Tag: Corey Raymond

Orange and Blue game visit has Nation’s top CB trending toward Florida

It’s not a perfect science, but Gator Nation will be happy to see which program is trending on On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine for Cormani McClain.

Five-star prospect [autotag]Cormani McClain[/autotag], the nation’s top cornerback recruit, might be at the top of every Florida fan’s wishlist when it comes to the class of 2023, and the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM) has the Gators on top of his recruitment after a visit to the Swamp for the Orange and Blue game last Thursday.

The Gators sit with a 50.4% chance to land the recruit, according to prediction data compiled by On3. Alabama is the other major player with 41.9% and Georgia is holding on to a 2.4% chance. Florida State, Ohio State and USC are all under 1% at this point.

McClain has been to Florida plenty of times in the past, but this last trip put Florida over the top on the RPM. He’s identified UF and ‘Bama as the two most aggressive players in his recruitment, and his growing relationship with [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]’s staff could make the difference.

“It was great hanging out and seeing the new view (of the program),” McClain said to Gators Online. “It’s a great coaching staff; shoutout to the coaching staff. It was a great game for sure. Florida, it’s just home; it’s just home. You have to have love for Florida.”

Defensive backs coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag] has developed an especially strong relationship with McClain. Raymond has a reputation for getting his man and has already proven it at Florida with the [autotag]Kamari Wilson[/autotag] signing. McClain plans to take officials over the summer and decide as early as June.

He’s the No. 3 overall prospect on the On3 Consensus and the top-ranked corner according to every major service in the college football recruiting game. Florida now has the presumed lead but will need to keep up the pace.

[mm-video type=video id=01g18kqwrc1n641w98bh playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g18kqwrc1n641w98bh/01g18kqwrc1n641w98bh-312f50a5c5c3081ed712a3ac53ad56e9.jpg]

[lawrence-related id=82752,82738,82736,82734,82700]

[listicle id=81723]

[vertical-gallery id=82369]

[vertical-gallery id=82538]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Florida makes this 4-star cornerback’s top 6 list of schools

Florida made four-star cornerback Malik Muhammad’s top six on Wednesday.

Florida made the cut for four-star cornerback [autotag]Malik Muhammad[/autotag]’s list of top six schools, even though head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and staff haven’t hosted him since they’ve taken over the Gators program. They were included along with Texas A&M, Alabama, Michigan, Texas and Miami.

Muhammad hails from Dallas, and the 247Sports composite rankings have him as the sixth-best cornerback prospect and as the 42nd best player overall.

He told On3 that Florida made the cut because of Napier and cornerbacks coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag]. The former LSU assistant is regarded as one of the best defensive backs coaches in the country and was likely the largest factor in Florida making his list.

So far this year, Muhammad has visited the Crimson Tide three times, the Hurricanes twice and the Aggies once.

Florida likely has other targets higher on its board like [autotag]Cormani McClain[/autotag], [autotag]AJ Harris[/autotag] and [autotag]Tony Mitchell[/autotag]. However, the Gators could turn up the heat if they don’t land one of their top prospects above.

[mm-video type=video id=01g16n85ksxtg6cqd8yq playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g16n85ksxtg6cqd8yq/01g16n85ksxtg6cqd8yq-34a858536ed5798d2ff43985ff6b144e.jpg]

[lawrence-related id=82700,82693,82690,82688,82679]

[listicle id=81723]

[vertical-gallery id=82369]

[vertical-gallery id=82538]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

This big-time 4-star QB plans to visit Florida on Wednesday

Four-star quarterback Eli Holstein will visit Florida for the first time on Wednesday.

It’s almost the end of April, and Florida is still looking for a quarterback in its 2023 recruiting class. One of its top targets left on the Gators’ board is four-star quarterback [autotag]Eli Holstein[/autotag]. 247Sports reported that he will visit the Swamp on Wednesday. The Zachary, Louisiana, native is ranked as the 54th best player overall and as the eighth-best quarterback prospect, according to the 247Sports composite rankings.

Scott Holstein, Eli’s father, said his son and his family had an immediate interest in Florida once it offered him on March 28 because of a connection his father has with one of its assistant coaches. He punted at LSU in the early 1990s and was a teammate of Gators’ defensive backs coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag].

A week before head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] offered him, Holstein backed off his commitment to Texas A&M on March 18 due to all the coaching changes that occurred during the offseason.

Holstein, as a junior, led his high school to a state title and threw for 3,228 yards and 30 touchdowns. He also ran for 518 yards and 14 scores. Following his senior season, he is set to play in the All-American Bowl.

[mm-video type=video id=01g0mfxnrkwfbjydq7ca playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g0mfxnrkwfbjydq7ca/01g0mfxnrkwfbjydq7ca-837e1b5942895af848a48f17a11ea36a.jpg]

[lawrence-related id=82614,82550,82527,82512,82494]

[listicle id=81723]

[vertical-gallery id=82369]

[vertical-gallery id=82538]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

See where Florida’s lone 2023 commit ranks in ESPN’s top 300

See where ESPN ranked Florida’s lone commit four-star athlete Aaron Gates in its newest rankings.

Florida still only holds one verbal commit from a 2023 class but that should change after coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and staff have knocked several recruiting weekend visits out of the park. The Gators’ lone commit four-star athlete [autotag]Aaron Gates[/autotag] found himself ranked 157th in the new ESPN 300 that was released recently.

Gates committed to Florida back on Aug. 26 when head coach [autotag]Dan Mullen[/autotag] still ran the program. Despite a coaching change, he is still locked in with the Gators.

He most recently visited Florida and Napier back on Feb. 12 and told 247Sports afterward that it eased his concerns about the coaching change.

The Gators like Gates as a defensive back and so far cornerbacks coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag] has led the charge in his recruitment.

Even though he is still committed, Gates hasn’t stopped taking visits. He stopped by Florida State on March 18.

Napier and Raymond will need to keep recruiting him and make him feel wanted if they hope to hang on to his pledge.

Gators get this 4-star CB scheduled for Orange and Blue Game visit

Four-star cornerback Sharif Denson will be in attendance for Florida’s Orange and Blue Game on April 14.

Florida reeled in one Bartram Trail cornerback back in 2018 in [autotag]Tre’Vez Johnson[/autotag]. This cycle the Gators are trying to do it again by pulling four-star [autotag]Sharif Denson[/autotag], who currently sits high on coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and cornerbacks coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag]’s board.

Denson told Gators Online on Tuesday that he will visit the Swamp again for Florida’s Orange and Blue game on April 14. Denson is ranked as the 160th-best player overall and the 19th-best cornerback, according to the 247Sports composite rankings.

He last visited the Gators on March 3 and has visited Texas A&M and Ohio State over the past month. Florida made a strong first impression on him during his first trip to Gainesville under the new coaching staff.

Denson said he enjoyed dissecting film with multiple defensive coaches and his one-on-one time with Napier.

Even though he is considered a cornerback, co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach [autotag]Patrick Toney[/autotag] envisions Denson playing multiple roles in his secondary.

He currently holds offers from the schools previously mentioned along with Notre Dame, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Auburn, Kentucky and Tennessee.

However, Florida holds an advantage because his parents both graduated from the University of Florida.

“They definitely added themselves in and maybe solidified a top spot,” Denson said after last month’s visit. “They didn’t say anything about an offer, but I mean, they were asking what they have to do to get me here, so I guess it’s a given. It was great; I loved the new staff. They are going up for sure.”

The Gators have some targets higher on their board than Denson that they sit in a good spot with like [autotag]AJ Harris[/autotag], [autotag]Tony Mitchell[/autotag] and [autotag]Cormani McClain[/autotag]. So he may be a backup option if one of their top targets chooses to go elsewhere.

[mm-video type=video id=01fzxvey69v0kkv5sy74 playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fzxvey69v0kkv5sy74/01fzxvey69v0kkv5sy74-8371b93d98d976c05215867d90cdb544.jpg]

[lawrence-related id=81262,81258,81188,81178,81171]

[listicle id=81207]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Vaunted 4-star safety seeks Florida visit after receiving offer

This big-time safety prospect really wants to visit Florida.

The recruiting trail is getting red hot in Gainesville as Florida football’s new head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and his army of staffers burn the midnight oil in their efforts to bring the best prospects into the fold. The month of March featured a flurry of visits from potential players that has continued as the calendar flipped to April.

Among the many making the trek down I-75 this month is four-star safety Isaac Smith out of Fulton (Mississippi) Itawamba Agricultural, who received an offer from co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach [autotag]Patrick Toney[/autotag] last week. The 6-foot, 200-pound high school junior has since voiced his desire to get better acclimated with the staff and the campus via a visit, according to Swamp247.

While his contact with the team has been funneled primarily through Toney and cornerbacks coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag], he has also been connected with others on the staff.

“Things have been building up for a little while with Florida,” Smith said. “Me and coach [Jamar] Chaney have been in contact since he was at Mississippi State. I have been talking to him for about two years now. When he went to Florida, we stayed in contact. We kept getting close, but I was also starting to talk with Coach [Corey] Raymond a little bit too. I talked to him last week and he also put the defensive coordinator the phone. We chopped it up a little bit and then he offered me.”

An in-person visit would certainly help improve these relationships by helping to put a face to the name as well as allowing both parties to nurture more intimate relationships than those that are developed over a distance. Smith also mentioned that he knows little about the school’s history, which makes bringing him to Hogtown that much more important, but did note that he “can see they are going to be building something big in the future.”

While a specific date for his visit has not yet been arranged, Smith says, “I will for sure try and get out there to visit them. If I can’t get out there to visit them in the spring I will in the summer.”

The safety prospect is ranked No. 169 overall and No. 13 at his position nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite, while the On3 Consensus ranks him at No. 153 and No. 9, respectively. The Ole Miss Rebels are currently listed in the lead for his services by both publications.

[mm-video type=video id=01fzvfd9vpg6szvn200m playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fzvfd9vpg6szvn200m/01fzvfd9vpg6szvn200m-617c4a9e7d8f9aab4e8c96453564217a.jpg]

[lawrence-related id=81156,81151,81143,81138,81116]

[listicle id=80982]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

2024 IMG Academy 5-star CB picks up offer from Gators

Billy Napier is taking a strong interest in this five-star IMG Academy recruit.

The Gators have taken a methodical approach to recruiting since Billy Napier became the head coach at Florida, but that doesn’t mean the class of 2024 is totally being ignored early on. Five-star cornerback [autotag]Ellis Robinson IV[/autotag], an IMG Academy product, received a scholarship offer from UF on Saturday while on an unofficial visit to the Swamp, according to 247Sports.

Napier has talked about establishing an IMG to UF pipeline in the past and he seems like the man to do it after breaking the “IMG curse” almost immediately with the Kamari Wilson signing. What would be even more impressive is if Napier gets Robinson to re-classify and get to campus a year early. It might seem like a bit of a stretch with the offer just being extended, but it’s a topic

“Coach Napier was talking to me and my parents. He was saying he sees me as a 23 not a 24 and then he offered me. I was very grateful. He said they liked my overall skillset. They say I don’t look like a 24. Also my character and how I carry myself. My parents always keep me humble. He seemed really cool. Very genuine in our conversation. My parents got a good vibe as well off first impression..look forward to building over the next two years.”

Robinson spent plenty of time with cornerbacks coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag] on his trip as well. The two would work directly together at Florida, so establishing a good relationship early on is crucial. It helps that Raymond is known as a strong recruiter considering the competition Florida faces for Robinson’s services.

Alabama and Georgia are the two schools that are sticking out early for him. He made his way to both schools for unofficial visits in March, and now the Gators are the latest SEC team to wow him. He should be done with trips for the spring, but recruiting doesn’t ever truly stop.

The 247Sports composite ranks Robinson at No. 20 overall and No. 4 at his position in the class of 2024.

[mm-video type=video id=01fzrwyr8k3js39g1xqg playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fzrwyr8k3js39g1xqg/01fzrwyr8k3js39g1xqg-b891c3da1509d6ee03bd31a6c80f54a0.jpg]

[lawrence-related id=81110,81107,81105,81100,81082]

[listicle id=79833]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Defensive backs coach Corey Raymond looking to restore DBU title at Florida

Corey Raymond’s experience is invaluable at a time when Florida desperately needs to turn things around on defense.

The Florida Gators’ defense has been a bit of a disaster over the past couple of years, but [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] is hoping to turn things around after bringing in experienced support staff to coach that side of the ball. One of the more important names on the new staff is cornerbacks coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag].

After 10 years with LSU, Raymond and the Tigers parted ways as Brian Kelly took over and chose not to retain him on the staff. Napier quickly jumped in and got one of the top position coaches in the country on his staff to start recruiting.

The decision paid off almost immediately as five-star safety [autotag]Kamari Wilson[/autotag] decided to sign with Florida over a top 4 of Florida State, Georgia, LSU and Texas A&M.

“First time (in Gators colors) was different for me,” Raymond said to Gators Online. ” I went to college (at LSU), I’m from there, but that blue and orange is looking good on me. I’m in Florida. I recruited the state of Florida. It has a lot of talent. We have a chance to do special things here.”

Raymond produced 14 NFL defensive backs while at LSU, including three first-rounders. He knows what it takes to get the best at the college level ready for the pros, and he’s relentless in his efforts to get them there.

“It’s going to take a little time getting used to me, who I am,” he said. “Because I’m hard to get along with out there on the field. It’s demanding. You play a position that’s an easy place to line up, but there’s a lot of little things you have to do to be good at the position.”

Raymond sees plenty of potential in Florida’s current crop of cornerbacks. [autotag]Jason Marshall Jr[/autotag]. has a chance to develop into an elite corner under Raymond’s guidance, and [autotag]Jaydon Hill[/autotag] and [autotag]Jalen Kimber[/autotag] also have the potential to be great once fully returned from injury.

Florida’s new cornerbacks coach not only has the respect of the players but he’s revered by most everyone on the staff. Napier thinks highly of him as both a coach and a person, and he appreciates Raymond’s veteran presence on the side of the ball he’s less involved with.

Co-defensive coordinators [autotag]Sean Spencer[/autotag] and [autotag]Patrick Toney[/autotag] also appreciate having Raymond on the staff. Toney coaches the safeties on the team, but he’s also tasked with calling all of the Gators’ defensive plays. Having Raymond to help with the defensive backs is about as useful a tool as you could ask for.

“He’s like the Yoda of DB coaching,” Spencer said. “This guy has coached everybody. He talks in that room, just so confident. He has so much experience. He’s been around the league. He’s been multiple places.”

The early returns have been good on Napier’s investment in Raymond, but his legacy at UF will ultimately be determined by how his players perform during the season. If Florida is going to claim the title of “DBU” once again, Raymond will be the reason why.

[mm-video type=video id=01fz8qp0r2f5asred51r playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fz8qp0r2f5asred51r/01fz8qp0r2f5asred51r-0de97427cfe5bd4623e0371bc6a15788.jpg]

[lawrence-related id=80744,80726,80697,80675,80671]

[listicle id=78540]

[listicle id=63502]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Florida cracks top 5 for nation’s No. 3 cornerback prospect

Five-star defensive back Tony Mitchell has narrowed things down to just five schools after visiting the Swamp.

Two days after calling the Florida Gators the leader in his recruitment, five-star defensive back [autotag]Tony Mitchell[/autotag] officially narrowed down his options to five schools on Monday.

Alabama, Georgia, Oregon and Texas A&M are the other finalists. He’s expected to take official visits over the summer, but there’s no set timeline for his commitment. Mitchell has said that he’ll decide when things feel right to him.

Hayes Fawcett of On3 was able to speak with Mitchell about each of the teams in his top five. He praised [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag] after his trip to Gainesville, and it seems to be the elite coaching staff Billy Napier has assembled that has Florida still in the race.

“Great new coaching staff and great DB coach who knows how to develop,” Mitchell said. “Now they just need the elite players like myself to build them back to the old Florida.

Mitchell is the No. 2 safety in the class of 2023 on the On3 consensus and the No. 3 cornerback on the 247Sports composite. Both services agree that he’s the 19th-best recruit in the nation, and he’s got the physical tools to play anywhere in Florida’s secondary on.

The Gators may sit at the top of this list right now, but Mitchell’s mood could change with the most recent visit he takes. Next up on his schedule is Texas A&M on April 9 for the Aggies’ spring game.

[mm-video type=video id=01fz8qp0r2f5asred51r playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fz8qp0r2f5asred51r/01fz8qp0r2f5asred51r-0de97427cfe5bd4623e0371bc6a15788.jpg]

[listicle id=79833]

[listicle id=77787]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Florida in the lead for this 5-star defensive back, per 247Sports

Florida is now in the mix for the top three cornerbacks in the class of 2023.

Five-star defensive back [autotag]Tony Mitchell[/autotag] made his second trip to Gainesville of the year on March 26, and he left the Swamp with the Gators on top of his recruitment, according to 247Sports.

Mitchell has long admired cornerbacks coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag]’s ability to prepare players for the next level, and seeing him work in person seems to have strongly impacted the Thompson (Alabaster, Alabama) recruit.

“I would say they’re in the lead,” Mitchell said. “It was great getting to see the guys, live action in practice, seeing how coach Patrick Toney and coach Raymond coach the DBs.”

Listed as a cornerback in some places and a safety in others, Mitchell has the size and athleticism to play any position in the Gators’ secondary. That flexibility would give him plenty of chances to play at Florida early on, and he feels like he’d be a good fit in the system.

Florida got Mitchell in at the right time. He has just one unofficial visit left on his schedule to Texas A&M for the team’s spring game. He’ll work out which schools he wants to take official visits to over the summer, but he doesn’t have a commitment date lined up just yet. He says he’ll do it when it feels right.

Of course, Mitchell has a history of making in-the-moment decisions. He committed to Tennessee as an eighth-grader and ultimately backed off that pledge before starting high school. Three state championships later, he’s hoping that his next commitment will be his last.

Alabama, Clemson and Georgia are the other main teams in the mix with Florida and Texas A&M. The Crimson Tide have the home-state advantage, but Napier and Raymond seem intent on getting the best defensive backs in the country to Gainesville.

Mitchell is the No. 3 cornerback and the No. 19 overall recruit in the class of 2023, according to the 247Sports composite.

[mm-video type=video id=01fz4n7yzg6cer1x3fnn playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fz4n7yzg6cer1x3fnn/01fz4n7yzg6cer1x3fnn-a550a5f844547c5fe4ec9c5dfbbee09a.jpg]

[lawrence-related id=80669,80605,80595,80562,80552]

[listicle id=79833]

[listicle id=77787]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.