Tag: decommitment

Four-star DL backs off commitment to Florida midseason

Class of 2025 defensive lineman Joseph Mbatchou is backing off his pledge to play at Florida and re-opening his commitment.

It’s not the kind of thing you expect to happen after a good win, but four-star defensive lineman [autotag]Joseph Mbatchou[/autotag] decommitted from Florida on Monday.

Mbatchou pledged his services to the Gators in late July, but he’s since garnered tons of attention from other SEC programs. Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, LSU and Tennessee have all offered him in recent months.

“After deep thought and prayer, I have decided to re-open my recruitment,” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “I’d like to thank the entire staff at the University of Florida, and can’t wait to get back down there. I’m excited to finish this journey from a new perspective. Commitment in December.”

The decommitment comes immediately following an official visit to Texas, but he has five more trips planned over the next 40 days, including an official to Florida. Mbatchou included the Gators on his commitment graphic, so the Orange and Blue might have a small chance to bring him back into the fold.

He will visit Michigan next weekend, then make stops at Auburn (Nov. 2), Florida (Nov. 16), Tennessee (Nov. 23) and USC (Nov. 30), according to On3’s Keith Niebuhr.

Florida 2025 recruiting class dips in rankings

Losing Mbatchou is a major blow to Billy Napier and Florida’s 2025 recruiting class, which now has just 11 players under verbal commitment.

247Sports ranks the Gators 51st overall on its class of 2025 team rankings, while On3 is slightly more bullish with Florida at No. 33 in the country. Only Vanderbilt is ranked lower among SEC teams.

Should Napier finish with a class ranked this low, it would be the Gators’ worst finish since 2015 when Jim McElwain signed a 21st-ranked class. That could be the final straw for a coach on the hot seat. However, there are still two more months before the early signing period, and college football has trended toward a transfer model in recent years, especially within the SEC.

Recruiting Summary

According to 247Sports, On3, and ESPN, Mbatchou is a four-star recruit. Rivals lists him as a three-star talent, but he earns that fourth star in both composite rankings.

The 247Sports composite ranks him No. 425 overall and No. 41 among defensive linemen in the class of 2025, while the On3 industry rankings bump him up to Nos. 379 and 33, respectively.

Neither recruiting service gives any program but Florida odds to sign him, but that should change following the decommitment. Texas is a rising team on his list following the official visit. Things could change rapidly over the next two months with so many visits on his schedule.

Mbatchou also included Alabama, Auburn, Michigan, Tennessee and USC on his commitment graphic.

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

Florida loses WR commit Joshua Moore to in-state rival

Florida football had three unique receivers from the class of 2025 under commitment, but the Miami Hurricanes have flipped Joshua Moore.

On Tuesday, three-star wide receiver [autotag]Joshua Moore[/autotag] flipped his commitment from the University of Florida to the University of Miami.

The South Florida native, who plays at West Broward High School, picked the Gators back in June following official visits to the Sunshine State’s Big 3, but he began considering a flip as the season carried on.

Moore was in Gainesville for Florida’s season-opening loss to Miami, and he began seriously weighing his option following the UCF game.

“Really, it was the developmental part of things,” Moore said to On3. “I really like what coach Cristobal, coach KB and the rest of the coaching staff has been doing this season. I see that they’re building something special. I see the wide receiver room and I see the wide receivers are producing, so I wanted to be a part of something special.”

At 6-foot-4-inches, Moore is a pure X receiver who would line up on the outside of Florida’s offense. The Gators run plenty of short-yardage plays and screens, but they’ve gone deep often to guys like Elijhah Badger. Moore would have fit into a similar role as Badger at Florida.

The hometown pitch is another reason Moore decided to flip. The University of Miami is just an hour away from West Broward High, and Hard Rock Stadium — the Hurricanes’ off-campus stadium that also houses the Miami Dolphins — is about 30 minutes away.

Florida’s 2025 Recruiting Class

Florida still has a pair of four-star recruits under commitment in the class of 2025, but neither is the big-bodied receiver that Moore is. Vernell Brown III and Naeshaun Montgomery are more than capable at receiver, but they play the position differently than Moore.

Florida will return Marcus Burke (6-feet-3.75-inches) and Kahleil Jackson (6-1), but Moore was the future deep threat for the program. There is a chance that 6-foot-4-inch Tae’shaun Gelsey will move from tight end to receiver after putting up over 600 yards and 12 touchdowns through seven games this fall.

Moore’s commitment caused Florida to drop to 36th overall on 247Sports’ team recruiting rankings.

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

Gators DB commit flips back to Syracuse following visit

Florida managed to flip four-star safety Demetres Samuel Jr. over the summer, but a slow start to the season has him back with Syracuse.

They say that no commitment in modern college football recruiting is a lock until the player is on campus and enrolled in classes. Look no further than four-star safety [autotag]Demetres Samuel Jr[/autotag]. for proof.

On Sunday, the former Syracuse commit who flipped to Florida and reclassified as a 2025 recruit announced at the end of July has now decommitted from the Gators and flipped back to the Orange.

The move comes after a weekend in New York and following a 2-2 start for Florida. Samuel hinted at his recruitment being open earlier in the month, adding that he planned to take official visits to several schools, including Alabama, Florida, Syracuse and UCF.

Florida’s 2025 recruiting class

The loss of Samuel brings Florida down to 13 verbal commitments from the class of 2025. While the Gators still have four-star cornerback Ben Hanks Jr. in the fold, he’s the only defensive back in the class for now.

Florida has offered 27 different safeties from the class of 2025, according to Swmap247, but all of them are committed elsewhere already. There is a chance Florida flips one of the in-state targets, but this will be a thin secondary class for the Gators.

Recruiting Summary

Samuel is a consensus four-star recruit who is ranked as high as No. 123 overall in the class of 2025 by On3.

The 247Sports composite puts him at No. 242 nationally and No. 21 at his position, while the On3 industry ranking has him at Nos. 207 and 18, respectively.

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

Florida defensive back target backs off USC commitment

Florida was in a good position with four-star safety Hylton Stubbs before he committed to USC in March. Now he’s back on the market.

Just two weeks removed from his trip to the University of Florida, Mandarin High (Jacksonville) safety [autotag]Hylton Stubbs[/autotag] has decommitted from the University of Southern California.

Stubbs posted a decision letter to social media before deleting it. He has since reposted stories confirming his departure from the program.

“Presently, I feel it is best for me to explore other options to ensure I find the perfect fit for my future both academically and athletically,” Stubbs said. “This journey has been a valuable experience, and I am excited to see what the future holds.”

Florida and Miami are the two favorites to land Stubbs after hosting him on official visits. Stubbs indicated that Florida would be in the race until signing day after leaving Gainesville.

Recruiting Summary

Stubbs is a consensus four-star recruit ranked as high as No. 27 overall in the class of 2025 by Rivals. Both the On3 industry ranking and 247Sports composite have him at No. 56 nationally and at Nos. 6 and 7, respectively, among safeties in the class.

Florida is on top of the On3 recruiting prediction machine with 63.3% odds of signing Stubbs, followed by Miami with 33.2% chances.

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

Minnesota loses the top-ranked OL in its class of 2025

Minnesota loses top-ranked OL in its class of 2025

Minnesota’s class of 2025 took a hit on Sunday when three-star interior offensive lineman Nelson McGuire announced his decommitment.

McGuire was the highest-ranked offensive lineman committed to Minnesota’s class of 2025. His departure moves the group down to a No. 24 overall ranking.

Related: Ranking all 18 Big Ten coaching staffs entering the 2024 football season

The Midlothian, Texas, native is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 853 player in the class of 2025, No. 52 interior offensive lineman and No. 137 recruit from the state of Texas. His departure from the class immediately follows an official visit to in-state Texas Tech.

The Gophers still have 22 players committed to their class of 2025, only two who are currently ranked as blue-chip prospects.

Wisconsin’s class of 2025, meanwhile, added its 21st commitment on Saturday with the addition of three-star edge rusher Nicolas Clayton. The group ranks No. 12 in the national rankings and No. 4 in the new Big Ten.

The Badgers are 1-0 against the Gophers in the Luke Fickell era and will look to extend that mark when the two teams meet in Madison, Wisconsin, to close the 2024 regular season.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.

[lawrence-related id=79191,79282,79542,79537,79466,78713]

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.

[mm-video type=video id=01gdg3yhc6d6jb3c59xg playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gdg3yhc6d6jb3c59xg/01gdg3yhc6d6jb3c59xg-c640babe687004c896ec7a3af514c1b9.jpg]

[lawrence-related id=97916,97905,97946,97876,97941]

[listicle id=97937]

[listicle id=97856]

[listicle id=97885]

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 and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today!

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.

[mm-video type=video id=01gfgzbayv4cbdxvjxrb playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gfgzbayv4cbdxvjxrb/01gfgzbayv4cbdxvjxrb-142626ab7ca33245bbf06bff7b805138.jpg]

[lawrence-related id=94208,94204,94083,94093,94043]

[listicle id=94206]

[listicle id=94200]

[listicle id=94190]

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 and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today!

Four-star wide receiver decommits from LSU

LSU’s 2023 class took a hit on Monday afternoon.

LSU’s 2023 recruiting class suffered a hit on Monday when four-star receiver prospect [autotag]Omarion Miller[/autotag] announced that he’d be re-opening his recruitment.

Miller stuck with LSU through the coaching change, and at one point, he was the only commit LSU had in its 2023 class. He committed when [autotag]Mickey Joseph[/autotag] was the wide receiver’s coach. Joseph is now at Nebraska, where Miller is soon visiting.

According to 247Sports, Miller is the seventh-best player in Louisiana. In his announcement on Twitter, Miller wrote that he remains interested in LSU but is using this time to check out some other programs. Miller is one of three 2023 blue-chip wide receivers in the state of Louisiana.

[autotag]Shelton Sampson Jr.[/autotag], who attends Catholic High School in Baton Rouge, is a five-star and one of the top pass catchers in the country. Then there’s [autotag]Khai Prean[/autotag], who is listed as an athlete on recruiting sites but refers to himself as a wide receiver in his Twitter bio.

LSU has been gaining momentum on the recruiting trail lately, and Miller’s decommitment is a small setback. Brian Kelly’s staff will still need to respond considering that wide receiver is expected to be a need in next year’s class.

[mm-video type=video id=01g26ap7n0jhrayh42wb playlist_id=01eqbz5s7cf4w69e0n player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g26ap7n0jhrayh42wb/01g26ap7n0jhrayh42wb-52bd6fabe56060dbf9fbc2912bc171c5.jpg]

[listicle id=52860]

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Gators hoops prospect reopens recruitment, still considers UF ‘home’

Seems like with good news always comes the swing of the pendulum in the other direction.

Not long after Florida basketball got word that former VMI point guard Trey Bonham would be joining the team through the transfer portal, effectively replacing the departing [autotag]Tyree Appleby[/autotag], it got some bad news from the recruiting front on Monday. Power forward signee [autotag]Jalen Reed[/autotag] of the 2022 prospect class announced on Twitter that he is reopening his recruitment, though has not ruled out UF as his final destination.

“2022 has brought many changes and after much consideration, I have decided to reopen my recruitment,” according to Reed’s Twitter post. “I am open to the many possibilities while still considering The University of Florida as my college home.”

The 6-foot-10-inch, 220-pound prep prospect from Castaic, California, was considered a four-star prospect in the 2022 class, sitting at No. 75 overall according to the 247Composite, while ranking as the No. 16 power forward as well as the No. 10 player in the state of California. Reed committed to the Orange and Blue in late October and officially signed during the early period in November, choosing Florida over Ole Miss, Arizona State, Maryland, and Oklahoma.

Reed is the second player from the 2022 recruiting class to have cold feet about their commitment, joining five-star prospect [autotag]Malik Reneau[/autotag], who also announced Monday that he is joining the Indiana Hoosiers. That leaves combo guard [autotag]Denzel Aberdeen[/autotag] as the lone remaining commit from the class currently planning on suiting up for [autotag]Todd Golden[/autotag]’s team next season.

[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=82622,82532,82427,80860,81635]

[listicle id=81437]

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.

5-star LSU basketball signee released from letter of intent, decommits

The Tigers have now seen two signees back off their pledge since firing Will Wade.

LSU has lost yet another 2022 signee in the wake of coach Will Wade’s firing.

On Saturday, five-star Branson (Missouri) Link Academy prospect Julian Phillips announced that he had been released from his letter of intent by the NCAA and would be decommitting from the program. The 6-foot-8-inch, 200-pound power forward is listed as the No. 12 player in his recruiting class.

“Due to the recent changes within the staff, I have been granted my release from the university and will be re-opening my recruitment,” Phillips said in a post on Twitter. “I look forward to the journey of finding a new home.”

Phillips is the second recruit LSU has lost from its 2022 class since the news came down last Saturday that Wade would be dismissed. That decision came shortly after the program received a Notice of Allegations from the NCAA that charged Wade with several Level I violations.

Four-star forward Devin Ree, who had also signed his letter of intent, decommitted from the team earlier this week. That leaves the Tigers with just one player currently committed in the 2022 class: five-star center Yohan Traore.

Traore gave LSU his pledge on Jan. 30, and he’s sticking to it as of now. However, he could still look to join Ree and Phillips in the coming days. As things currently stand, the Tigers have the No. 66 recruiting class in the country, per 247Sports.

[listicle id=49467]

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno