Tag: 2024 football recruiting

Florida flips 4-star DL after Texas releases him from NLI

After being released from his National Letter of Intent with Texas, four-star defensive lineman D’Antre Robinson has committed to Florida.

Florida missed out on Jones (Orlando) defensive lineman [autotag]D’Antre Robinson[/autotag] the first time around, but the Gators will be the team he starts his college career with after a strange turn of events.

Robinson committed to the Texas Longhorns in July and signed in December during the early signing period, but his position coach left UT for a job at LSU in January causing him to ask for a release from his National Letter of Intent.

Texas granted Robinson the release, opening the door for Florida to pick up where it left off. It didn’t take long for Robinson to decide on the Orange and Blue. He announced his commitment to the University of Florida on Friday. The program confirmed the news Saturday morning.

Robinson is a four-star recruit everywhere but 247Sports. The On3 industry ranking, which uses a weighted average from all four major services, puts him at No. 273 overall and No. 28 among defensive linemen from the class of 2024.

He joins five-star LJ McCray and three-star Micahi Boireau as the new defensive linemen on the team.

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Five-star LSU target Terry Bussey shines at Polynesian Bowl

The Tigers have been actively trying to flip five-star athlete Terry Bussey from Texas A&M, and they’ll host him for a visit on Jan. 31.

LSU is largely turning its attention to the 2025 class — which currently ranks No. 1 and has the potential to be one of the best in program history — with a recent spate of offers.

But the Tigers aren’t entirely closing the book on the 2024 recruiting class. Particularly, there’s one unsigned target they are hotly pursuing: five-star Texas A&M athlete commit [autotag]Terry Bussey[/autotag].

The Tigers have already flipped a couple of players from the Aggies in the wake of their coaching change, headlined by five-star defensive lineman [autotag]Dominick McKinley[/autotag] on New Year’s Eve.

The Tigers are also putting the pressure on Bussey, who participated in the Polynesian Bowl in Honolulu on Friday. Bussey was named one of the standouts from the game by On3’s Charles Power.

Terry Bussey worked on both sides of the ball on Friday night and made big plays as a wide receiver and corner. The Timpson (Texas) High standout simply moved at a different speed than any other player on the field. Bussey saw a handful of targets as a slot receiver and flashed an electric burst with the ball in his hands, easily generating yards after the catch and making defenders miss in space. He flipped over to cornerback midway through the first half and had one of the game’s biggest plays, picking off Ty McCutcheon and ripping off a long, weaving return down to the five-yard line.

Bussey, who was a historically prolific star player as a quarterback and safety at the high school level, has genuine positional ambiguity, with notable upside on both sides of the ball. With that said, his athleticism and ball skills look to stack up very well as a defensive back, in our opinion. Bussey is one of the top unsigned prospects nationally. He’s been committed to Texas A&M since September but his recruitment remains active leading up to the February signing period. The Lone Star State standout is set to visit Georgia, LSU and Texas A&M over the coming weekends.

LSU isn’t the only team trying to sway Bussey, but it has been present in his recruitment for a while now and will hope that visit, which is scheduled for Jan. 31, is enough to pull him away from Texas A&M.

Bussey wasn’t the only player on LSU’s radar who played in the game. Four-star running back signee [autotag]Caden Durham[/autotag] also caught Power’s attention.

LSU running back signee Caden Durham had a strong drive in the second half, showing his elite speed in getting to the edge. Durham’s combination of straight line speed and his low center of gravity make him a mismatch when given a runway to operate.

Bussey will sign in February. While Durham has already signed his national letter of intent with the Tigers, he will not be early enrolling and will instead join the team in May.

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Top 100 2024 recruit expressing interest in LSU

LSU could make a push for Alabama transfer Jameer Grimsley.

The ripple effect of former Alabama coach [autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag] continued on Thursday with 2024 Alabama signee [autotag]Jameer Grimsley[/autotag] entering the portal.

According to On3, Grimsley was a top-100 recruit in the 2024 class and the 15th-best cornerback. He’s a consensus four-star with all major recruiting services ranking Grimsley as a top 300 recruit.

Grimsley told On3’s Hayes Fawcett that LSU will be in consideration. It makes sense given LSU just hired [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag], who recruited Grimsley when Raymond was working at Florida.

Corner remains a position of need for LSU and there could be immediate playing time for Grimsley under a completely new look defensive staff.

While technically a transfer, Grimsley would be a true freshman in 2024 and one of the top-rated players in LSU’s 2024 class.

LSU is looking for a strong finish this cycle after flipping [autotag]Dominick McKinley[/autotag] on New Year’s Eve while still pushing to flip five-star athlete [autotag]Terry Bussey[/autotag].

Adding Bussey and Grimslee would be a big boost for the LSU secondary.

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Florida loses commitment from PWO punter, Cal completes flip

Florida thought it had an elite punter coming in as a preferred walk-on, but a scholarship offer from Cal convinced him to flip his commitment.

Florida secured a commitment from punter [autotag]Bobby Engstler[/autotag] in December, but the Gators only offered him as a preferred walk-on. On Tuesday, Engstler announced his decision to flip to Cal-Berkeley after being offered a full scholarship from the Golden Bears.

Engstler was only committed to the Orange and Blue for 40 days. At the time of his commitment, fans praised Florida’s staff for making an effort to improve the special teams unit.

The Gators still have Jeremy Crawshaw to punt in 2024, though. Crawshaw finished the 2023 season ranked 12th in the country among punters by Pro Football Focus with an 80.4 rating. Unfortunately, he’s only got one more year of eligibility remaining. Engstler was his natural successor.

Walk-on punters Ara Emerzian and Jacob Watkins are on Florida’s 2023 roster, but both were listed as seniors. If they don’t return, kicker Trey Smack is the only other leg left to turn should something happen to Crawshaw.

Smack beat out Adam Mihalek for the starting placekicker job early in the season. Mihalek has since entered the transfer portal.

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LSU making a push for 5-star receiver, Alabama decommit Ryan Williams

LSU’s set to get an official visit from the top uncommitted recruit in the country.

The retirement of Nick Saban has given LSU a fresh shot at an elite recruit.

Five-star [autotag]Ryan Williams[/autotag] decommitted from the Crimson Tide this week, and with his recruitment now open, LSU is getting an official visit, according to On3.

Along with LSU, Williams continues to consider Alabama, Auburn, Texas A&M and Texas, making it an SEC-heavy top five for the blue-chip receiver.

Per On3, Williams is set to arrive in Baton Rouge later this week.

Williams told On3 that he has a good relationship with LSU assistants [autotag]Joe Sloan[/autotag] and [autotag]Cortez Hankton[/autotag] and that he’s been in contact with members of LSU’s loaded 2025 recruiting class.

Williams would continue LSU’s strong finish to the 2024 class. The Tigers have recently moved into the top 10 after picking up commitments from [autotag]Dominick McKinley[/autotag] and [autotag]Coen Echols[/autotag].

Williams is the top uncommitted recruit in the country and would be the top-rated player in LSU’s class.

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Gators stay put in latest ESPN recruiting rankings update

Florida dropped out of ESPN’s top 10 during the early signing period. Little has changed since then, but at least the Gators haven’t dropped any further in the latest updated.

At one point, the Florida Gators were poised to bring in one of the nation’s top recruiting classes, but a busy early signing period saw UF fall to the No. 15 spot on ESPN’s college football recruiting class rankings.

Staff writer Craig Haubert updated that list for the first time in 2024 on Friday, and Florida stayed put at No. 15.

Little is expected to change for the Orange and Blue over the next month, even with national signing day coming on Feb. 7, but it’s good to see the Gators not fall any further down the list.

Billy Napier still brought nine players ranked on the ESPN 300, including a pair of top-25 talents — quarterback DJ Lagway and defensive end L.J. McCray.

“The Gators lost one of the top QBs late in the 2023 cycle but have scored big for 2024, landing five-star D.J. Lagway out of Texas. A tough, competitive player who can run well and create, he also has a smooth, compact release as a passer.

“Defensively, the Gators have made some potentially impactful additions. Senior riser L.J. McCray gives the Gators a DL with wonderful length and explosiveness and he has tallied double-digit sacks over the last two seasons and still possesses a lot of physical upside.”

Linebackers Aaron Chiles and Myles Graham also earned shoutouts, as well as running backs Jaden Baugh and Kahnen Daniels. Those are two position rooms that Florida needed to add depth to.

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Bo Davis reportedly solidifies 5-star DL Dominick McKinley’s commitment to LSU

Dominick McKinley’s official visit this weekend reportedly shored things up for LSU.

LSU pulled off a colossal flip on New Year’s Eve, landing a commitment from five-star defensive line prospect [autotag]Dominick McKinley[/autotag].

McKinley, who ranks as the No. 1 player in the state of Louisiana in the 2024 class, was previously committed to Texas A&M. But after a coaching change in College Station, he’ll be staying in state.

He won’t officially sign with the Tigers until February, but it seems he’s locked in. According to On3’s Billy Embody (subscription required), McKinley has finalized his decision after speaking to new defensive line coach [autotag]Bo Davis[/autotag] and is locked in with the Tigers despite the defensive staff shakeup after taking an official visit this past weekend.

McKinley ranks as the No. 27 overall player in the nation, per the 247Sports Composite, and he gives LSU the No. 8-ranked recruiting class in 2024.

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Can LSU flip elite 5-star Texas A&M WR commit Terry Bussey?

LSU has already flipped three prospects from Texas A&M this cycle. Can it pull off a fourth?

Like most teams around the country, LSU wrapped up the bulk of its 2024 class on early signing day last month. But the Tigers aren’t quite done yet.

Since the early signing period, they’ve already pulled off one major flip, pulling five-star defensive lineman [autotag]Dominick McKinley[/autotag] — the No. 1 prospect in the state of Louisiana — away from Texas A&M.

McKinley is one of three players LSU has flipped from the Aggies, joining offensive tackle [autotag]Weston Davis[/autotag] and fellow defensive lineman [autotag]Gabriel Reliford[/autotag].

The Tigers are pushing for a fourth flip, however, this time from five-star receiver [autotag]Terry Bussey[/autotag] who, like McKinley, pushed his signing back to February.

Bussey has been a frequent visitor to Baton Rouge, taking three trips including an official visit on a game weekend in October. Texas A&M has seen quite a bit of attrition since the firing of coach Jimbo Fisher, and LSU has taken advantage.

“LSU flipped four A&M commits this cycle, but they still are chasing one more. (Bussey) has been a standout at Timpson, he’s listed as an athlete, one of the best players in the country and he’s still available,” On3’s Shea Dixon said.

“Committed to A&M…he and Dominick McKinley were two A&M commitments who said ‘I’m not signing early, I want to wait until February to see how things look.’ Well, McKinley’s already flipped to LSU, a five-star defensive tackle. That’s four players that LSU’s flipped out of A&M’s class — and all being pretty big ones.”

LSU’s 2024 class currently ranks seventh nationally, but if it landed Bussey — a Timpson, Texas, prospect who ranks No. 19 nationally in the 247Sports Composite — it could push for a spot in the top five.

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LSU receiver signee Kylan Billiot among players who boosted stock at All-American Bowl

Kylan Billiot was a clear standout in San Antonio this week.

This past weekend weekend, we wrapped up the high school all-star game circuit as the annual All-American Bowl was held in San Antonio.

The Tigers had four signees in the 2024 class who participated in the All-American Bowl, and one of them may have done a lot to boost his stock at the end of the cycle.

On3’s Cody Bellaire listed receiver [autotag]Kylan Billiot[/autotag] as one of several players who are trending up after their performance this week. A four-star prospect from Terrebonne (Houma, LA), Billiot ranks just inside the top 300 of the 247Sports Composite Rankings. However, that ranking could rise in the coming weeks.

Here’s what Bellaire said about his performance in San Antonio.

We were excited to learn Kylan Billiot was added to the All-American Bowl roster, feeling he is a prospect who could really move the needle with a great showing. With that said, he started the week off with a bang. We knew the athleticism and size was going to show up, but the improvement in his ball skills was quickly evident as he made multiple acrobatic catches and displayed some strong hands during the 1-on-1 period. As the week progressed, the LSU signee showed progress in his route-running and ability to separate on intermediate routes. While he has always had the top-end speed to blow by defenders on vertical routes, the ability to break off defenders at the top of the route was evident. The improvement is notable, given his limited time playing football. Billiot may have been held relatively quiet during the All-American Bowl, but the progress he’s shown illustrates his upside and ability to take coaching. The physical tools and athleticism are certainly there. There’s no question Billiot’s best football is ahead of him as he continues to improve his technical skills.

Billiot could have a path to immediate playing time as LSU loses receivers [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] to the draft. It still returns veterans like [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag], [autotag]Chris Hilton Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Aaron Anderson[/autotag] as well as 2023 signees [autotag]Shelton Sampson Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Khai Prean[/autotag], who both redshirted as true freshmen.

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Florida DL signee named Lineman of Year at All-American Bowl

Florida defensive line signee LJ McCray was honored as the Anthony Muñoz Lineman of the Year at the All-American Bowl on Saturday.

Florida defensive line signee [autotag]LJ McCray[/autotag] was named the Anthony Muñoz Lineman of the Year Award winner at the All-American Bowl on Saturday.

Muñoz is widely regarded as the greatest offensive linemen in football history. The former USC left tackle went third overall in the 1980 NFL draft and spent 13 years with the Cincinnati Bengals before ending his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Muñoz Award is presented annually to the best lineman — offense or defense.

McCray finished his senior season with 77 total tackles (48 solo) and 13 sacks, according to MaxPreps. He won the award over Ohio State defensive lineman Eddrick Houston, Colorado offensive tackle Jordan Seaton, Michigan offensive tackle Andrew Sprague and Auburn defensive lineman Amaris Williams.

McCray is a five-star prospect, according to the On3 industry ranking, which uses a weighted average of all four major recruiting services. He checks in at No. 23 overall in the class of 2024 and is ranked fourth among defensive linemen in the class.

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