florida only currently has one commit in the 2023 class, four-star Sharpsburg, Georgia, athlete Aaron Gates. The class ranks 41st nationally and 12th among SEC teams, so Napier certainly has a bit of work to do.

[lawrence-related id=77373,77355,77314,77302,77300]

[listicle id=76773]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Elite 2023 defensive back plans March visit with Florida

The No. 2 safety in the class of 2023 is stopping by the Swamp in March.

Four-star safety Joenel Aguero will visit the University of Florida over the weekend of March 18, according to 247Sports.

It won’t be the first time the top-50 recruit makes it to Gainesville, but it will be his first visit with the new staff. Aguero got a chance to see the campus last June on his first visit to the school. He was impressed with Florida and named the Gators in his top 10 before deleting the post on social media.

Nearly every major player in the Southeastern Conference is interested in Aguero. He’s taken trips to Alabama and Georgia and plans to visit LSU after stopping by Florida. The Bulldogs are the favorites right now to land him, but he says Florida has always been on his radar.

Meeting Billy Napier and the rest of the coaching staff will give Aguero a chance to see how well he fits in with the new personnel at UF. There will also be at least one familiar face on the team in freshman safety Kamari Wilson, who played with Aguero at IMG Academy last year.

Now at St. John’s Prep in Massachusetts, Aguero is the top-ranked player in his state and the No. 2 safety in the country, according to 247Sports. He’s also ranked No. 22 overall in the class of 2023.

Beating out Georgia for one of the nation’s top defensive backs is exactly what Napier was hired to do. If everything goes well on this next visit, he’ll be one step closer to making that a reality for the Gators. Aguero already feels like a priority target for Florida, but there’s still a long road to travel before reaching the end of his recruitment.

[lawrence-related id=77314,77302,77300,77187,77182]

[listicle id=76773]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

4-star linebacker adds name to Florida’s March visitors list

March 5 looks like the next big recruiting weekend at UF, and four-star linebacker Grayson Howard is the latest recruit to confirm a visit.

Florida head coach Billy Napier is preparing to host a group of recruits over the first weekend of March, and the latest name to confirm a visit is four-star linebacker Grayson Howard, according to 247Sports.

The in-state product out of Jacksonville received an offer from Dan Mullen‘s staff and visited for the game against Florida Atlantic. Napier and defensive analyst Jamar Chaney stopped by Howard’s school in January, and linebackers coach Jay Bateman followed up with him.

Getting Howard on campus is the next step in his recruitment, and it helps that Gainesville is only an hour and a half drive from his high school. He’s set to arrive on March 5.

“With Florida being a top SEC program and being so close to home, Florida is going to make it a tough decision for me to consider,” Howard said to 247Sports. “But right now my recruitment is still pretty open. Florida is definitely in a good spot in my recruitment.”

Howard is the 15th-best linebacker in Florida, according to 247Sports, and Napier seems to be targeting in-state players early. Clemson and South Carolina appear to be Florida’s top competition for the 6-foot-3-inch, 223-pounder following January visits, but Howard also has been by Georgia and Tennessee in recent weeks.

247Sports has Howard at No. 184 overall nationally among 2023 high school recruits and at No. 36 in the state.

[lawrence-related id=77302,77300,77294,77187,77188]

[listicle id=76773]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.