The Florida Gators 2023 recruiting class comes in at No. 10 in Sports Illustrated’s recruiting rankings after early signing day wrapped up on Wednesday.
The Gators had been hovering around the top ten of the recruiting rankings since July when a surge of commitments created a buzz around the Florida program and first-year head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]. This is a stark contrast from the end of June when Napier penned an open letter to the Gator Nation essentially pleading for patience and trust in the process.
Napier was a fantastic recruiter at Louisiana, having the No. 1 recruiting class in the Sun Belt in all four seasons at the helm. But he didn’t do this alone. The addition of top-tier assistants such as assistant head coach and defense/cornerbacks coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag], co-defensive coordinator, and defensive line coach [autotag]Sean Spencer[/autotag], and many more, have had a massive impact on the recruiting trail. Raymond is considered one of the best, if not the best, defensive backs developers in the nation.
Sports Illustrated’s John Garcia Jr. had this to say, in part, about the Gators’ 2023 Early Signing Day results:
Florida may or may not have pushed a pair of in-state commitments out of the recruiting class this week, which doesn’t pair very well without any reciprocation come signing day. While UF has built a strong and balanced class to date, it struck out on late targets leading up to this week. Billy Napier’s staff did help UF hold on to commits coveted by others, though, like defensive back [autotag]Sharif Denson[/autotag] and wide receiver [autotag]Andy Jean[/autotag].
Four-star Saint Petersburg, Florida, prospect [autotag]Isaiah Nixon[/autotag] is the player Garcia is alleging could have been pushed out of the class. He flipped from Florida to UCF on signing day and, along with losing out on a late push for four-star Orlando prospect John Walker, was the second in-state player the future Big 12 program snagged over the Orange and Blue.
The smaller class was strategic for Napier, as he needs scholarships available to be active in the transfer portal. Prioritizing quality over quantity was a point of emphasis Napier made in his opening press conference and subsequent open letter to the fan base.
The official national signing day is scheduled for February 1st, 2023, with a portion of the 2023 class deciding to enroll early and participate in spring practices.
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