Tag: andy jean

Highlights from Florida commits over first full weekend high school action

High school football is in full swing and the Florida Gators’ commits are putting up highlight after highlight.

High school football is in full swing across the country and that means there are highlights to watch from Florida’s commitments in the class of 2023.

While everyone was in action, high school clips are tougher to find than college football clips or NFL action. A good chunk of the class has some sort of media available, though, so that’s what we’re looking at here today.

Four-star running back [autotag]Treyaun Webb[/autotag] had the best week with 191 yards on 18 carries in a 48-40 win on Friday. Four-star receiver [autotag]Eugene Wilson III[/autotag] also shined with six catches for 118 yards and two touchdowns.

[autotag]Aidan Mizell[/autotag] left his game early with an apparent knee injury in the first quarter and didn’t return, but Gator Country’s Nick Marcinko noted that he appeared to be okay watching from the sidelines.

Florida’s quarterback commit, [autotag]Marcus Stokes[/autotag], had a rough day, completing just five of 20 pass attempts for 76 yards and an interception. He did manage to score a rushing touchdown to make up for the turnover, though.

[autotag]Creed Whittemore[/autotag], who is listed as an athlete, was 10-14 for 126 yards and a touchdown Thursday. He added 71 yards on the ground and a pair of scores on a field that was ruined by the weather.

Three-star wide receiver [autotag]Tyree Patterson[/autotag] had a nice 100-yard game with a touchdown despite a team loss Friday.

Hurricanes aren’t giving up on this 4-star Gators wide receiver commit

Miami is hoping to flip four-star wide receiver Andy Jean from his Florida commitment and the Hurricanes have home-field advantage.

The Miami Hurricanes are still recruiting four-star Florida commit [autotag]Andy Jean[/autotag] and will be pushing to flip him until things are signed and official in December.

The Miami Northwestern wide receiver spoke to 247Sports’ Gabby Urrutia after a preseason win and said that he was still very much in contact with the Hurricanes. A trio of Northwestern graduates signed with Miami in the 2021 cycle, and their message to Jean is that he fits in the receiver room at UM and playing time could come easier there.

“Coach Gattis still texting me, Coach Cristobal is still texting me, he wants me to come in and watch practice and stuff like that,” Jean said of the Hurricanes. “I would be watching practice because Miami is in my backyard. Which I still got love for them. I am committed to Florida, but I still want to show my hometown a little love. I want to go support my guys like Romello Brinson and Kahlil Brantley and Kamren Kinches. I will be going to the games for sure.”

The good news for Florida fans is that Jean already has plans to return to the Swamp as well. He’s one of the many recruits set to visit for the Utah game on Sept. 3, and that will give him a taste of a game day at Florida under Billy Napier.

It sounds like Jean is just testing the waters and getting all that he can out of the recruiting experience, which is what he should do. The danger is that feelings can quickly change, and no one on the other side is making moves without intent. So, Florida just needs to continually remind him why he picked the Gators in the first place.

Jean has talked about stopping by Georgia too. He got to know their coaching staff but has yet to put some faces to names and would like to before the process is over.

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Two Florida coaches in top 15 of 247Sports’ recruiter rankings

Florida’s coaching staff has been on a roll lately, and much of it is thanks to two men in particular. 247Sports has them in their top 15.

When [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] assembled his staff at the University of Florida, he said that he wanted to prioritize recruiting. Twenty commitments into the class of 2023 and one class of 2024 four-star verbally pledge to the Orange and Blue, it’s safe to say that Napier was successful, and the numbers back it up.

Co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach [autotag]Sean Spencer[/autotag] is ranked No. 7 on the 247Sports 2023 football recruiter rankings, and [autotag]Keary Colbert[/autotag] is ranked No. 11, which is good for the second-highest placement of any wide receivers coach on the list.

Spencer has been the primary recruiter on five of Florida’s commitments and has played a secondary role in the recruitment of two others. He’s directly responsible for the additions of No. 70 [autotag]Kelby Collins[/autotag], No. 145 [autotag]Will Norman[/autotag], No. 205 [autotag]Isaiah Nixon[/autotag], No. 218 [autotag]Kamran James[/autotag] and four-star [autotag]Gavin Hill[/autotag]. Despite the battery of four-stars committed to Florida thanks to Spencer, he ranks fourth among defensive line recruiters in the country. Clemson‘s Nick Eason, Notre Dame‘s Al Washington and Alabama‘s Freddie Roach are all ranked above Spencer in ascending order.

Still, it’s clear that coach Chaos’ stint in the NFL paid off, and he’s once again at the top of the recruiting game. Florida has the potential to bring in the strongest defensive line classes in the upcoming cycle, assuming all commitments put pen to paper during one of the signing periods.

Colbert has been the primary on five recruits as well, all of whom will play receiver for UF. No. 78 [autotag]Aidan Mizell[/autotag] leads the group and should be paired with No. 142 [autotag]Eugene Wilson III[/autotag] to do some damage. Four-stars [autotag]Andy Jean[/autotag] and [autotag]Creed Whittemore[/autotag] round out the blue-chip names in the class and three-star [autotag]Tyree Patterson[/autotag] adds some depth to the class. And there’s potential to add more receivers to the group.

The only other receivers coach ranked higher by 247Sports is Ohio State‘s Brian Hartline, who has brought in four recruits that average a 96.48 grade. The next receivers coach on the list is Texas’ Brennan Marion at No. 20 and three commits under his belt.

Florida’s other co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach [autotag]Patrick Toney[/autotag] is ranked No. 31 and the only other Gator inside the top 100. Cornerbacks coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag] should be next to break that threshold if he can add one of his high-profile targets. Currently ranked No. 101, adding either four-star [autotag]Dijon Johnson[/autotag] or five-star [autotag]Cormani McClain[/autotag] should do the trick for Raymond.

Outside linebackers coach [autotag]Mike Peterson[/autotag] is ranked No. 111, offensive coordinator and offense line coach [autotag]Rob Sale[/autotag] is ranked No. 188, inside linebacker coach [autotag]Jay Bateman[/autotag] is No. 190, tight ends coach [autotag]William Peagler[/autotag] is No. 240 and running backs coach [autotag]Jabbar Juluke[/autotag] rounds out the group at No. 338 on the list. Assistant offensive line coach [autotag]Darnell Stapleton[/autotag] received secondary credits for four commitments and ranks No. 259 as well.

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Here’s where Florida ranks in SI’s 2023 recruiting rankings debut

Here’s where Sports Illustrated thinks the Gators ranks in the 2023 recruiting war.

Florida football is quickly rising on the recruiting front after a fantastic finish to the month of July that saw the Gators shoot up the rankings thanks to a handful of blue-chip commitments. The recent surge has not unnoticed by the sports media, as scouts and other evaluators have offered much more bullish assessments of UF’s 2023 recruiting class than in months prior.

One of the biggest names in sports journalism over the years is Sports Illustrated, which has brought athletics to life for generations of fans. The storied publication debuted its 2023 recruiting class rankings on Tuesday, in which Florida landed at No. 13 following its huge weekend.

Verbal Commitments: 16

Premium Position Pledges: 7

The Gators capped July on a tear on the trail, particularly within state lines, snagging four skill position commitments over the weekend including speedy wide receiver [autotag]Aidan Mizell[/autotag] and former Miami commitment [autotag]Andy Jean[/autotag]. Almost quietly, UF has built a very strong secondary and wide receiver class that could grow in strength sometime soon. Throw in a flip of high upside quarterback [autotag]Marcus Stokes[/autotag] from Penn State, and July went about as well as any [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] follower could have hoped.

Florida’s new head coach had his work cut out for him, and so far, he has done an admirable job with what he has to work with. Many underestimate the mess left behind by the previous staff, and with the added pressure of having Mario Cristobal — who is no slouch himself — to compete with in one of the hottest recruiting grounds in the country, the former Ragin’ Cajun has held his own, albeit still with some headroom for improvement.

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Florida QB commit Marcus Stokes put in some recruiting work over the weekend

The Gators received some recruiting help from their quarterback in the class of 2023 over the weekend, and it seems to have paid off nicely.

Florida football pulled in a nice group of commitments over the weekend, and quarterback commit [autotag]Marcus Stokes[/autotag] may have helped get a few of the names on campus, according to Gators Online.

Stokes was expected to miss the Friday Night Lights even coming into the weekend, but he ended up making enough room in his schedule to stop by and get some throws in with Billy Napier right beside him. When Gators Online caught up with him Friday, he said that he was also in town to do some recruiting.

“I was recruiting [autotag]Dijon Johnson[/autotag],” Stokes said. “I was on him the most because that would be a big pickup for us.”

Johnson backed off his commitment to Ohio State shortly after visiting Florida.

Stokes also spoke with four-star receiver [autotag]Andy Jean[/autotag], who ended up moving up his commitment and joining UF’s class of 2023. The young quarterback likes to know his receivers and also talked with Florida commit [autotag]Aidan Mizell[/autotag] to make sure both ended up at the same place. Stokes transferred from Penn State knowing Mizell would be his guy.

Treyaun Webb has also been a powerful voice on the recruiting trail, but it’s always good to see the incoming class take an interest in bringing in more talent. Now all that’s left to do is for Johnson to complete the flip.

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Social media reactions to Florida’s big recruiting haul

It all happened kind of fast, but Florida just hit a major recruiting hot streak to close out the summer. Here’s how Gator Nation reacted.

The Florida Gators just added four more recruits to the class of 2023 and Gator Nation is sounding off on social media.

The first few months of the summer were tough on Florida fans. Billy Napier and his staff missed out on several top targets before hitting their stride. Losing the likes of four-star quarterback [autotag]Jaden Rashada[/autotag] and five-star offensive tackle [autotag]Francis Mauigoa[/autotag] to Miami made the slow start even more painful.

Then, four-star running back Treyaun Webb committed and four-star quarterback [autotag]Marcus Stokes[/autotag] flipped from Penn State. But Napier and the Gators were just getting started. Most of July is considered a dead period in college football, which means players can’t get on campus or meet with coaches in person during the back half of their summer break. The final week of the month is a quiet period, though, and Napier made the most of it.

Landing a quartet of four-stars in the final days before recruits are shut down again until the start of the college season is exactly the boost Florida (and its fans) needed. Cornerback [autotag]Ja’Keem Jackson[/autotag], safety [autotag]Jordan Castell[/autotag] and receivers [autotag]Andy Jean[/autotag] and [autotag]Aidan Mizell[/autotag] pledged their services to the Gators and vaulted UF into the 12th spot on 247Sports’ team rankings.

It’s safe to say that Gator Nation is celebrating this hot streak and here’s how they’re doing it.

Florida’s 2023 recruiting class nearing top 10 after recent additions

The Gators are rolling. After adding four four-star recruits to the class of 2023, Florida is just outside the top 10 in 47Sports’ team rankings.

The Florida Gators started the month of July ranked 28th in the nation by 247Sports when it came to recruiting the class of 2023. Fast forward to July 30 and UF is ranked No. 12 by the service. It appears capable of pushing into the top 10.

Billy Napier earned pledges from a quartet of four-star recruits in the final week of the month. Cornerback [autotag]Ja’Keem Jackson[/autotag] was the first to commit, but his announcement might have been overshadowed by Florida missing on his teammates, four-star defensive linemen [autotag]John Walker[/autotag] and [autotag]Derrick LeBlanc[/autotag]. Both were considered priority targets for the Gators and were higher ranked than Jackson.

But Jackson’s commitment was the start of events. Receiver [autotag]Aidan Mizell[/autotag], who is ranked No. 72 overall on the 247Sports composite, picked the Gators the next day. Defensive back [autotag]Jordan Castell[/autotag], the No. 13 safety in the class, followed on Saturday morning, and former Miami wide receiver commit [autotag]Andy Jean[/autotag] moved up his announcement to join the fun.

That’s four four-star recruits committed in roughly 72 hours, and Florida might not be done. Perhaps this barrage of commitments is settled, but the Gators hosted several blue-chip recruits at their Friday Night Lights event and cookout.

At No. 12 overall, Florida sits just behind Tennessee and LSU. Leap-frogging the two SEC programs would not only put Florida in the top 10, but it would also put it directly behind Miami. The Hurricanes had an even bigger July than the Gators, recruiting-wise, and the two are bound to be compared as the season plays out.

Florida is moving in the right direction, but a five-star commitment is needed to get into the same conversations as the elites. [autotag]Cormani McClain[/autotag] is the obvious name to go after to secure that top-10 placement, and this recent surge has fans believing Napier can pull it off.

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Coveted in-state blue-chip wide receiver commits to Florida

Chalk up another score for Florida football’s recruiting team as the program’s big weekend continues to roll along.

We reported earlier that four-star wide receiver [autotag]Andy Jean[/autotag] earned a trio of crystal ball predictions from 247Sports in favor of Florida football and the waiting — which is the hardest part, according to Tom Petty — is over. The 6-foot-1-inch, 180-pound pass catcher announced his commitment to the University of Florida on Saturday in yet another major coup for [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and his army of staffers.

The Gators beat four other top schools: the Alabama Crimson Tide, Georgia Bulldogs, Miami Hurricanes and Texas A&M Aggies. An official visit in June as well as a visit to the program’s Friday Night Lights camp sold the rising senior on the Swamp. He was among the last to leave campus after the event and is expected to remain in town through Saturday, which includes the team’s cookout.

“They are my leader for sure right now,” Jean told 247Sports following his stop in Gainesville last month. “Cuz the energy and the culture. Florida is a place that is building. I want to go to a school that is building. Not just have something. I want to help build and be a legend wherever I go.”

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper offered encouraging words to the newly signed Gator earlier this month on behalf of Florida’s staff in an Instagram story. The four-time NFL Pro Bowler worked with Napier at Alabama when the Gators’ current head coach managed the wide receiver corps. Cooper and Jean also wear the same jersey number, both donning No. 2 on their respective uniforms.

Jean is currently ranked No. 332 overall and No. 42 in his class nationally according to the 247Sports composite, while the On3 consensus has him at Nos. 353 and 49, respectively. His three crystal balls were the only assigned by 247Sports while On3’s recruiting prediction machine had Florida on top with an 86.2% chance of signing him before he made his decision.

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Gators get three crystal ball predictions for this 4-star wide receiver

Things are looking very bullish for the Gators in their pursuit of this blue-chip pass-catcher.

Florida football’s big recruiting weekend is here, and the news has already started to roll in from Gainesville. [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and Co. are rolling out the red carpet for the top prep prospects in the nation across three classes.

Among the encouraging stories currently developing in the Swamp is four-star wide receiver [autotag]Andy Jean[/autotag] out of Miami (Florida) Northwestern, who received three crystal ball predictions for the Gators from 247Sports.

Swamp247’s Blake Alderman and Jacob Rudner, as well as 247Sports’ Andrew Ivins, submitted their predictions on Saturday morning, with the first two offering high confidence levels of seven and eight (out of 10), respectively, while the latter’s submission was a medium-level five.

While Florida has been out front for the 6-foot-1-inch, 180-pound pass-catcher’s commitment, his recruitment has included the Alabama Crimson Tide, Georgia Bulldogs, Miami Hurricanes and Texas A&M Aggies. He named the Gators as his lead destination after an official visit in June that put the Orange and Blue at the top, and was reportedly among the last players to leave campus after Friday Night Lights, according to 247Sports.

Jean is ranked No. 332 overall and No. 42 in his class nationally according to the 247Sports composite, while the On3 consensus has him at Nos. 353 and 49, respectively. His three crystal balls are the only assigned by 247Sports while On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine has Florida on top with an 86.2% chance of signing him while the Aggies lag behind at 5% and ‘Canes at 3.2%.

UPDATE: Coveted in-state blue-chip wide receiver commits to Florida

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4-star wide receiver recruit to visit Florida this weekend

The 4-star WR recruit from Miami Northwestern will be in Gainesville this weekend for the Gators’ big recruiting weekend.

The guest list for Florida’s biggest recruiting weekend of the off-season just got slightly bigger.

[autotag]Andy Jean[/autotag], a four-star wide receiver out of Northwestern in Miami, Florida, is expected to be in Gainesville this weekend. Friday is the Gators’ annual Friday Night Lights recruiting event where players get one on one work with Florida coaches and staff under inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Saturday is Florida’s highly anticipated cookout for recruits.

Getting Jean on campus this weekend is a big deal for Billy Napier and his staff. The 6-foot-1-inch, 180-pound pass-catcher is no stranger to recruiting efforts from Napier. Earlier this month, Pro Bowl wide receiver Amari Cooper of the Cleveland Browns send Jean a personal message that Jean posted on his Instagram story.

In the video, Cooper gives a shoutout to Florida’s Director of Speed Improvement and Skill Development Tiger Jones. While Cooper and Jones have not worked together in the collegiate or professional ranks, Cooper mentions Jones was responsible for mentally and physically preparing him for the NFL combine back in 2015.

The connections don’t stop there. Jean wears No. 2 for Northwestern, the same number Cooper wore at the school and the number he will return to this fall in Cleveland.

Jean has taken official visits to Texas A&M and Florida this summer and has no timetable for his commitment announcement. Jean is listed as a top 40 wideout in the state of Florida according to the 247Sports composite. He recently named his top five schools, with SEC foes Alabama, Georgia and Texas A&M joining in-state rival Miami in the battle for Jean’s signature.

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