Tag: Adarius Hayes

Florida’s blue-chip LB commit flips to Miami Hurricanes

This four-star in-state linebacker recruit just wasn’t feeling the Gators’ vibe and instead chose the ‘Canes.

Florida football received more bad news on Wednesday afternoon during the opening day of the early signing period rush. Along with the delay in five-star defensive lineman LJ McCray’s official commitment and Amaris Williams’ flip to the Auburn Tigers, the Gators were dealt a major blow with the flip of another blue-chip recruit.

Four-star linebacker [autotag]Adarius Hayes[/autotag] out of Largo (Florida) made a last-minute decision to choose the Miami Hurricanes despite the long courtship between him and UF.

He was originally offered as a freshman during Dan Mullen’s tenure, and inside linebackers coach Jay Bateman continued where his predecessor left off. The 6-foot-3-inch, 210-pound Sunshine State product grew up a Gators fan and was seemingly amped to join the Orange and Blue.

However, the Hurricanes were persistent, and there were times it appeared his commitment to Florida might be wavering. His official visit to Coral Gables this month likely was what turned the tables on Billy Napier and Co. in the end.

Hayes is ranked No. 73 overall and No. 7 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite. The On3 industry ranking has him at Nos. 80 and 7, respectively.

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Grill in the Ville this weekend will include this 4-star LB commit

Out of the long list of planned visitors this weekend in Gainesville, this 2024 linebacker is one of the more impressive.

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.

Many of this weekend’s visitors have already committed to the Orange and Blue, such as four-star linebacker [autotag]Adarius Hayes[/autotag] out of Largo (Florida) who gave his word back at the end of January following the program’s Junior Days event. The 6-foot-4-inch, 210-pound defender told Gators Online that he always planned on being a Gator and went into that visit knowing he would don the Orange and Blue.

“It was the plan the whole time. I’m blessed to be a Gator. Go Gators,” he revealed. “I’ll be a MIKE only. They said I’ll just be a middle linebacker and come off the edge more on third down. Basically, I would be like Amari Burney/Ventrell Miller.”

The now-high school senior made an official visit to campus the first weekend of June.

Hayes is ranked No. 50 overall and No. 5 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking has him at Nos. 54 and 6, respectively.

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Florida 5-star QB commit DJ Lagway sets official visit date

Quarterback DJ Lagway has been a relentless recruiter for Florida as the top prospect in UF’s 2024 class, and he’s ready to put in more work during his upcoming official visit.

Florida’s top commitment from the class of 2024 comes from five-star quarterback [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag] and the Willis, Texas, native made the decision before even taking an official visit to the Swamp.

Lagway will still get his chance to make that trip, according to Swamp247. He’s planning on taking an official visit June 2-4, which just so happens to be the same weekend that a good chunk of uncommitted recruits will be rolling into town.

One of the reasons Lagway committed early to UF was to get a jump on recruiting other top players in the class. He’s been a vocal presence on social media and at camps throughout the year, and he’s no stranger to the University of Florida’s campus.

Lagway regularly stops by campus during big recruiting weekends to help get others on board. It wouldn’t be out of the ordinary to see other recruits schedule official visits for that weekend now that Lagway’s schedule is public.

Four-star linebacker commit [autotag]Adarius Hayes[/autotag] and three-star safety [autotag]Josiah Davis[/autotag] are also expected in Gainesville that weekend for official visits.

Lagway is ranked No. 21 overall on the 247Sports composite and is No. 3 among quarterbacks in the class of 2024. The On3 industry rankings agree with that evaluation, ranking him at No. 23 nationally and No. 3 at his position.

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Blue-chip linebacker commit sets official visit date with Gators

This blue-chip linebacker will be on campus the first weekend of June for his official visit.

Things look to be rocking in rolling on Florida’s campus come June with the number of official visit dates rapidly filling out the calendar. Among others who have set their OVs with the Orange and Blue is four-star linebacker [autotag]Adarius Hayes[/autotag] out of Largo (Florida), who recently divulged his plans with Swamp247’s Blake Alderman.

The 6-foot-4-inch, 210-pound defender will be in Gainesville the first weekend (June 2-4) for his third visit this year. Hayes was in town for the program’s Junior Days at the end of January, after which he verbally committed to Billy Napier’s team. He made another stop this month for Florida’s Orange and Blue game.

The high school junior recently had a procedure performed on his knee to clean out some damaged tissue but is expected to be back in action within a few weeks.

Hayes is ranked No. 46 overall and No. 4 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking has him at Nos. 64 and 6, respectively.

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Gators add fifth commitment to 2024 recruiting class

Florida’s recruiting class of 2024 is beginning to take shape with five commitments in the books after Monday’s announcement from Peach State safety Josiah Davis.

Berrien High (Nashville, Georgia) safety Josiah Davis announced his commitment to the University of Florida on Monday.

The 6-foot-1-inch, 185-pound defensive back picked Florida over Kentucky, Louisville, NC State and Tennessee to become the fifth commitment in Florida’s 2024 recruiting class.

Davis was in town on Saturday and let head coach Billy Napier know that he was going to announce his decision in the following days. Quickly bonding with the team’s new defensive coordinator, [autotag]Austin Armstrong[/autotag], among other coaches on the staff, played a large role in his decision.

“Florida is just a great school overall, football and academic-wise,” Davis said to On3’s Hayes Fawcett. “The bond I have with the coaches, especially coach CJ, coach Bateman, and Coach Armstrong. They treat me very special every time I visit up there.”

Davis is a three-star recruit, according to both 247Sports and On3. He comes in at No. 461 overall on the On3 industry ranking’s national list and at No. 39 among safeties in the class.

He joins five-star quarterback [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag], four-star linebackers [autotag]Myles Graham[/autotag] and [autotag]Adarius Hayes[/autotag] and four-star running back [autotag]Chauncey Bowens[/autotag] in the class of 2024.

Florida is now up to No. 3 in the national recruiting rankings, according to On3, but there’s still plenty of time for things to change in either direction.

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Florida getting 4-star LB on campus for first visit in spring

The Gators will get four-star linebacker Qua Birdsong on campus for his first look at the University of Florida in March.

Florida is getting Troup County (Lagrange, Georgia) linebacker [autotag]Qua Birdsong[/autotag] on campus in March, according to a report from Swamp 247.

At one point, Birdsong intended on stopping by Gainesville for one of Florida’s Junior Days in January. That trip never actually happened, though, so this will be the four-star recruit’s first look at the university in person. He told 247Sports that he’d be in town on March 16.

Florida has yet to extend him an offer, but one could be coming on this trip. Arkansas, Cincinnati, Michigan State, NC State, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Pittsburgh, UCF, USC and Virginia Tech are among other programs which have already extended scholarship opportunities to him and he’s on several other Power Five teams’ radars.

Birdsong has dates locked in with Florida and Ohio State in March. Official visits are on his mind, too. The plan is to be committed by the start of his senior year, which gives him six months to make a decision.

Florida’s recruiting class of 2024 features four commitments at publishing time. Five-star quarterback [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag] leads the back with four-star linebacker [autotag]Myles Graham[/autotag] also ranked in the top 50. Four-star edge rusher [autotag]Adarius Hayes[/autotag] is another top-100 guy locked in with the Gators, and four-star running back [autotag]Chauncey Bowens[/autotag] rounds out the pack.

Adding Birdsong to a class with Graham already in it would be a sure way to cure Florida’s depth issues at linebacker. UF brought in a pair of players at the position over the offseason after losing both starters from 2022.

The 247Sports Composite has Birdsong at No. 146 overall and No. 14 among linebackers in the class of 2024. The site’s independent ranking system is even more bullish on him at Nos. 127 and 10, respectively. The On3 consensus, which equally weights all four major services, has him at No. 157 nationally and No. 16 among those at his position.

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4-star LB committed to Florida after visiting for Junior Day

The Gators are off to a hot start with the recruiting class of 2024. Florida added another top-100 player to the commitment pool on Saturday.

Florida earned another commitment from the class of 2024 on Saturday as four-star Largo (Florida) linebacker [autotag]Adarius Hayes[/autotag] pledged his services to the university.

Hayes was in town for Florida’s final Junior Day of the January recruiting period and announced his decision before leaving the Swamp. He was also in town last weekend to check in with the program, according to Swamp247. Hayes told Gators Online that he always planned on being a Gator and came into Saturday’s visit knowing that he’d be joining the class.

“It was the plan the whole time. I’m blessed to be a Gator. Go Gators,” Hayes said. “I’ll be a MIKE only. They said I’ll just be a middle linebacker and come off the edge more on third down. Basically, I would be like [autotag]Amari Burney[/autotag]/[autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag].”

Hayes shadowed linebackers [autotag]Shemar James[/autotag] and [autotag]Derek Wingo[/autotag] on this trip and the duo did their best to reel him in. He got a glimpse of the role he’ll be playing on Florida’s defense and locked in with the Gators over Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State and others.

This is the second blue-chip linebacker Florida has reeled in from the 2024 class. [autotag]Myles Graham[/autotag], who is ranked No. 30 overall on the 247Sports composite and No. 36 on the On3 consensus, picked Florida in August and seems locked in as a legacy commit.

Hayes is the No. 61 overall recruit in the nation, according to the 247Sports composite. He’s also No. 7 among edge rushers in the class and No. 12 among prep players from the Sunshine State. On3 is even more bullish on him, ranking Hayes at No. 55 overall on the consensus rankings and No. 33 on the site’s independent list.

Florida now has four players under commitment in the class. In addition to Hayes and Graham, UF has five-star quarterback [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag] and four-star running back [autotag]Chauncey Bowens[/autotag] on board as well. The Gators jumped to No. 3 overall on the 2024 On3 consensus football team recruiting rankings and No. 8 on 247Sports’ equivalent list.

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Florida hosting a ton of blue-chip talent in final January recruiting weekend

The Gators are hosting one final recruiting weekend before the February dead period goes into effect.

The college football recruiting dead period begins on Monday and lasts all the way through February, so Florida is closing out January by hosting a ton of blue-chip recruits on Saturday for the final Junior Day of the month.

Several prospects have confirmed their plans to attend the event, and it’s safe to say that this is the biggest recruiting weekend of the month for the program. To make that even more clear, five-star quarterback [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag] will be in town to help recruit for his future school.

Perhaps the biggest name in town not under commitment will be five-star running back [autotag]Jerrick Gibson[/autotag], who is ranked No. 11 overall in the class of 2024 on the On3 consensus and No. 10 on the 247Sports composite. Florida is an attractive landing spot for any running back with Billy Napier at the helm, and landing the top back in the class would be huge for the Gators.

On defense, linebacker/edge rusher [autotag]Adarius Hayes[/autotag] might be the top name set to visit at No. 55 overall on the On3 consensus. Lagway will be in his ear this weekend, and Hayes is already sweet on Florida. He won’t be the only top-100 defender in town, though. Florida State defensive back commit [autotag]Jordan Pride[/autotag] (No. 80) and undecided edge rusher [autotag]KingJoseph Edwards[/autotag] (No. 37) are also planning on visiting the Swamp this weekend.

A slew of four-star recruits from the class of 2024 will be in town as well. Linebacker [autotag]Qua Birdsong[/autotag] (No. 157), offensive tackle [autotag]Blake Frazier[/autotag] (No. 273), athlete [autotag]Lawayne McCoy[/autotag] (No. 298) and safety [autotag]Zavier Mincey[/autotag] (No. 333) are slated to stop by. Offensive tackle [autotag]Barry Walker[/autotag] (No. 383), defensive linemen [autotag]Dimitry Nicolas[/autotag] (No. 355) and [autotag]LJ McCray[/autotag] (No. 401) and offensive tackle [autotag]Nyier Daniels[/autotag] (No. 541) round out the three-stars on the On3 consensus visiting, and more could join as the day goes on.

Interior offensive lineman [autotag]Santana Alo-Tupuola[/autotag] and safety [autotag]Semaj Jackson[/autotag] are three-star recruits by 247Sports’ individual measure but have no On3 consensus ranking yet. Jackson is ranked No. 679 overall on the 247Sports composite.

Finally, from the class of 2025, quarterback Tramel Jones, wide receiver Koby Howard (Sunday), defensive lineman Myron Charles, edge rushers [autotag]Jared Smith[/autotag] and [autotag]Dylon Worthen[/autotag] and safety [autotag]Ethan Prichard[/autotag] are expected in town.

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Gators in the lead for top 2024 LB prospect, per On3

The Gators are out front for this 2024 linebacker.

After coming in the top 12 of the 2023 On3 recruiting class rankings, [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] is pushing forward toward the 2024 recruiting class. [autotag]Adarius Hayes[/autotag], the No. 6 linebacker in the 2024 class per On3, still has the Gators as the frontrunner in his recruitment.

The 6-foot-4-inch, 210-pound linebacker took the trip to Gainesville with multiple family members — always a good sign in a player’s recruitment. When speaking to Gators Online, Hayes talked about spending time with inside linebackers coach [autotag]Jay Bateman[/autotag], defensive analyst [autotag]Jamar Chaney[/autotag] and Napier.

In his meetings, Hayes mentioned how they broke down film and told him that they see him as a middle linebacker who would rush the passer off the edge in third-down situations, something he enjoys doing. He also compared his play style to [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag], who was the focal point of the Gators’ defense in 2022.

With the recruiting dead period coming up in February, Hayes says he will take advantage of the final weekend in the contact period. He will be in Gainesville one more time this weekend. When asked where Florida stands in his recruitment, he told Gators Online that Florida was his “dream school”.

Hopefully, Napier and his staff can land one of the top in-state talents when he announces his commitment in the summer.

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4-star LB joins list of expected visitors in the Swamp this weekend

Four-star Largo linebacker Adarius Hayes should be at Florida’s second recruiting weekend of the January contact period.

A week after naming the University of Florida as his top pick, four-star Largo linebacker [autotag]Adarius Hayes[/autotag] is planning a return visit to the Swamp, according to a 247Sports report.

Hayes should be in two over the Jan. 21 weekend to be a part of the Gators’ second recruiting weekend of the first contact period of 2023. Things are silent all through February, so Florida is really putting in work with the class of 2024 right now.

Head coach Billy Napier, co-defensive coordinator Sean Spencer and inside linebackers coach Jay Bateman recently stopped by Largo High on Friday, the first day of the contact period, to see Hayes, so it’s safe to say he is a priority target.

Notre Dame recently got him in town for a visit and the reports were positive for the Fighting Irish, but Hayes has called Florida his “dream school” in the past. This is Napier and Company’s recruit to lose right now, and the staff is doing a good job of making him feel wanted.

Hayes is ranked No. 61 overall on the 247Sports composite and is No. 7 among EDGE players. Bateman’s involvement might indicate that Florida sees Hayes as an inside linebacker.

On3 has Hayes at No. 33 overall on the service’s individual rankings, which boosts him to No. 55 on the On3 consensus. Among linebackers, the On300 has him at No. 3 and the consensus has him at No. 6.

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