Tag: Aaron Chiles

Florida Football 2024 Position Preview: Linebackers

Taking a look at who’s leading the Gators linebacker unit for this upcoming season.

The next group of players we’ll take a look at on Gators Wire’s positions preview series are the linebackers.

Florida has some talented linebackers for this upcoming 2024 season with a mix of new and returning names. Although Scooby Williams, who played in all 12 games last season at linebacker for the Gators, transferred in the offseason to Texas A&M, Florida won’t have a problem filling that hole.

Shemar James is expected to be the leader of this Florida defense while first-year Gator Grayson “Pup” Howard will be lined up next to him as the other starting linebacker.

Head coach Billy Napier did an excellent job in bringing in some very talented linebackers this past offseason and this is one of those position groups that is very deep for the Gators.

Let’s take a look at every linebacker on Florida’s roster. Check out Gators Wire’s other position previews for the 2024 season below.

Starter: No. 6 Shemar James (Jr.)

Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun
Year GP Solo AST TOT TFL-YDS Sacks-YDS INT PD FF
2022 13 18 29 47 2-9 2-9 0 0 1
2023 8 24 31 55 5.5-13 1-7 0 0 0
Total 21 42 60 102 7.5-22 3-16 0 0 1

James is coming into his third and most important season at Florida. Looked at as the focal point of the defense, James will be in charge of listening in on what the coach on the sideline is saying through the new coach-to-player helmet communication system.

Last season, James started the first eight games before missing the final four due to a knee injury. In 2022, James won Freshman All-SEC honors after finishing the season with 47 total tackles in 13 games.

James’ biggest strength at linebacker is his pass coverage, as he was graded at 75.2 out of 100 in that category according to Pro Football Focus. His biggest weakness is his pass rush and he’ll be looking to improve that area of his game this season.

Starter: No. 10 Grayson “Pup” Howard (So.)

Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun

Howard comes in as a transfer from South Carolina and is expected to start as the other linebacker alongside James.

Last season with the Gamecocks, Howard appeared in 11 games and logged 19 tackles (10 solo), a tackle-for-loss and a forced fumble.

Howard attended Andrew Jackson High School in Jacksonville, Florida where he was ranked as the 42nd-best player in the state, the 15th-best outside linebacker and No. 177 on the ESPN300.

Although Howard doesn’t have the biggest sample size from last season, he has really impressed in camp and has made a strong push for that other starting linebacker spot.

Backups: No. 5 Myles Graham (Fr.), No. 15 Derek Wingo (Sr.), No. 29 Jaden Robinson (So.)

Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun

Myles Graham, although a freshman, is a very talented linebacker that the Gators were able to acquire.

Graham, a local product, went to F. W. Buchholz High School in Gainesville and was ranked as a five-star recruit by Rivals as well as the third-best player in his position group.

Derek Wingo is a fifth-year senior who’s the veteran of this group. Wingo logged 17 tackles and 2.5 sacks last season with the Gators.

Jaden Robinson is going into his second season with Florida and was rated as a former four-star recruit out of high school by Rivals and 247Sports. Robinson’s role will likely increase this season as he was primarily used for special teams last year.

Reserves: No. 16 R.J. Moten (Sr.), No. 22 Deuce Spurlock II (R-So.), No. 8 Aaron Chiles (Fr.)

Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun

R.J. Moten is going into his second season at Florida after transferring over from Michigan after the 2022 season. Moten has the experience and is a solid piece that the Gators have for depth. 

Deuce Spurlock II is another guy who Florida will have for depth. Like Moten, Spurlock is playing in his second season with the Gators. He played in three games last season, all on special teams.

Aaron Chiles is a freshman who was ranked a four-star recruit by 247Sports, ESPN, On3 and Rivals. Chiles went to Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Olney, Maryland. Chiles was also ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the state of Maryland by Rivals.

Walk-Ons: No. 50 Jake Xeller (Fr.), No. 42 Matthew Kade (Fr.), No. 47 Justin Pelic (R-Sr.)

Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun

Jake Xeller went to Herndon (Virginia) and earned back-to-back all-district honors in his junior and senior years. He joined the Gators as a walk-on this past spring.

Matthew Kade attended Bucholz High School in Gainesville and recorded 90 tackles, 18.0 tackles-for-loss, five sacks, two forced fumbles, one interception and a blocked punt his senior year. Kade walked on to Florida during the summer.

Justin Pelic is coming into his sixth season with Florida after joining the team as a walk-on during the summer of 2019.

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ESPN’s scouting report for Florida’s 2024 linebacker recruiting class

Aaron Chiles and Myles Graham, who rank Nos. 45 and 58 on ESPN’s top 300 rankings, respectively, were among those mentioned.

Billy Napier and Co. have been toiling away on the recruiting trail since the day the former Louisiana Ragin’ Cajun stepped onto campus. Now entering his third year at the helm in Gainesville, the Gators’ skipper is beginning to reap the fruits of his labors.

ESPN’s Craig Haubert recently put together his scouting reports for the top linebackers in the 2024 recruiting cycle, which included a pair of highly-prized members of the Orange and Blue. Aaron Chiles and Myles Graham, who rank Nos. 45 and 58 on the publication’s top 300 rankings, respectively, were among those who made the cut.

“Coming off a 5-7 season, Billy Napier has some work ahead of him,” Haubert begins. “He started to correct that with a top-10 recruiting class which features several key defensive contributors. Florida lagged in statistical categories like total rushing defense and team sacks, areas where Chiles and Graham can help.

“The Gators lose Scooby Williams, one of their leading tackles, and this unit needs a boost, despite returning some experience and adding South Carolina transfer Grayson Howard,” he continues.

“Chiles is an ideal inside linebacker. He’s thickly built with good body control and uses angles well. He is not an early enrollee, which could slow his initial impact, but he’s an instinctive prospect who played a lot of snaps for a good high school program.

“Graham, ranked just a few spots behind Chiles, has a bit of a head start after enrolling early. He is a physical and powerful player who closes well. Graham will go through spring ball and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him come out of that period ready to contribute in the fall.”

Florida will play its annual Orange and Blue game on Saturday, April 13, with a kickoff time slated for 1 p.m. ET inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

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Three 2024 Florida signees named Gatorade Players of the Year

A trio of Florida signees from the 2024 recruiting class were named the Gatorade Player of the Year in the respective home states.

Three Florida signees from the recruiting class of 2024 were named the Gatorade Player of the Year in their respective states on Wednesday.

Five-star quarterback [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag] headlines the group as not only the Texas state winner but the national Gatorade Player of the Year as well. Four-star linebacker [autotag]Aaron Chiles[/autotag] was named the best player in Maryland, and four-star running back [autotag]Kahnen Daniels[/autotag] is the king of Mississippi.

Lagway threw for more than 4,600 yards and 58 touchdowns during his magical senior year. He also added nearly 1,000 rushing yards and 16 more scores on the ground. Lagway is enrolled at Florida already and expected to join the team this month

Chiles racked up  76 tackles (29 solo), 12 tackles for loss and seven sacks, according to MaxPreps. He’ll join the team in June.

Daniels ran for an impressive 2,730 yards and 30 touchdowns. Those kinds of video game numbers should get Gator Nation excited about the new-look running back room in Gainesville. Daniels will join Florida in January.

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Four Florida signees to play in Under Armour All-America Game

Four Florida signees will participate in the Under Armour All-America Game on Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024 at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Four future Florida Gators will take the field together on Jan. 3 at the Under Armour All-American Game at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.

Five-star quarterback [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag], four-star linebackers [autotag]Aaron Chiles[/autotag] and [autotag]Myles Graham[/autotag] and preferred walk-on punter [autotag]Bobby Engstler[/autotag] are all on Team Fire, according to the organizer’s website. They’ll go up against Team Ice next weekend, with kickoff scheduled for 4 p.m. ET. It will be nationally televised on ESPN.

All eyes in Gainesville will be locked on Lagway. Gator Nation has been waiting for a generational quarterback to walk through the doors since Tim Tebow left, and Lagway is the team’s first five-star quarterback to sign since Jeff Driskel in 2011.

He crushed the high school competition in Texas, totaling more than 5,500 yards and nearly 75 touchdowns with his arm and legs, but now the competition level is getting kicked up a notch. This game has the potential to be Lagway’s national coming-out party if all goes well.

Chiles and Graham will be worth checking in on too. Florida could use some stability at linebacker over the next few years, and these two were signed to fill that void. It’s harder to evaluate defensive players in real-time, but the tape will be valuable.

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Gators add another blue-chip LB to early signing period recruiting haul

Billy Napier and Co. tacked on another top linebacker to their 2024 commitment class on Wednesday morning.

The list of names of prep prospects to sign their letters of intent with Florida football continues to grow on the opening day of the early signing period. Wednesday morning’s events have been exciting so far — save for one major piece of bad news.

Nonetheless, optimism is in full flow across Gator Nation as a top-10 recruiting class coalesces for the Orange and Blue. That good mojo gained another boost when four-star linebacker [autotag]Aaron Chiles[/autotag], out of Onley (Maryland) Our Lady Good Counsel, made it official.

The 6-foot-3-inch, 220-pound defender committed to Florida in mid-June after fielding offers from many top schools, including the Alabama Crimson Tide, Clemson Tigers, Florida State Seminoles, Georgia Bulldogs, LSU Tigers, Miami Hurricanes, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Ohio State Buckeyes, Ole Miss Rebels, Texas Longhorns and USC Trojans.

The Gators coaching staff — particularly defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong and inside linebackers coach Jay Bateman — has been completely transparent with the talented student-athlete and that honestly bore fruit with the Chiles.

“They told me they are young,” Chiles told Swamp247. “Coach Armstrong and coach Bateman have been transparent with me and told me how much they need me and how much they want me. I believe in what coach (Billy) Napier has in store.”

That patience does not come without a reward.

“They say they are going to bring me off the edge and inside. Being able to move around, make plays and putting me in position to make plays, that is why I am excited for it. I trust coach Armstrong and what he has in store, so I am ready.

Chiles is ranked No. 92 overall and No. 8 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite. The On3 industry ranking has him at Nos. 122 and 9, respectively.

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4-star LB commit will be in attendance for Grill in the Ville

Florida has a plethora of prep prospects arriving in town this weekend, including this blue-chip linebacker.

Florida football is getting set to host the first edition of the Grill in the Ville event, which welcomes prep prospects from a range of recruiting classes into the Swamp to get a gander at what Billy Napier and the Gators have to offer.

One of the more notable names expected to swing through town on Saturday, July 29, is four-star linebacker [autotag]Aaron Chiles[/autotag] out of Olney (Maryland) Good Counsel in the 2024 recruiting cycle. The 6-foot-3-inch, 225-pound defender gave Napier and Co. his word back on June 17 following an official visit with the program, choosing Florida over a top three that included the Maryland Terrapins and Michigan Wolverines.

“I went up there for my first visit and it felt like home,” Chiles told On3’s Hayes Fawcett. “Just the atmosphere and culture that coach Napier had brought to the table the first time I went up there it just felt special. Then on my official (visit), just the family environment that Florida gives off… I’m just ready to bring a championship to Gainesville and be that playmaker that they were looking for.

Chiles is ranked No. 77 overall and No. 7 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking has him at Nos. 110 and 8, respectively.

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Flurry of 4-star commits sends Florida surging up to No. 3 nationally

After getting commitments from five four-star 2024 recruits in the last week, Florida’s class is now ranked third in the nation.

No college football program has been more busy recruiting over the last six or seven days than the Florida Gators. Since this past weekend, Billy Napier and his staff have gotten five blue-chip recruits from the class of 2024 to commit, plus another couple of three-star prospects. They have been particularly active in acquiring highly-ranked high school recruits from the ultra-competitive state of Georgia.

Here’s a look at each player that has announced their commitments to Florida and where they rank in their class going by On3’s national rankings.

Picayune Memorial (Miss.) 4-star LB Jamonta Waller

National ranking: No. 61

Good Counsel (Md.) 4-star LB Aaron Chiles

National ranking: No. 108

Dublin (Ga.) 4-star DL Nasir Johnson

National ranking: No. 272

Clinton (NC) 4-star DL Amaris Williams

National ranking: No. 180

Portal (Ga.) 4-star TE Amir Jackson

National ranking: No. 129

South Gwinnett (Ga.) 3-star OT Marcus Mascoll

National ranking: No. 643

Creekside (Ga.) 3-star DL Michai Boireau

National ranking: No. 917

Florida’s class of 2024 now has 16 hard commits and ranks No. 3 in the nation after being placed No. 19 just a week ago.

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Elijah Brown tops list of the 7 highest-ranked weekend college commitments

Here are the seven-best high school football players who made college commitments this weekend.

Some high-end talent came off the board in the recruiting race this weekend. The biggest prize went to Stanford, who got a commitment from Mater Dei (Calif.) four-star quarterback Elijah Brown. Ole Miss was also able to pick up a blue-chip QB recruit of their own, and several other recruits ranked in the top 100 also made their college commitments.

Here are the seven best high school football players who made college commitments this weekend, going by On3’s national rankings.

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HS Football Watchlist: Top 10 wide receivers in the 2024 cycle

RJ Moten denies badmouthing Michigan football to Aaron Chiles

Don’t believe everything you read on the internet. #GoBlue

Michigan football was long seen as the leader for 2024 Olney (Maryland) Good Counsel four-star linebacker Aaron Chiles. His commitment appeared just a matter of time.

The elite linebacker was set to officially visit Ann Arbor on June 23, but the recruitment took a sudden turn. The Wolverines went from the leader to an also-ran, and Chiles inexplicably committed to Florida.

Since then, there’s been significant consternation and hand-wringing by the Michigan fan base wondering what went wrong. Of course, that came with a side of baseless speculation. Among that was one rumor that former Michigan safety RJ Moten, who transferred to Gainesville this offseason, hosted Chiles on his visit to the Gators and subsequently spoke ill of his former school.

Well, Moten’s having none of it.

The former Wolverine took to Twitter on Sunday evening to address the rumors stating that he did not negatively recruit Michigan and that he never would.

There’s still the issue of Chiles’ visit. While it appears he will not make it to Ann Arbor, the Wolverines are still working to get back into his recruitment despite the untimely, inexplicable falling out.

We’ll see what Michigan can do, and, if it can’t get back into the Chiles sweepstakes, who it may target.

As the world turns.

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Florida adds this 4-star linebacker to recruiting class of 2024

Linebacker Aaron Chiles was the fourth and final commitment for Florida on Saturday, capping off a massive day of recruiting for the Gators.

The fourth and final verbal commitment secured by the Gators on Saturday came from Our Lady Of Good Counsel High School (Olney, Maryland) linebacker [autotag]Aaron Chiles[/autotag].

On3’s Hayes Fawcett helped break the news along with a social media post from Chiles himself. He picked Florida over a top three that included Maryland and Michigan.

“I went up there for my first visit and it felt like home,” Chiles said. “Just the atmosphere and culture that coach Napier had brought to the table the first time I went up there it just felt special. Then on my official (visit), just the family environment that Florida gives off… I’m just ready to bring a championship to Gainesville and be that playmaker that they were looking for.

Florida already had two elite linebackers committed to the class — four-stars Adarius Hayes and Myles Graham — but adding Chiles gives the Gators an incoming three-headed monster at the position.

Chiles is a consensus four-star recruit, ranked highest by Rivals.com at No. 59 overall and No. 5 among linebackers in the class of 2024.

The 247Sports composite, which uses a weighted average of all four major recruiting services, has Chiles ranked No. 80 nationally and No. 6 among linebackers in the class. He’s also the top-ranked recruit out of the state of Maryland.

The addition of Chiles — along with Amir Jackson, Amaris Williams and Nasir Johnson — brings Florida up to No. 3 overall on the On3 team recruiting rankings (behind Georgia and Ohio State) and No. 8 on the 247Sports rankings.

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