Featuring recruits in the 2021 class from all 50 United States, Sports Illustrated released their first annual All-American watch list on July 15.
John Garcia, Jr., SI’s Director of Recruiting, spearheaded this project and AllGators’ Demetrius Harvey composed the initial list of the 18 Florida Gators commits to make the cut.
A total of 1,000 prospects earned this preseason recognition, with more than 700 of them having already announced their collegiate destination.
10 of the future Gators to receive this honor project to contribute on the offensive side of the football in Gainesville, led by Ocala four-star wide receiver Trevonte Rucker.
The No. 33 wideout in the class, per the 247Sports Composite, Rucker stands just under six feet and tips the scales at a reported 157 pounds. He will need to add some muscle to withstand the physicality of the Southeastern Conference, but strength and conditioning coach Nick Savage should have little trouble accomplishing that.
Each of the other two other receiver commits, Seffner’s Charles Montgomery and Loganville, Georgia’s Daejon Reynolds, both fellow four-stars, made the cut, as well. While listed as a wideout in this exercise, the 5-foot-10, 185-pound Montgomery will likely line up in the backfield and see some carries at the collegiate level, too.
Both quarterback pledges, four-star Carlos Del Rio-Wilson and Burleson, Texas three-star Jalen Kitna, also earned the nod from SI.
Set to play his senior season at Grayson High School, where he will be teammates with Reynolds, Del Rio-Wilson has been steadily rising in the recruiting ranks after a strong showing at the Elite 11 Finals in Nashville, Tennessee from June 29-to-July 1.
Other offensive commits to receive this recognition were Tampa four-star tight end Gage Wilcox, and four three-stars, Jacksonville tight end Nick Elksnis, and Orlando’s Javonte Gardner, Stone Mountain, Georgia’s George Jackson, and Lynn Haven’s Adrein Strickland, all offensive tackle prospects.
On the defensive side of the football, Fort Lauderdale four-star defensive end Tyreak Sapp, Florida’s highest-rated player in the class, led the charge. He was joined by future linemates Justus Boone, another four-star from Sumter, South Carolina, and Fort Myers three-star Christopher Thomas.
Carrollton, Georgia four-star Chief Borders was the lone linebacker pledge to make the list, with the other four future defensive Gators, Baltimore, Maryland’s Clinton Burton, Jr. and Bradenton’s Kamar Wilcoxson, both four-stars, and Winter Park’s Dakota Mitchell and Tampa’s Jordan Young, each three-stars, all residing in the secondary.
This means all 18 of Florida’s current high school commits made the list, with the two other players in the cycle, four-star outside linebacker Diwun Black and three-star guard Deyavie Hammond, both being junior college transfers.
247Sports ranks the program’s 2021 class as the ninth-best in the nation, while ESPN is slightly higher on the group, pegging them at No. 7.
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