Florida losing WR Xzavier Henderson to transfer portal

Florida’s third spring transfer is a big one. Wide receiver Xzavier Henderson, who started 11 games for the Gators in 2022, is hitting the portal.

Florida wide receiver [autotag]Xzavier Henderson[/autotag] is entering the NCAA transfer portal, according to a report from Swamp247.

Henderson started 11 games for Florida last year and was expected to step into a bigger role with [autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag] moving on to the NFL. 247Sports’ Jacob Rudner said that sophomore [autotag]Caleb Douglas[/autotag] and freshman [autotag]Andy Jean[/autotag] had strong springs behind Henderson, which may have influenced the decision to leave.

[autotag]Ricky Pearsall[/autotag] is the clear leader of the receiver room, but [autotag]Marcus Burke[/autotag], Douglas and Jean are all young players showing promise.

Henderson leaves Florida with 835 career receiving yards and five touchdowns on 73 catches over 35 games. His best game in the Orange and Blue came against Georgia when he hauled in five receptions for 110 yards and a touchdown.

Receivers coach Billy Gonzalez reported strong spring scrimmage performances from Henderson, and head coach Billy Napier also spoke highly of him during the spring. The transfer is somewhat surprising, but he’s not the first player to leave the team during the second portal period of teh year.

Offensive lineman [autotag]David Conner[/autotag] and edge rusher [autotag]Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr[/autotag]. were the first two Gators to leave the team in the spring. Following Henderson’s departure, Florida will have five open scholarship spots to hand out to transfers.

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Florida’s assistant running backs coach takes job downstate with Hurricanes

Florida’s assistant running backs coach just took a job with the ‘Canes doing pretty much what he did for the Gators.

Billy Napier lost another member of his army of staffers on Tuesday with the departure of assistant running backs coach [autotag]Benedick Hyppolite[/autotag], who took a job with the Miami Hurricanes as an offensive analyst working specifically with the running back corps — much like he did in Gainesville last season.

Hyppolite’s burgeoning coaching career has already had three stops on the collegiate circuit, starting as the offensive coordinator at Florida Memorial University — and HBCU in South Florida — in 2019 before joining the Hurricanes’ staff as a graduate assistant in 2020. He then got his big break with the Gators under Napier last season assisting with Florida’s successful running backs room before moving back south for a similar role in Miami.

Last season, UF’s rushing attack was among the top in the nation for most of the season thanks in large part to his efforts off the field. Transfer [autotag]Montrell Johnson[/autotag] and true freshman [autotag]Trevor Etienne[/autotag] combined for 1,560 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns, building the foundation of what should be a terrorizing ground attack for the Gators in years to come.

The departing analyst was no slouch on the recruiting trail either, shouldering a load in wooing four-star running backs [autotag]Treyaun Webb[/autotag] and [autotag]Chauncey Bowens[/autotag], while also stepping out of the backfield to assist in the recruitment of four-star wide receiver [autotag]Andy Jean[/autotag].

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Where Florida’s 2023 recruiting class finished in final On3 rankings

Half of Florida’s 2023 recruiting class wound up in the On3 top 300 after the final update was released on Tuesday.

The Florida Gators already signed the bulk of its 2023 recruiting class, and the haul is looking even better than expected after On3 provided its last update to its independent rankings, the On300.

Ten of Florida’s signees cracked the top 300 and five players made it into the top 100.

Again, this is On3’s independent rankings, which is used to reach the more commonly cited On3 consensus or 247Sports composite rankings. Those are aggregate scores that use different formulas depending on the site and are used more often because they help eliminate any one service’s individual bias.

Several of Florida’s signees participated in All-Star games and boosted their stock with good performances against some of the top players in the class. The two most notable were cornerback [autotag]Ja’Keem Jackson[/autotag] and defensive lineman [autotag]Kelby Collins[/autotag], who each moved up over 50 spots to break into the top 50.

Here’s a look at where each Florida signee from the class of 2023 finished in the On300 rankings.

Florida’s 2023 recruiting class is loaded with early enrolees

With early signing day in the books, we now have a better idea of which members of Florida’s recruiting class of 2023 will early enroll.

Florida head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] went over a lot in his post-early signing day press conference, but one of the major points discussed was just how many of the 20 signees will enroll early. According to Napier, the bulk of the class should arrive in the spring.

Of Florida’s 20 signees, Napier expects 18 to be in Gainesville for spring practices. Rather than listing each name that plans to early enroll, it’s easier to list those who won’t: wide receiver [autotag]Eugene Wilson III[/autotag] and defensive lineman [autotag]Gavin Hill[/autotag].

Adding 18 players to the roster a few months early could be huge for Billy Napier and Co. The Gators are replacing a ton of talent after many draft departures, dismissals and transfers. Getting the new Napier-recruited talent on campus early means more time to teach them the playbook, system, etc. More practice time means a better shot at finding early snaps, too.

“The other thing that’s going to help is you’re going to have 20 players that start in January,” said Napier during his early signing day presser, “and I think that translates to more reps and more teaching and more opportunity to get orientated to the university and just life in general in college. But I do think that there will be a number of this group (that compete for early playing time). They’re going to have to earn it.”

It can’t be overstated how important it was for Florida to bring in a group of recruits that were willing to enroll early, and Napier did an exceptional job making sure everything went according to plan.

In case you’re looking for a full list of early enrollees, here’s a list of the players that should be coming to Gainesville in the spring:

  • 5-star quarterback [autotag]Jaden Rashada[/autotag]
  • 4-star running back [autotag]Treyaun Webb[/autotag]
  • 4-star receiver [autotag]Aidan Mizell[/autotag]
  • 4-star receiver [autotag]Andy Jean[/autotag]
  • 4-star offensive lineman [autotag]Roderick Kearney[/autotag]
  • 3-star offensive lineman [autotag]Knijeah Harris[/autotag]
  • 3-star offensive tackle [autotag]Bryce Lovett[/autotag]
  • 4-star defensive lineman [autotag]Kelby Collins[/autotag]
  • 4-star defensive lineman [autotag]Kamran James[/autotag]
  • 4-star defensive lineman [autotag]TJ Searcy[/autotag]
  • 4-star defensive linemen [autotag]Will Norman[/autotag]
  • 4-star linebacker [autotag]Jaden Robinson[/autotag]
  • 4-star cornerback [autotag]Ja’Keem Jackson[/autotag]
  • 4-star cornerback [autotag]Sharif Denson[/autotag]
  • 4-star safety [autotag]Dijon Johnson[/autotag]
  • 4-star safety [autotag]Jordan Castell[/autotag]
  • 4-star safety [autotag]Bryce Thornton[/autotag]
  • 4-star athlete [autotag]Aaron Gates[/autotag]

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Sports Illustrated’s 2023 recruiting class rankings has Gators in top 10

The Gators earned a spot among Sports Illustrated’s top 10 teams in the 2023 recruiting class.

The Florida Gators 2023 recruiting class comes in at No. 10 in Sports Illustrated’s recruiting rankings after early signing day wrapped up on Wednesday.

The Gators had been hovering around the top ten of the recruiting rankings since July when a surge of commitments created a buzz around the Florida program and first-year head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]. This is a stark contrast from the end of June when Napier penned an open letter to the Gator Nation essentially pleading for patience and trust in the process.

Napier was a fantastic recruiter at Louisiana, having the No. 1 recruiting class in the Sun Belt in all four seasons at the helm. But he didn’t do this alone. The addition of top-tier assistants such as assistant head coach and defense/cornerbacks coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag], co-defensive coordinator, and defensive line coach [autotag]Sean Spencer[/autotag], and many more, have had a massive impact on the recruiting trail. Raymond is considered one of the best, if not the best, defensive backs developers in the nation.

Sports Illustrated’s John Garcia Jr. had this to say, in part, about the Gators’ 2023 Early Signing Day results:

Florida may or may not have pushed a pair of in-state commitments out of the recruiting class this week, which doesn’t pair very well without any reciprocation come signing day. While UF has built a strong and balanced class to date, it struck out on late targets leading up to this week. Billy Napier’s staff did help UF hold on to commits coveted by others, though, like defensive back [autotag]Sharif Denson[/autotag] and wide receiver [autotag]Andy Jean[/autotag].

Four-star Saint Petersburg, Florida, prospect [autotag]Isaiah Nixon[/autotag] is the player Garcia is alleging could have been pushed out of the class. He flipped from Florida to UCF on signing day and, along with losing out on a late push for four-star Orlando prospect John Walker, was the second in-state player the future Big 12 program snagged over the Orange and Blue.

The smaller class was strategic for Napier, as he needs scholarships available to be active in the transfer portal. Prioritizing quality over quantity was a point of emphasis Napier made in his opening press conference and subsequent open letter to the fan base.

The official national signing day is scheduled for February 1st, 2023, with a portion of the 2023 class deciding to enroll early and participate in spring practices.

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Here’s what Billy Napier said after early national signing day

Here’s what Billy Napier had to say about each player that signed with Florida during the early signing period.

Florida got 20 commits to sign during the 2023 early signing period, and [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] had a lot to say about the class following all the action.

Napier spoke to the press Wednesday afternoon/evening after an hour-long delay that allowed quarterback [autotag]Jaden Rashada[/autotag]’s name to be added to the list of signees. Florida’s head coach spoke in-depth about each player in the class and Gators Wire has compiled a list of everything that he said.

Coach Napier also tackled general questions about recruiting in-state, the role NIL plays, adding more players through the transfer portal and which member of the class of 2023 will early enroll.

The TL;DR is that Napier’s team feels very confident about each player that was added to the program on Wednesday, and there was a strong emphasis on what kind of home each player came from. Napier firmly believes that being raised by a quality family helps create quality student-athletes.

Here’s a full transcript of everything Napier said on Wednesday.

Tracking Florida’s 2023 early signing period activity

Florida is set to sign most of its 2023 recruiting class on the first day of the early signing period and Gators Wire is keeping track of it all.

The calendar might still read 2022, but the reality is that many of the top recruits in the class of 2023 are signing early and Dec. 21 marks the start of the early signing period. Florida is expected to bring in a strong class in Billy Napier’s first full cycle as head coach, but nothing is ever set in stone until the pen hits the paper.

The February signing date could bring in more names, but the core of the class is signing early and Gators Wire is keeping track of every move the team makes. There usually are some surprises, and Florida is in the hunt for several uncommitted targets set to make their decisions through Friday when the period comes to a close.

Each of Florida’s commitments below is listed in order of expected ceremony start time. As players sign their national letters of intent, the list will update to reflect Florida’s most recent additions.

Gators lose commitment from in-state 2023 wide receiver

Florida football’s 2023 recruiting class shrank on Wednesday as the Gators lost a commitment from an in-state receiver.

Eustis wide receiver [autotag]Tyree Patterson[/autotag] is no longer committed to the University of Florida, according to a report from All Gators.

Patterson was Billy Napier’s longest-standing commitment aside from Aaron Gates, who stayed true to Florida through the coaching change. He was supposed to be in Gainesville for an official visit over the weekend but never made it to campus. His upcoming visit to Orlando to check in with the UCF Knights could produce a commitment considering the most recent development in his recruitment.

With the loss of Patterson, Florida is down to three receivers in the class of 2023: [autotag]Andy Jean[/autotag], [autotag]Aidan Mizell[/autotag] and [autotag]Eugene Wilson III[/autotag]. All three are four-star recruits, according to 247 Sports, and Patterson was considered a three-star talent. That’s not to say that losing Patterson is ideal for Florida, but a crowded room losing its lowest-rated verbal commitment is fairly common. There’s simply more opportunity for him at another program such as UCF.

Finding a replacement receiver to fill Patterson’s spot in the class of 2023 might be tricky but it could also be unnecessary. Florida’s likely to attract some elite receivers in the upcoming cycles with [autotag]Jaden Rashada[/autotag] and [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag] coming in at the quarterback spot over the next two years.

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Gators lose commitment from local WR recruit following LSU loss

Florida has one of the best incoming receiver classes in the country under commitment, but one player just backed off their pledge.

Florida lost its first commitment of the 2023 cycle on Sunday. Three-star athlete [autotag]Creed Whittemore[/autotag], the brother UF wide receiver [autotag]Trent Whittemore[/autotag], backed off his verbal pledge via a post on Twitter.

Whittemore’s decommitment comes the day after Florida’s 45-35 loss to LSU. The loss probably didn’t help, but Whittemore’s been looking at options for a bit. He’s coming off an official visit to Mississippi State and holds offers from Penn State, Miami and UCF among others. It doesn’t seem like Florida has a shot to get him back with a deep wide receiver class already locked down. It’s possible that a crowded room contributed to Whittemore’s decision too.

Florida has a trio of incoming four-star receivers under verbal commitment. [autotag]Aidan Mizell[/autotag], an Orlando area speedster ranked in the top 100 on the 247Sports composite, leads the group. [autotag]Eugene Wilson III[/autotag] and [autotag]Andy Jean[/autotag] are the other four-star receivers coming to Gainesville next year. [autotag]Tyree Patterson[/autotag], who is rated as a three-star recruit but has had some monster games during his senior year, rounds out the group.

Losing Whittemore hurts the team, but Florida’s got plenty of talent to fall back on. Hopefully, the decommitment does create a domino effect for the Gators. UF is still ranked No. 8 in the 2023 cycle by On3 and 247Sports, but another decommitment could change that.

Whittemore is ranked No. 432 overall on the 247Sports composite and is No. 28 among athletes, but the site’s individual rankings are a bit more bullish on him. The Top247 has him at No. 171 nationally and No. 12 among athletes. He should get a decent amount of attention now that he’s opened things back up.

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Florida commits in action during Week 2 of high school football

Take a look at how Florida’s top recruits fared this past week on the high school gridiron.

Week one of college football was plenty exciting, but there was still high school football action as well, and Florida’s commits put up some highlights.

Two players were on a bye, four-star receiver [autotag]Eugene Wilson III[/autotag] and four-star defensive lineman [autotag]Will Norman[/autotag]. The latter has had an interesting high school journey that took another turn over the weekend.

A good chunk of the class was in attendance for Florida’s upset win over the Utah Utes on Saturday as well. Seeing the Swamp over capacity and experiencing Billy Napier’s first game day as the head coach of the Gators sat well with them.

Here’s a look at what Florida’s recruiting class of 2023 did over the weekend.