Perfect Game released its post-draft recruiting rankings for the class of 2024, and Florida checks in at No. 10 overall in the country.
Thirteen of 15 Florida commits from the class of 2024 made it to campus, with Kellon Lindsey signing with the Dodgers as a first-round pick and 16th-rounder Jayden Dubanewicz opting to sign with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Lindsey’s departure was expected, but Dubanewicz was on campus before deciding to turn pro. Had both players made it to Gainesville, Florida would be ranked No. 6 on this list.
Bringing in the 10th-ranked recruiting class in the country might not seem like a win for Kevin O’Sullivan and his staff, considering the lofty standards set over the past few years, but a closer look reveals that UF has signed one of the most talent-rich classes in the country.
To determine the team recruiting rankings, Perfect Game assigns points to players based on their individual player rankings. Top-50 recruits are worth 15 points, Nos. 51-100 are worth 12 points, Nos. 101-150 are 10 points and the trend continues through the top 500 players. players ranked between Nos. 501-1,000 are worth two points, and “high follows” are worth one.
Add all those numbers up and divide by the amount of recruits, and you get the average points per player. Florida is one of one of seven teams with an average above 7.00. Only LSU’s superclass (12.00), Auburn (8.86) and Tennessee (8.30) have a higher average.
Which freshmen will make an early impact?
This is a pitcher-heavy class for Florida, so expect one of the many righties to take over a bullpen role this season. Right-handers Jackson Barberi (No. 49), Schuyler Sandford (No.72) and Joshua Whritenour (No. 85) are the three highest-ranked arms in the class, but Sandford is recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Florida returns just two lefties from 2024, which could lead to an early window for McCall Biemiller (No. 405).
There’s also Key West alum Felix Ong and Bishop Snyder’s former ace Aidan King to consider. Both are in the 350-450 range on Perfect Game’s player rankings, but they’ll likely get some innings.
As for position players, Brendan Lawson and Kolt Myers are both listed as shortstops, but it’s going to be difficult for either to see consistent playing time with Colby Shelton and Cade Kurland locking up the middle infield.
Still, Kevin O’Sullivan should find ways to get them some early-season at-bats considering they are the future of Florida’s infield.
Niko Janssens is another interesting case as well. He’s listed as a two-way player for Florida and was clocked at 95 mph from the left side almost a year ago. He’s the closest thing to Jac Caglianone Florida has in the 2024 class, and UF could certainly use a power lefty on the mound and at the plate. The path to playing time as a pitcher looks far more clear than it does at first, though.
Outfielder Jordi Guerrero and catcher Brock Clayton are the final two position players to consider. Both seem like good redshirt candidates at this point.
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