Tag: Desmond Ricks

Top-ranked 2024 running back to attend Gators’ recruiting weekend

Top-10 overall player in the 2024 class Jerrick Gibson is scheduled to visit Gainesville this month along with his IMG Academy teammates.

Arguably [autotag]Billy Napier'[/autotag]s biggest target in the 2024 class will be in Gainesville at the end of the month for a massive recruiting weekend.

[autotag]Jerrick Gibson[/autotag], the No. 1 running back in the 2024 class, is scheduled to be a part of Florida’s Friday Night Lights recruiting event on July 29. Friday Night Lights is an annual recruiting event where recruits get one-on-one work with Florida coaches and staff underneath the lights of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

Gibson, a Gainesville native, should also be in attendance at the Gators’ cookout scheduled for July 30. He is expected to be joined by IMG Academy teammates [autotag]Desmond Ricks[/autotag], [autotag]Knijeah Harris[/autotag], and [autotag]Will Norman[/autotag]. IMG Academy, a private boarding school and training facility in Bradenton, has become a priority for Napier and his staff, landing only Florida’s second ever player from the academy in Napier’s transition cycle when five-star safety [autotag]Kamari Wilson[/autotag] early-enrolled in January.

Gibson previously committed to the Gators at last year’s Friday Night Lights under [autotag]Dan Mullen[/autotag]’s staff but reopened his commitment in February of this year. The 5-foot-10.5-inch, 190-pound back made his first visit with Napier on March 5, making this his second trip back to his hometown to meet with the new head ball coach.

According to the On3 consensus ranking, Gibson is listed as the No. 9 overall player in the 2024 recruiting class and holds offers from programs such as Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Notre Dame, USC, Texas, Texas A&M, Oregon, Miami, Tennessee, and many others.

It’s safe to say that this top-10 overall player, IMG Academy standout and Gainesville native is near the top, if not at the top, of Billy Napier’s 2024 recruiting board.

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Aggies among top schools for 2024 cornerback Desmond Ricks

Aggies land in Top 10 for 2024 Cornerback, Desmond Ricks

Every recruiting cycle, there is always one player that separates himself from the entire rankings, no matter where he is positioned either due to his immense athleticism, speed, strength, or general football instincts.

In the 2024 recruiting class, that player may just be IMG Academy’s, Desmond Ricks. On Saturday, July 9, Ricks listed his initial Top 10, which included Alabama, Florida, Miami, Oregon, Ohio State, Texas A&M, LSU, Oklahoma, USC, and Jackson State. This big surprise was the commission of Florida State, which had been the unchallenged favorite earlier on for the young defensive back.

Texas A&M offered Ricks on January 14, and so far, he has taken unofficial visits to Florida, Florida State, Alabama, and Miami, with a visit to College Station, Texas hopefully coming sooner than later as the Aggies are officially on his radar.

In a scouting report by Southeast Recruiting Analyst for 247Sports, Andrew Ivins, he described Ricks’s ability on the field:

A promising cornerback prospect with all the right traits. Got starter reps as a sophomore at the national powerhouse that is IMG Academy and held his own. Rather advanced from a technical standpoint as he understands how to mirror with his hips and gain depth while in reverse. Longer arms help him takeaway throwing lanes while quick-twitch muscle fibers allow him to jump routes and make plays at all different levels. Grew up running track and tested off the charts spring before his junior season clocking the fastest 40-yard dash and positing the second-highest vertical jump at IMG Academy’s annual Pro Day. Must keep progressing and adding some core strength over the years as that will make him more effective in run support, but looks to have one of the highest ceilings out of anyone in the class of 2024 given his ball skills, foot speed and frame. Should be viewed as a future impact player on Saturdays and someone that could eventually suit up on Sundays. Likely to get on the field sooner rather than later as he appears to be well ahead of the curve.

As the Aggies will continue to focus on building their 2023 recruiting class throughout the summer and heading into the fall, keeping an open dialogue with Desmond Ricks as he continues to take visits and begins narrowing down his list is of the utmost importance.

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Alabama Morning Drive: Tide could add second QB commitment today

Four-star quarterback Dylan Lonergan will make his commitment later this afternoon.

Good morning, Tide fans! Welcome back to another Monday edition of Alabama Morning Drive. I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend and is ready for the weekday grind.

It looks like it is officially commitment season for members of the class of 2023. Plenty of the nation’s top prospects have made their verbals over the last several days and more is expected to come very soon.

One such player is four-star quarterback prospect, Dylan Lonergan. Lonergan hails from Snellville, Georgia, and has a final three of Alabama, South Carolina, and Stanford.

Over the past few days, Lonergan has received several crystal ball predictions in favor of Alabama on 247Sports, and On3’s RPM also heavily favors the Crimson Tide at 84.2%.

Aside from being a star on the gridiron, Lonergan is also a talented player on the baseball diamond.

Lonergan will make his commitment on Monday, July 11 at 3:00 p.m. CT.

Let’s take a quick look at a few other stories involving the Crimson Tide this morning.

Tigers make the cut for 2024 5-star cornerback

Desmond Ricks is the No. 2 overall prospect in the 2024 cycle.

[autotag]Desmond Ricks[/autotag] is a 6-foot-1, 170-pound cornerback from Bradenton, Florida, where he plays for the highly esteemed IMG Academy.

He released his top 10 on Saturday, and LSU was among the teams that made the cut. A five-star prospect, Ricks is ranked as the No. 2 player in the 2024 recruiting class by every recruiting site, and he is the No. 1 player on the defensive side of the ball.

Ricks was previously crystal balled to Florida State by two different people, but the Seminoles did not even make his top 10, so that will certainly impact future projections. Alabama is a 43.5% favorite to land him per On3 recruiting.

LSU is widely referred to as DBU (Defensive Back University) because of how many draft picks have come from the LSU secondary. The pedigree of talented defensive backs is long and it grows every year. It includes [autotag]Tyrann Mathieu[/autotag], [autotag]Patrick Peterson[/autotag], [autotag]Jamal Adams[/autotag], [autotag]Morris Claiborne[/autotag], and [autotag]Derek Stingley Jr.[/autotag]

Who wouldn’t want to add their name to a list like that?

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Alabama makes top-10 list for nation’s best 2024 CB Desmond Ricks

2024 defensive back Desmond Ricks announced his top ten on Saturday with Alabama in the mix.

The Alabama coaching staff is picking up steam on the 2023 and 2024 recruiting trails. On Saturday, 2024 defensive back Desmond Ricks released his top-ten schools, Alabama being one of them. The other schools listed were Jackson State, LSU, Oregon, Miami, Ohio State, USC, Oklahoma, Florida, and Texas A&M.

Ricks is a native of Chesapeake, Virginia but plays at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Trey Sanders, Evan Neal, Stephon Wynn Jr., Tyler Booker and Ja’Corey Brooks were all IMG products before joining the Crimson Tide.

Ricks has been a priority target for the Tide ever since receiving an offer in September of 2021. On3’s RPM favors Alabama at 43.5% likelihood to land the stellar defensive back.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama football as the recruiting cycle begins to heat up.

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Gators to get visit from top cornerback in 2024 recruiting class

Another hot prospect plans to make his way to Gainesville for the cookout at the end of this month.

The college football recruiting hot stoved has shifted gears after a June that saw an intense flurry of campus visits for numerous top prep prospects in the nation. Now that many gave gotten a gander at what various programs have to offer the commitments for the 2023 class have started rolling in.

However, there are still plenty of recruits who still have not made up their minds plus the upcoming classes behind them who need to be wooed. The Florida Gators have an upcoming weekend event at the end of this month set to host many of these undecideds as well as the hopeful youngsters dreaming of wearing the Orange and Blue with Friday Night Lights — the annual high school football showcase presented by the school and held in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium — as well as a team cookout the following days.

Among those now set to attend the latter festivities is five-star cornerback [autotag]Desmond Ricks[/autotag] out of Bradenton (Florida) IMG Academy, who is the highest-rated player at his position and the top recruit from the state of Florida overall in the 2024 class, according to both 247Sports and On3. It will be the second visit for the 6-foot-1-inch, 170-pound cornerback, who made an unofficial stop in Gainesville back in late January.

The Virginia native currently holds offers from the Alabama Crimson Tide, Georgia Bulldogs, LSU Tigers, Texas A&M Aggies, Oklahoma Sooners, Oregon Ducks, Michigan Wolverines, Miami Hurricanes and Florida State Seminoles, as well as many others.

Rick is also ranked No. 2 overall nationally according to both 247Sports and the On3, as the traditional scouting rankings and the composites from both services line up perfectly. The Seminoles currently hold two crystal balls for him per 247Sports while On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine has the Tide out front with a 43.5% chance of landing him and FSU in second at 26.9%.

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Florida considered a frontrunner for No. 1 recruit in class of 2024

The No. 1 recruit in the class of 2024 is looking at the Gators early on.

We’re still a few years away from seeing the class of 2024 make its way to college, but that doesn’t mean recruiters are waiting to get in good with the nation’s top talent. The No. 1 player on both the 247Sports composite and On3 consensus is IMG Academy cornerback [autotag]Desmond Ricks[/autotag], and Florida is surging early on in his recruitment, according to Gators Online.

It’s no secret that Billy Napier has prioritized recruits out of IMG, snagging five-star safety [autotag]Kamari Wilson[/autotag] for his transition class and adding four-star [autotag]Knijeah Harris[/autotag] to the class of 2023. Both are helping the coaching staff keep the Orange and Blue at the front of Ricks’ mind, which is good considering he’s the crown jewel of 2024.

Florida, Alabama, LSU and Miami are the four schools standing out early, but there’s plenty of time for those to change. His family is moving to Florida currently, so Florida and Miami could surge in the coming months on proximity alone. A recent trip to Coral Gables has created a lot of buzz and Ricks isn’t shy about his reverence of Gators cornerbacks coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag].

“Coach Corey Raymond, I can’t turn him down,” Ricks said to Chad Simmons of On3. “He’s the GOAT at the end of the day. It’s all about getting developed, and there that wouldn’t be a question.”

At 6-foot-1-inch and 175 pounds, Ricks is a good size for a cornerback and is battle-tested against the nation’s best.

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Ohio State offers 5-star 2024 cornerback out of Florida

Would be a huge land if Ohio State can stay in the running for one of the best in the country for 2024.

Things are always moving and shaking when it comes to big-time college football recruiting — especially at THE Ohio State University. And while Ryan Day and staff are still in the pretty early stages of putting together the 2023 class, they are always looking out to the next cycle because you have to get in on some of the best talent early and stay on them.

And so it is with the latest offer Ohio State just dished out. According to his Twitter account, the Buckeyes offered a scholarship to 5-star 2024 defensive back Desmond Ricks out of the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida on Wednesday.

Here is the low down on Ricks and why he could be an important piece of the 2024 class should OSU be able to land his services.

NEXT … Desmond Ricks’ Recruiting Profile

Top-ranked recruit in the class of 2024 to visit LSU this weekend

LSU will have a massive recruiting target on campus this weekend in cornerback Desmond Ricks, the No. 1 prospect in the 2024 class.

LSU will have a massive recruiting target on campus this weekend.

Cornerback Desmond Ricks, currently the top-ranked recruit in the 247Sports Composite for the class of 2024, announced on Twitter that he would be taking a visit to Baton Rouge this upcoming weekend.

Ricks, who attends IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, is originally from Virginia. It’s still early in Ricks’ recruitment as he won’t be signing for almost two more years, but getting a recruit in the door is the first step.

On3 has Ricks’ NIL Valuation at $32,000. On3 describes that metric as a way to estimate a player’s worth in NIL deals, it is not a tracker of current deals.

247 Sports scouting report paints Ricks as a player who excels at the technical parts of the game while also having track star speed. If Ricks does end up at LSU, he’d join a long list of five-star cornerbacks who the Tigers have landed over the years. Cornerback is a position of need for LSU after losing some to the transfer portal.

According to On3, cornerback Caleb Presley and wide receiver Robby Washington will also be taking a visit to LSU this weekend. Presley and Washington, both four-stars, are a part of the 2023 class. Washington holds a 247 crystal ball to Miami at the moment.

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Billy Napier hoping to have continued success at IMG Academy

Billy Napier already broke the IMG Academy course at Florida, and he’s hoping to land more recruits from the in-state program in the years to come.

Billy Napier’s first big moment as Florida’s head coach came when he landed one of the top safeties in the nation, IMG Academy’s Kamari Wilson, during the early signing period.

Wilson immediately brought star power to the Gators’ 2022 recruiting class, and his signing broke a decade-long IMG Academy curse despite the elite high school program being located in Bradenton. Following the announcement, Napier said that the plan was to keep a relationship with IMG Academy and to bring in more recruits from the in-state gold mine.

Napier took another step in building that relationship this weekend by hosting two of IMG’s top recruits. 2023 four-star defensive lineman Will Norman and Desmond Ricks, the top cornerback in the class of 2024, were unofficial visitors at Florida over the weekend before the dead period begins on Monday.

Norman wants to be committed by the start of his senior year, and he’s not short on offers. Auburn, Florida State, Kentucky, LSU, Michigan, Oklahoma and Texas A&M are just a few of the names competing for him, but Norman claims that no one is out in front just yet.

Landing a four-star or five-star recruit from IMG in each of his first three years would be quite the feat for Napier considering Florida’s track record with the school. He’ll have help from Wilson who loves recruiting top tier-talent to play alongside him, especially if they’re from his alma mater.

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