Tag: 2024 football recruiting

Gators hosting final group of official visitors before dead period begins

The Florida Gators’ recruiting staff have had a busy month of June, but there is still one more group to host over the weekend before wrapping things up.

The month of June has been one of the busiest since the Billy Napier era began at the University of Florida. Elite prospects roamed the halls each weekend on official visits, and there’s still one more group to get through before the dead period begins on Monday, June 27.

Four-star offensive lineman [autotag]Roderick Kearney[/autotag], four-star wide receiver [autotag]Andy Jean[/autotag] and Pearl River C.C. transfer linebacker [autotag]Justin Jefferson[/autotag] make up the list of visitors, according to 247Sports. Three-star safety [autotag]Bryce Thornton[/autotag] is also scheduled to be in town this weekend on an unofficial visit.

Kearney is one of Florida’s top targets on the offensive line. He’s been to campus twice already this year, and the Gators even offered his friend and teammate a preferred walk-on spot as a sign of good faith. It’s down to Florida and FSU for the Jacksonville-area recruit, but he says he doesn’t want to rush a decision and will take likely things into the fall.

Jean is a former Miami commit that backed off the pledge in March after just two months. The Hurricanes are still in the mix, but Georgia and Texas A&M might be bigger threats for Florida. He’s from South Florida, though, so the Gators could stand to gain some favor with the in-state recruit over the weekend.

Jefferson picked up an offer from the Gators fairly early on in the spring and has since collected many more from SEC programs. He said that Florida was his leader after getting the offer, but things may have changed since then. Getting him on campus should get Florida a chance to get back on top of things in this recruitment.

A pair of five-stars from the class of 2024 will also be on campus over the weekend. Athlete [autotag]KJ Bolden[/autotag] and edge rusher [autotag]Eddrick Houston[/autotag] are names to watch, as is four-star athlete [autotag]KingJoseph Edwards[/autotag].

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Gators land in top 10 for this 2024 4-star defensive back

Tavoy Feagin is ranked just outside of the top 50 in the class of 2024, and he has Florida in his top 10 early on.

With over a year left in his recruitment, one of the top-ranked defensive backs in the class of 2024 has narrowed things down to 10 schools and Florida made the cut.

Four-star cornerback [autotag]Tavoy Feagin[/autotag] named Florida, Alabama, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Miami, North Carolina, Ohio State and Oklahoma as his current top schools but also noted that his recruitment was still open to other programs. Feagin was by Florida for an unofficial in late March and noticed a big change in the way the program is run under Billy Napier.

With [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag] on staff, it should at least be difficult for the Carrollwood Day (Tampa) cornerback to say no to his home state’s top program. That said, Feagin is ranked as a safety by 247Sports and could play either position in college. Florida’s recently prioritized the secondary, adding [autotag]Kamari Wilson[/autotag] and [autotag]Devin Moore[/autotag] in the class of 2022 and possibly [autotag]Cormani McClain[/autotag] and [autotag]Joenel Aguero[/autotag] in this cycle.

Beating out the likes of the Buckeye, Bulldogs and Crimson Tide isn’t easy, but Florida at least has the advantage of proximity. However, Florida State and Miami are both still in the race, so he hasn’t picked a favorite among the three just yet.

The 247Sports composite ranks Feagin fourth among projected safeties in the class of 2024 and he stands at No. 51 nationally. It’s always good to see Florida land on one of these lists, but there’s a lot of work to be done to get Feagin on board.

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Here’s when this 2024 5-star DE will make first visit to the Swamp

Five-star edge rusher Eddrick Houston is one of the top recruits in the class of 2024, and he has plans to stop by Gainesville for the first time later this month.

The month of June has been one of the busiest yet for Billy Napier and the rest of Florida’s new staff, at least from a recruiting standpoint. There’s a lot of pressure on Napier to land an elite class in 2023 with a full year to put something together, but that doesn’t mean the Gators are ignoring the class of 2024. Five-star edge rusher [autotag]Eddrick Houston[/autotag] is one of the elite rising juniors that Florida has its eye on, and he’s expected to stop by Gainesville for an unofficial visit on June 25, according to 247Sports.

The Gators have started to mix in visits from the very best in the next recruiting cycle, and Houston fits the bill. He’s considered the third-best edge rusher in his class by the 247Sports composite and lands at No. 24 overall nationally regardless of position. As one might expect, the very best in college football are already after him.

Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Florida State, Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma and Tennessee highlight his offer list, and Houston is already starting to make the rounds. He just left Knoxville for a meeting with the Volunteers and is closing out his month of June with Florida. There’s no rush to decide things, though.

Houston plans to take all the time he needs to comfortably arrive at a decision and sees things getting wrapped up sometime during his senior year. That gives Napier and Co. well over a year to get where they want to be with this blue-chipper out of Buford, Georgia, but they can’t afford to get behind with so many other powerhouses in hot pursuit.

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Gators offer 2024 DL after solid camp performance

2024 defensive lineman Kendall Jackson impressed enough Wednesday to pick up an offer from his hometown Gators.

Florida’s One-Day Camp was Wednesday and F. W. Buchholz (Gainesville, Florida) defensive lineman [autotag]Kendall Jackson[/autotag] made his presence known enough to pick up an offer from the Gators.

It’s unclear if Billy Napier’s staff was looking at him prior to the camp, but Jackson came into things on Wednesday with a plan to get noticed. It worked and Billy Napier pulled him and four-star teammate Gavin Hill aside for an unofficial visit around the facilities. That’s when the offer came in.

“I was out there working my tail off,” Jackson said to Corey Bender of Gators Online. “Doing every drill to the best of my ability and whenever I didn’t do something right, I took the coaches coaching and used it in the next rep. I got to 1-on-1s and I used everything I learned in the camp like my get-off, hips, hands because I knew I wanted the offer.”

Although his only rating comes from On3 and is at three stars, Jackson believes getting looks from Florida will boost his stock. Miami is also showing interest, so that should help as well. He has plans to visit Alabama over the weekend and Miami over the summer and has recently picked up offers from the Hurricanes, Nebraska, Lousiville and Iowa State.

While Florida appears to be high on Jackson’s list, the recruit didn’t give any direct insight as to who is on top of things. It’s too early to tell, and who knows which other schools could enter the mix after this surge in his recruitment. There’s still well over a year until he needs to near a decision, so taking it slow is smart for the 33rd-ranked defensive lineman in the class of 2024, per the On3 consensus.

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4-star legacy linebacker recruit in 2024 class gets good look at Florida

The Gators made a great impression on this legacy linebacker recruit last weekend.

This past weekend, the University of Florida’s football program rolled out the red carpet for a handful of prep prospects who are looking to find a college home for their talents. While the current recruiting cycle is focused on the 2023 class — especially given the ground left to make up after the [autotag]Dan Mullen[/autotag] administration neglected its duties — [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and his army of staffers are also looking ahead to the next crop of recruits as well.

One of the recent visitors to campus was four-star linebacker [autotag]Myles Graham[/autotag] out of Atlanta (Georgia) Woodward Academy, who made his second unofficial visit to Gainesville this year. Son of former Gators standout Earnest, who also played several seasons in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the 6-foot-1-inch, 200-pound defender is no stranger to the Orange and Blue, having spent a great deal of time around the program thanks to his family connection.

His father joined him on his recent visit to Gainesville, as well as other family members, which along with the hospitality of the staff helped create a welcoming atmosphere for him.

“It was great and we had a lot of fun,” Graham told Swamp247. “I got to more in-depth with the coaches and stuff, got to see more of the facilities, and got to talk to more coaches and stuff. It was really fun. I have always been to the school, but never got to see things like the training room. You know, like the behind scenes stuff at Florida. I got to see what they really are and how they build their team. It’s really big and really interesting. I thought the visit was eye-opening and I can see myself playing there and working there. I just feel like I can be myself there.”

However, he remains reluctant in committing to Florida simply because of his legacy status. “Growing up and always watching Florida, they will be a top school and always be a top school,” he noted. “I wouldn’t say being a legacy doesn’t play a big factor into my decision, and I see it as more of a business decision.”

That said, the linebacker prospect still has the Gators among his preferred schools at this point, which also includes the Auburn Tigers, Alabama Crimson Tide, Texas A&M Aggies, Tennessee Volunteers and Ohio State Buckeyes.

He has kept a packed itinerary throughout the spring heading into summer, but will still likely make a couple more stops in Gainesville, stating, “I think I am going to get back to Florida later this month, and I will for sure be back for their cookout in July.”

Graham is currently ranked No. 59 overall and No. 5 nationally at his position according to the 247Sports composite, while the On3 consensus him at Nos. 32 and 3, respectively. On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine has Auburn in the lead for his talents with an 18.4% chance of signing him while Tennessee is next in line at 16.1% and Florida third at 13.8%.

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Florida ‘on top’ for this 2024 legacy LB recruit after visit

It’s still early, but growing up with a Gator great for a dad seems to have had some influence on 4-star 2024 LB Myles Graham.

Four-star linebacker [autotag]Myles Graham[/autotag] is one of Florida’s priority targets out of the class of 2024. We knew that he left his most recent visit to the University of Florida holding the Gators in high regard, but Gators Online‘s most recent report sheds a bit more light on where exactly the Orange and Blue stand with the No. 3 linebacker in his class, according to the On3 consensus.

Graham placed the Gators around the top three but didn’t explicitly state any other schools or a list. That’s smart for someone who has well over a year to make a decision and is still working his way through preliminary unofficial visits. This was Graham’s second visit to the Swamp, and he got a little bit of time with coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and some other members of the staff.

“He (Napier) thinks I’m one of the best 24s in my class,” Graham said. “Coach just loves the way I play. He wants me to get back on campus really soon. I’ll probably get back down in the next two weeks.”

Keeping Graham close to campus should help Florida work from the top-three range to the very top of the pack. He’s been watching the Gators since he was a little kid, so that might not be too difficult of a jump to make over the summer. [autotag]Earnest Graham[/autotag], Myles’ father, played running back for the Gators and instilled a love for the team in his son when he was just a kid.

“They definitely sit on top, you know, top-three range,” he said. “I’ve always loved Florida ever since I was a kid, so definitely on top.”

There’s no doubt that Napier will lean on that relationship moving ahead to fend off the likes of Alabama, Georgia, Notre Dame and Ohio State among others. The On3 Consensus ranks Graham the No. 3 linebacker in the class of 2024 and the No. 32 overall rising junior.

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Top TE in class of 2024 leaves Florida visit impressed with Napier, coaches

Landen Thomas will be one of the bigger names Florida pursues in the class of 2024, and things are going well early on.

Another one of Florida’s top targets in the class of 2024 visited campus recently.

[autotag]Landen Thomas[/autotag], a rising junior out of Colquitt County High School in Moultrie, Georgia, is the No. 1-ranked tight end on 247Sports’ individual rankings and No. 2 at the position on the 247Sports composite. He was in Gainesville Tuesday, according to 247Sports.

Thomas saw the campus and academic buildings with his family before heading over to the football facilities. The highlight of his second trip to the Swamp was meeting with coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] in person and spending time with tight ends coach [autotag]William Peagler[/autotag].

“We had a good conversation,” Thomas said of his meeting with Napier. “We didn’t really talk about recruiting that much, but he told me I am a special talent and he thinks he can do big things with me at Florida. I spent like almost the whole day with Coach Peagler.”

Thomas also said that Peagler earned some favor after cracking jokes and proving himself as a “real cool coach who likes to have fun.” Florida isn’t looking to add a ton of names at tight end in the 2023 class, which sets Thomas up nicely without too much competition in the year ahead of him.

He’s in no rush to make a decision, though. At this point, all Thomas knows is that Florida, Georgia and Michigan have stood out so far and are his unofficial leaders for now. Things should start to hit up for him as the class of 2023 gets sorted and more programs get more aggressive in recruiting the next group of kids.

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4-star 2024 ATH spending lots of time acclimating to Florida football

The Gators remain ahead of the pack for this 2024 in-state 4-star ATH.

Florida football’s recruiting team has been pounding the pavement on the 2023 class while also courting the best that the 2024 brood has to offer. New head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] has put a strong emphasis on the importance of prep recruiting as a primary component of the program’s rebuild, and thus far, he has both talked the talk and walked the walk.

The Gators have also focused their efforts on in-state recruits given the abundance of talent consistently turned out by the Sunshine State. One of their 2024 targets hails from just down the road — four-star athlete [autotag]Fred Gaskin III[/autotag] out of Vanguard in Ocala.

The 5-foot-11-inch, 182-pound multi-talented high school sophomore has already visited the university on several occasions in 2021, including his attendance at summer camp, while also making the trek up I-75 thrice this year. His latest visit came earlier this week when he stopped by for Florida’s one-day camp, after which he offered the following to Gators Online.

“It was good getting around the new staff. It started really good and we were just doing positional drills. Pretty much throughout the whole camp, they gave me good energy.

“Since there were not a lot of people at that camp, they were able to give me more one-on-one time and teach me what goes on in their schemes.”

Gaskin, who is projected to play safety if he chooses the Orange and Blue, is ranked No. 135 overall and No. 16 nationally at his position in the 2024 class according to the 247Sports composite, while the On3 consensus has him at Nos. 208 and 16, respectively. While there is still plenty of time for things to change, On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine currently has the Gators in the lead for his talents with a 63.4% chance of signing him while the Miami Hurricanes are next in line at 19.7%.

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Florida considered a frontrunner for No. 1 recruit in class of 2024

The No. 1 recruit in the class of 2024 is looking at the Gators early on.

We’re still a few years away from seeing the class of 2024 make its way to college, but that doesn’t mean recruiters are waiting to get in good with the nation’s top talent. The No. 1 player on both the 247Sports composite and On3 consensus is IMG Academy cornerback [autotag]Desmond Ricks[/autotag], and Florida is surging early on in his recruitment, according to Gators Online.

It’s no secret that Billy Napier has prioritized recruits out of IMG, snagging five-star safety [autotag]Kamari Wilson[/autotag] for his transition class and adding four-star [autotag]Knijeah Harris[/autotag] to the class of 2023. Both are helping the coaching staff keep the Orange and Blue at the front of Ricks’ mind, which is good considering he’s the crown jewel of 2024.

Florida, Alabama, LSU and Miami are the four schools standing out early, but there’s plenty of time for those to change. His family is moving to Florida currently, so Florida and Miami could surge in the coming months on proximity alone. A recent trip to Coral Gables has created a lot of buzz and Ricks isn’t shy about his reverence of Gators cornerbacks coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag].

“Coach Corey Raymond, I can’t turn him down,” Ricks said to Chad Simmons of On3. “He’s the GOAT at the end of the day. It’s all about getting developed, and there that wouldn’t be a question.”

At 6-foot-1-inch and 175 pounds, Ricks is a good size for a cornerback and is battle-tested against the nation’s best.

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This 2024 four-star QB will return for second visit to the Swamp

Four-star quarterback Josh Flowers enjoyed his time on campus in April, and now he’s set to work with the Florida staff in a June camp session.

Billy Napier is still trying to find a quarterback to sign from the class of 2023, but he also has his eyes on some talent that he likes in the 2024 cycle. Four-star Baker High (Mobile, Alabama) quarterback [autotag]Josh Flowers[/autotag] is one of those guys, and he’s set to return to Gainesville for his second unofficial visit to the Swamp this year, according to 247Sports.

Flowers stepped on campus for the first time in early April and came away impressed with the program, especially quarterback [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag]. The rising junior said that he could see himself copying the presumed starter’s playing style and fitting into that kind of offense down the line.

Chase Calcagni, Baker High’s offensive coordinator, broke the news and added an update on another recent stop made by Flowers.

“We camped at Auburn [Monday] and will be at UF on the 20th,” Calcagni said.

While the Tigers have yet to extend an offer to the in-state recruit, Flowers has already picked up some from Alabama and Arkansas, so landing in the SEC appears likely with plenty of time on the clock until decision day. The Crimson Tide got to host him in March and Florida State also got him on campus that month.

Flowers is ranked No. 246 overall on the recently released 2024 247Sports composite. He’s also ranked No. 17 among quarterbacks in the class. 247Sports’ individual rankings place him a bit higher at No. 195 overall and No. 16 at his position.

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