Florida signs 4-star OT commit on national signing day

Florida officially added one more piece to the 2023 recruiting class on Wednesday with the signing of offensive tackle Caden Jones.

Florida signed all 20 of its commits at the time during the early signing period, but the class has undergone a few changes since then.

As many Gators fans know, blue-chip quarterback [autotag]Jaden Rashada[/autotag] never made it to campus after signing his letter of intent and eventually asked for his release from the program. He signed with Arizona State on national signing day, but Florida brought in a four-star offensive lineman to keep the class at 20 signees.

Four-star De La Salle (New Orleans, Louisiana) offensive tackle [autotag]Caden Jones[/autotag] was the lone unsigned commit heading into 2023. He committed in January after taking an official visit to the Swamp a month prior. Jones’ letter of intent came in just after 3 p.m. on Wednesday as he officially joined Billy Napier’s program.

“We had Caden at camp, so we had an opportunity to work with him at 6-foot-7-and-a-half,” Napier said regarding Jones at his national signing day press conference. “You know, he’s got a 36 (-inch) arm. I mean, it’s probably the longest arm we’ve measured since we’ve been doing it, and (he’s) really a young man too. A guy that I think is going to continue to grow.”

Jones is a four-star recruit, according to the On3 consensus and 247Sports composite. He’s ranked No. 364 overall and No. 24 among offensive tackles on the composite and No. 385 nationally and No. 23 at his position on the consensus.

Florida also added five walk-ons on national signing day: quarterbacks [autotag]Jordan Gile[/autotag] and [autotag]Parker Leise[/autotag], running back and son of Sen. Marco Rubio, [autotag]Anthony Rubio[/autotag], and edge rusher [autotag]Layne Swafford[/autotag].

As the 2023 cycle comes to a close, Florida sits at No. 11 overall on the On3 consensus team rankings and No. 13 on the 247Sports composite team rankings.

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Florida coaches visit Louisiana 3-star OT commit

Florida coaches were out and about earlier in the week, and a trio of them checked in with offensive line commit Caden Jones Monday.

A trio of Florida coaches visited De La Salle three-star offensive tackle [autotag]Caden Jones[/autotag], the lone unsigned commit in the 2023recruiting class, on Monday, according to 247Sports.

Jones committed after the early signing period, so he has to wait until national signing day to officially join the class. That means he could flip if another program pressed hard enough, which explains why Florida sent three staff members out to him once the contact period opened up.

Offensive line coaches [autotag]Rob Sale[/autotag] and [autotag]Darnell Stapleton[/autotag] and running backs coach/area recruiter [autotag]Jabbar Juluke[/autotag] have taken point on this recruitment. Juluke’s ties to the state of Louisiana have come in hand plenty of times during the Billy Napier era at Florida, and Sale and Stapleton will be Jones’ position coaches once he gets on campus. Napier’s staff recruited Jones while ULL too, so Jones is quite familiar with the group.

They went out to visit Jones because he is unsure if he’ll be able to get back on campus before signing day with a loaded basketball schedule.

Jones will join fellow linemen [autotag]Roderick Kearney[/autotag], [autotag]Knijeah Harris [/autotag]and B[autotag]ryce Lovett[/autotag] in the class of 2023 and should help add some depth to a position room that just lost four starters.

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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.

Gators land commitment from priority OL target during All-American Bowl

The Gators earned another commitment from the recruiting class of 2023. Offensive tackle Caden Jones is headed to Florida.

The Florida Gators earned a commitment from De La Salle (Louisiana) offensive tackle [autotag]Caden Jones[/autotag] on Saturday during the All-American Bowl broadcast.

Jones had reportedly locked in his decision ahead of time, but he made things official to the public during a planned announcement stating that he could “see the vision Coach Napier has for the future.” He is the fourth offensive line commit/signee in the 2023 class, joining [autotag]Roderick Kearney[/autotag], [autotag]Knijeah Harris[/autotag] and [autotag]Bryce Lovett[/autotag]. Greyshirt freshman Tony Livingston is joining the team as an offensive tackle too, so he should be Jones’ primary competition.

Of course, Florida is in dire need of offensive line depth. The team is returning just one starter, center [autotag]Kingsley Eguakun[/autotag], and [autotag]Austin Barber[/autotag] has some starting experience at either tackle spot. Aside from any transfer portal additions, Florida will rely on first-time starters at the other three spots. [autotag]Richie Leonard[/autotag] is a candidate to earn time at either guard spot, and [autotag]Kamryn Waites[/autotag] played in the bowl game.

Jones won’t be the starting left tackle when September comes around, but he could be in a solid reserve spot after developing a bit over the summer.

The 247Sports composite gives him a three-star grade and ranks Jones No. 293 overall in the class of 2023 and No. 36 among offensive linemen. On3 is a bit more bullish on him, giving Jones the four-star nod and ranking him at No. 27 among those at his position.

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Florida OT target has decision locked in ahead of Saturday commitment

Offensive tackle Caden Jones will choose among Florida, Houston and Texas A&M on Saturday during the All-American Bowl.

One of Florida’s top remaining targets in the 2023 recruiting class is De La Salle (Gretna, Louisiana) offensive tackle [autotag]Caden Jones[/autotag]. He’ll announce his commitment to Florida, Houston or Texas A&M on Saturday at the All-American Bowl, and Jones says he’s locked in with his decision days before going public with it, according to Gators Online.

“It’s crazy. I’m speechless. As a kid, you grow up watching these games. To say you’re going to announce there is an absolute blessing,” Jones said to On3’s Billy Embody.

While it’s never safe to assume that a team will land a recruit until it happens, Jones is considered as strong of a Florida lean as it gets. The On3 recruiting prediction machine lists UF as an overwhelming favorite with 95.8% odds of landing Jones on Saturday.

The Aggies didn’t become a major threat to the Gators in this recruiting race until the end of the year, and a December official visit to the Swamp seems to have kept the gap wide enough for Florida to stay the favorite.

The On3 consensus ranks Jones at No. 436 overall in the class of 2023 and at No. 27 among offensive tackles. The site’s individual rankings consider Jones a four-star recruit, though.

Gators fans can watch Jones’ commitment live on Saturday, Jan. 7 on NBC at 1 p.m. EST.

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Florida might be the favorite to land this 2023 offensive lineman

Billy Napier has his eyes on an offensive lineman from the state of Louisiana and the experts like the Gators’ chances.

With the early signing period approaching, Florida has been busy on the recruiting trail, and it appears that the Gators’ efforts are paying off with De La Salle (New Orleans, Louisiana) offensive tackle [autotag]Caden Jones[/autotag].

247Sports’ director of recruiting, Steve Wiltfong, submitted a crystal ball for Jones in favor of UF Wednesday morning with a confidence level of six out of 10. Jones is still considering Houston, Texas, Texas A&M and Florida State, but Wiltfong feels that Florida has done enough to be considered the favorite in this race.

Jones stands at an enormous 6-foot-8-inches and 305 pounds and fills a position of need for the Gators. Florida flipped four-star guard [autotag]Roderick Kearney[/autotag] from FSU in October and has both [autotag]Knijeah Harris[/autotag] and [autotag]Bryce Lovett[/autotag] under commitment, but there’s still a need for a couple more linemen. Five-star tackle [autotag]Samson Okunlola[/autotag] is the other name that keeps being connected with Florida, but Jones is a more reasonable target that could wind up being a developmental piece.

The expectation is for Jones to commit during the All-American Bowl on Jan. 7, so Florida has a bit of time to work on him.

The 247Sports composite ranks Jones at No. 425 overall and No. 33 among offensive tackles in the class of 2023.

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This OT just scheduled a multi-day official visit with Florida

Florida is loading up the recruiting schedule for the coming weeks, and offensive tackle Caden Jones has locked in his official visit with the Gators.

Florida’s recruiting class of 2023 is nearing completion as the early signing period approaches, but the Gators are still making a push for at least one more commit. De La Salle (New Orleans, Louisiana) offensive tackle [autotag]Caden Jones[/autotag] is one of the prep players still being pursued by the Orange and Blue, and he should be in town soon for an official visit, according to 247Sports.

Jones should arrive in Gainesville on Saturday, Dec. 10, and stay through Monday. His high school team could be playing in the state championship on Dec. 9 if they make it, but that shouldn’t interfere with the itinerary. Florida isn’t the only school Jones is looking at, though.

Texas A&M has stayed close with Jones and is getting him in town for an official visit the weekend of Dec. 16-18. He could be considering other schools, but those are the two most believe will make it to the table come decision day. Things could change over the next few weeks, but Florida seems to be leading TAMU slightly.

“Right now, I would have to say Florida,” Jones said to 247Sports. “I’m just liking it a bit more. I haven’t taken any official visits yet but, once I get to that part, it could change as I get a real look at both schools.”

Having two offensive line coaches has helped put Florida out front, and an impressive year running the football doesn’t hurt either. Jones knows that Florida needs some depth on the offensive line, and he feels that they have a good system in place to develop him appropriately.

Jones says he won’t sign during the early signing period and instead hold out until February’s national signing day. That gives Florida some time to lock things in with him and makes the timing of the December visits a bit less impactful.

The 247Sports composite ranks Jones at No. 422 overall in the class of 2023 and No. 34 among offensive tackles. The On3 consensus is a bit more bullish on Jones, ranking him at No. 362 overall and No. 23 among those in his position group. On3 also designates Jones as a four-star prospect.

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Florida still leading in recruitment of this Louisiana 4-star OT

Four-star offensive tackle Caden Jones still has Florida on top of his list after keeping in close contact with the program.

Word came in toward the end of August that De La Salle (Gretna, Louisiana) offensive tackle [autotag]Caden Jones[/autotag] had Florida at the top of his list. As October approaches, the Gators are still leading his recruitment, according to Gators Online.

“The coaching staff and the feeling I get when I’m down there. It’s just the energy and I feel like I can be myself down there,” Jones said when asked why Florida is the leader.

Jones has already been to the Swamp twice this year (once in spring and again over the summer), but he wants to get back on campus a few more times before making an official visit. He doesn’t have any dates locked in, but Jones says he wants to take official visits to UF and Texas A&M in December.

Florida State, Houston and Texas round out his top five, but it’s the two SEC programs that are leading this race right now. Florida’s getting it done with steady communication, something Jones values a lot.

There are three coaches connecting with him often: offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Rob Sale, offensive line coach Darnell Stapleton and running backs Jabbar Juluke. Jones says he likes that his relationship with the team is good and that they text often.

Jones is a four-star recruit, according to both On3 and Rivals. 247Sports lists him as a three-star, but his On3 Consensus score still grades out at four stars. He’s ranked No. 362 overall and No. 24 among offensive tackles in the class of 2023.

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Gators ‘in the lead’ for this class of 2023 offensive line target

Florida is in the lead right now for offensive line target Caden Jones, but he won’t make his decision official until December.

Offensive tackle [autotag]Caden Jones[/autotag] named the Gators in his top five at the beginning of the month, and now he’s said that Florida is leading his recruitment.

Jones was on the Varsity podcast this week and said that Florida was currently at the top of his list. He’s planned to decide near or during the early signing period for some time, though, so that could change over the course of the next four months.

“Right now, I’m going to have to say Florida in the lead right now,” Jones said. “That’s right now, though. December is a long time away.”

The Gators have hosted Jones twice so far in 2022. The first came in spring after Billy Napier‘s staff extended an offer to him, and the second was during Friday Night Lights. His relationship with some members of the staff goes back farther than that, though. Napier’s staff at Louisiana-Lafayette targeted Jones, so he’s familiar with several coaches on the staff.

The rest of Jones’ top five consists of Florida State, Houston, Texas and Texas A&M. He’s yet to schedule any of his official visits, but those are the four schools he’s expected to visit along with Florida.

Jones’ standing in the class of 2023 depends on the recruiting service. On3 believes he’s a four-star talent that’s ranked around 23rd or 24th among the offensive tackles in the class. 247Sports thinks that he’s a firm three-star recruit that should be ranked in the mid-30s at his position.

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Florida is a top-5 school for Louisiana offensive tackle

After making his second trip to the Swamp, offensive tackle Caden Jones has the Gators high on his list.

Three-star De La Salle (New Orleans, Louisiana) offensive tackle [autotag]Caden Jones[/autotag] was one of the many recruiting targets in Gainesville last week for Friday Night Lights.

It was Jones’ second visit to the Swamp, and he made sure to get there a day early to take part in an unofficial visit before participating in the evening camp. He left town feeling much more comfortable with the staff, according to 247Sports, and he’s starting to feel like a priority target at the position for Florida.

“It was great and I would say it was different than the last time I went. The first time I came to Florida we were all getting to know each other, but this time around I already had a feel for them. I got in late Thursday and spent all day Friday there. I got in earlier and got to tour the new facilities.

Right now, the 6-foot-7inch, 305-pounder has more than 25 offers to pick from, but he says the Gators would likely make the cut if he had to eliminate 80% of the schools from the race. Having two offensive line coaches is appealing to Jones, as is the new culture being established in Gainesville.

“They are most definitely a top-five school for me,” he said. “They have a lot of energy and I like the atmosphere I see when I am down there. They have great coaches and I like the coaches and how they put so much effort in nutrition and strength and conditioning. I would say Florida, Texas A&M, Houston, Texas and Florida State.”

The plan is to take official visits during the fall and stop by Florida again in December for what should be one of his final trips. An early signing day announcement could be in store.

Jones is the No. 407 prospect on the 247Sports composite and the No. 34 offensive tackle in the country.

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