Tag: Dijon Johnson

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.

Florida makes top-10 appearance in ESPN’s 2023 recruiting class rankings

Florida cracked ESPN’s top 10 programs in its recent recruiting rankings.

The Florida Gators are among ESPN’s list of the Top 75 college football teams, based on their 2023 recruiting efforts. The Orange and Blue’s incoming class ranked just inside the top 10, coming in at No. 9.

The Gators had been hovering around the top 10 of the recruiting rankings since July when a surge of commitments created a buzz around the Florida program and first-year head coach Billy Napier. This was a stark contrast from the end of June when Napier penned an open letter to the Gator Nation, pleading for patience and trust in the process.

Napier was a fantastic recruiter at Louisiana, having the No. 1 recruiting class in the Sun Belt in all four seasons at the helm. But he didn’t do this alone. The addition of top-tier assistants such as assistant head coach and defense/cornerbacks coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag], co-defensive coordinator/defensive line coach [autotag]Sean Spencer[/autotag], and many more, have had a massive impact on the recruiting trail. Raymond is considered one of the best, if not the best, defensive backs developers in the nation.

Here is what ESPN’s Craig Haubert had to say about including the Gators in his list of the top 75 college teams:

Billy Napier has taken advantage of in-state talent with several Sunshine State pickups, assembling a strong secondary from that pool. The Gators have added several ESPN 300 DBs, including CBs [autotag]Dijon Johnson[/autotag], [autotag]Ja’Keem Jackson[/autotag] and CB [autotag]Sharif Denson[/autotag], who has good feet and brings a tough, scrappy demeanor. [autotag]Aaron Gates[/autotag], who stayed on even after committing to the previous staff, projects to defensive back and can be a versatile player with his quickness and ball skills. [autotag]Eugene Wilson III[/autotag], listed as an athlete, projects to WR and is a player who tests very well, which will translate to his play on the field. Adding more potential firepower to their passing attack is [autotag]Aidan Mizell[/autotag], a lengthy target with big-play speed. Rashada hails from California but became a big in-state flip from Miami. With a smooth release and good arm strength, the newest Gator is one of the top QBs in the class. [autotag]Knijeah Harris[/autotag] is a nice addition to the trenches, as he has been a multiyear starter at IMG Academy and should come in ready to compete for playing time. They also flipped ESPN 300 OG [autotag]Roderick Kearney[/autotag], a powerful and flexible big man who could work his way into the two-deep quickly, from Florida State. It is hard to win the SEC without being strong along the defensive front, and Collins leads a talented group of defensive linemen.

Notably, [autotag]Jaden Rashada[/autotag]’s name is mentioned in Haubert’s write-up. Rashada, who signed his national letter of intent to play at the University of Florida back in December, has yet to enroll as a student despite expressing his intention to do so. The Rashada story is still developing and it is unclear if he will be on the roster come fall camp.

The official national signing day is scheduled for Feb. 1, with a portion of the 2023 class deciding to enroll early and participate in spring practices.

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Which Florida signees are participating in All-Star games?

Florida’s class of 2023 is almost ready to join the team, but a good chunk of the class still has one more game to play at the high school level.

Before they officially join the team in Gainesville, several of Florida’s signees from the class of 2023 will participate in high school All-Star games in January.

Nearly half the class will play in the Under Armour All-American game on Jan. 3, including five-star quarterback [autotag]Jaden Rashada[/autotag], four-star offensive lineman [autotag]Roderick Kearney[/autotag], three-star lineman [autotag]Knijeah Harris[/autotag] and four-star receiver [autotag]Eugene Wilson III[/autotag] on the offensive side of the ball. Hopefully, Rashad and Wilson can link up at some point during the game to give Gators fans a preview of the dynamic connection headed to Hogtown.

On defense, four-star defensive linemen [autotag]Kelby Collins[/autotag] and [autotag]Will Norman[/autotag] will join four-star safety [autotag]Jordan Castell[/autotag], four-star defensive back [autotag]Sharif Denson[/autotag] and four-star cornerbacks [autotag]Ja’Keem Jackson[/autotag] and [autotag]Dijon Johnson[/autotag] on the field. With a bevy of defensive departures hitting the Gators this offseason, those players should have a decent shot at early playing time.

Then there’s the All-American Bowl on Jan. 7. Four-star Running back Treyaun Webb and four-star defensive lineman Kamran James will represent Florida during their final appearances at the high school level. Webb is a polished product despite splitting carries his senior year, so there’s not much to learn about him, but the staff and fans should get a clearer picture of where James stands as he competes against some of the top players in the country.

It’s almost time for the class of 2023 to transition to the next phase of their career, but it’s always nice to see these players get one last nod of recognition for their dominance at the prep level.

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Florida’s 2023 recruiting class is loaded with early enrolees

With early signing day in the books, we now have a better idea of which members of Florida’s recruiting class of 2023 will early enroll.

Florida head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] went over a lot in his post-early signing day press conference, but one of the major points discussed was just how many of the 20 signees will enroll early. According to Napier, the bulk of the class should arrive in the spring.

Of Florida’s 20 signees, Napier expects 18 to be in Gainesville for spring practices. Rather than listing each name that plans to early enroll, it’s easier to list those who won’t: wide receiver [autotag]Eugene Wilson III[/autotag] and defensive lineman [autotag]Gavin Hill[/autotag].

Adding 18 players to the roster a few months early could be huge for Billy Napier and Co. The Gators are replacing a ton of talent after many draft departures, dismissals and transfers. Getting the new Napier-recruited talent on campus early means more time to teach them the playbook, system, etc. More practice time means a better shot at finding early snaps, too.

“The other thing that’s going to help is you’re going to have 20 players that start in January,” said Napier during his early signing day presser, “and I think that translates to more reps and more teaching and more opportunity to get orientated to the university and just life in general in college. But I do think that there will be a number of this group (that compete for early playing time). They’re going to have to earn it.”

It can’t be overstated how important it was for Florida to bring in a group of recruits that were willing to enroll early, and Napier did an exceptional job making sure everything went according to plan.

In case you’re looking for a full list of early enrollees, here’s a list of the players that should be coming to Gainesville in the spring:

  • 5-star quarterback [autotag]Jaden Rashada[/autotag]
  • 4-star running back [autotag]Treyaun Webb[/autotag]
  • 4-star receiver [autotag]Aidan Mizell[/autotag]
  • 4-star receiver [autotag]Andy Jean[/autotag]
  • 4-star offensive lineman [autotag]Roderick Kearney[/autotag]
  • 3-star offensive lineman [autotag]Knijeah Harris[/autotag]
  • 3-star offensive tackle [autotag]Bryce Lovett[/autotag]
  • 4-star defensive lineman [autotag]Kelby Collins[/autotag]
  • 4-star defensive lineman [autotag]Kamran James[/autotag]
  • 4-star defensive lineman [autotag]TJ Searcy[/autotag]
  • 4-star defensive linemen [autotag]Will Norman[/autotag]
  • 4-star linebacker [autotag]Jaden Robinson[/autotag]
  • 4-star cornerback [autotag]Ja’Keem Jackson[/autotag]
  • 4-star cornerback [autotag]Sharif Denson[/autotag]
  • 4-star safety [autotag]Dijon Johnson[/autotag]
  • 4-star safety [autotag]Jordan Castell[/autotag]
  • 4-star safety [autotag]Bryce Thornton[/autotag]
  • 4-star athlete [autotag]Aaron Gates[/autotag]

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Florida makes ESPN’s 2023 recruiting class rankings top 10

The Florida Gators are in the top 10 of ESPN’s national 2023 recruiting rankings. They are the fifth-highest SEC program.

The Florida Gators 2023 recruiting class comes in at No. 9 in ESPN’s 2023 recruiting rankings after early signing day wrapped up on Wednesday.

The Gators had been hovering around the top ten of the recruiting rankings since July when a surge of commitments created a buzz around the Florida program and first-year head coach Billy Napier. This is a stark contrast from the end of June when Napier penned an open letter to the Gator Nation essentially pleading for patience and trust in the process.

Napier was a fantastic recruiter at Louisiana, having the No. 1 recruiting class in the Sun Belt in all four seasons at the helm. But he didn’t do this alone. The addition of top-tier assistants such as assistant head coach and defense/cornerbacks coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag], co-defensive coordinator, defensive line coach [autotag]Sean Spencer[/autotag], and many more, have had a massive impact on the recruiting trail. Raymond is considered one of the best, if not the best, defensive backs developers in the nation.

Here is what ESPN’s Craig Haubert had to say about the Gators’ No. 9 ranking:

Billy Napier has taken advantage of in-state talent with several Sunshine State pickups, assembling a strong secondary from that pool. The Gators have added several ESPN 300 DBs, including CBs [autotag]Dijon Johnson[/autotag], [autotag]Ja’Keem Jackson[/autotag] and CB [autotag]Sharif Denson[/autotag], who has good feet and brings a tough, scrappy demeanor. [autotag]Aaron Gates[/autotag], who stayed on even after committing to the previous staff, projects to defensive back and can be a versatile player with his quickness and ball skills. [autotag]Eugene Wilson III[/autotag], listed as an athlete, projects to WR and is a player who tests very well, which will translate to his play on the field. Adding more potential firepower to their passing attack is [autotag]Aidan Mizell[/autotag], a lengthy target with big-play speed. Rashada hails from California but became a big in-state flip from Miami. With a smooth release and good arm strength, the newest Gator is one of the top QBs in the class. [autotag]Knijeah Harris[/autotag] is a nice addition to the trenches, as he has been a multiyear starter at IMG Academy and should come in ready to compete for playing time. They also flipped ESPN 300 OG [autotag]Roderick Kearney[/autotag], a powerful and flexible big man who could work his way into the two-deep quickly, from Florida State. It is hard to win the SEC without being strong along the defensive front, and Collins leads a talented group of defensive linemen.

The players Haubert named are considered to be the elite of this Florida class.

The smaller class was strategic for Napier, as he needs scholarships available to be active in the transfer portal. Prioritizing quality over quantity was a point of emphasis Napier made in his opening press conference and subsequent open letter to the fan base.

The official national signing day is scheduled for Feb. 1, 2023, with a portion of the 2023 class deciding to enroll early and participate in spring practices.

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Gators crack On3 consensus’ top 10 teams in 2023 recruiting class rankings

Here’s where On3’s consensus has the Gators’ 2023 recruiting class ranked after early signing day.

College football’s early signing period has begun and the Florida Gators have been hard at work securing the top prep prospects in the nation for a spot in the Swamp next season. After former head coach [autotag]Dan Mullen[/autotag]’s tenure, in which recruiting took a back seat to the action on the field, first-year skipper [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and his crew have put in the extra effort to restore pride to the Orange and Blue.

Now that the first day of the early signing day is now in the rearview mirror, it is time to take a look at what some of the major publications think about the Gators’ latest brood. According to the On3 consensus, Florida cracked the top 10 in its recruiting rankings slipping into the final spot.

Here is what On3’s recruiting desk writer Drew Schott had to offer on Napier’s results thus far.

Top Commit: Gardendale (Alabama) defensive lineman [autotag]Kelby Collins[/autotag], No. 59 in On3 Consensus

Summary: Billy Napier and his staff sparked one of the top storylines of the 2023 cycle by flipping four-star quarterback [autotag]Jaden Rashada[/autotag] from Miami on Nov. 10. Rashada gives the Gators a top-100 signal-caller to pair with a talented offensive class. Florida has signatures from four-star wide receivers [autotag]Aidan Mizell[/autotag] and [autotag]Eugene Wilson III[/autotag], as well as four-star running back [autotag]Treyaun Webb[/autotag]. The Gators also have a strong defensive back group with four-star cornerback [autotag]Dijon Johnson[/autotag], four-star cornerback [autotag]Ja’Keem Jackson[/autotag] and four-star safety [autotag]Jordan Castell[/autotag]. Recruiting the Sunshine State is a priority for Napier, but he has also landed pledges from out-of-state, including Collins. However, four-star EDGE [autotag]Isaiah Nixon[/autotag] flipped to UCF on national signing day.

The Southeastern Conference has a total of four teams in the top 10, led by the Alabama Crimson Tide and Georgia Bulldogs at Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, followed by the LSU Tigers (No. 7) in addition to Florida. The Gators currently have 18 four-star and two three-star players committed in this recruiting cycle, making them the second-highest-ranking team without a five-star signee behind the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who ranks at No. 8.

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Here’s what Billy Napier said after early national signing day

Here’s what Billy Napier had to say about each player that signed with Florida during the early signing period.

Florida got 20 commits to sign during the 2023 early signing period, and [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] had a lot to say about the class following all the action.

Napier spoke to the press Wednesday afternoon/evening after an hour-long delay that allowed quarterback [autotag]Jaden Rashada[/autotag]’s name to be added to the list of signees. Florida’s head coach spoke in-depth about each player in the class and Gators Wire has compiled a list of everything that he said.

Coach Napier also tackled general questions about recruiting in-state, the role NIL plays, adding more players through the transfer portal and which member of the class of 2023 will early enroll.

The TL;DR is that Napier’s team feels very confident about each player that was added to the program on Wednesday, and there was a strong emphasis on what kind of home each player came from. Napier firmly believes that being raised by a quality family helps create quality student-athletes.

Here’s a full transcript of everything Napier said on Wednesday.

Tracking Florida’s 2023 early signing period activity

Florida is set to sign most of its 2023 recruiting class on the first day of the early signing period and Gators Wire is keeping track of it all.

The calendar might still read 2022, but the reality is that many of the top recruits in the class of 2023 are signing early and Dec. 21 marks the start of the early signing period. Florida is expected to bring in a strong class in Billy Napier’s first full cycle as head coach, but nothing is ever set in stone until the pen hits the paper.

The February signing date could bring in more names, but the core of the class is signing early and Gators Wire is keeping track of every move the team makes. There usually are some surprises, and Florida is in the hunt for several uncommitted targets set to make their decisions through Friday when the period comes to a close.

Each of Florida’s commitments below is listed in order of expected ceremony start time. As players sign their national letters of intent, the list will update to reflect Florida’s most recent additions.

This 4-star DB commit has locked in his official visit date with Florida

December is a big recruiting month for the entire college football world, and Florida is loading up on official visitors.

Florida only allowed recruits to make official visits on Oct. 15 for the LSU game during the regular season, but the Gators are planning a big weekend in the Swamp now that the year is coming to an end. Several of Florida’s commits that have yet to make their official visits to the university will do so over the next few weeks, and four-star Wharton (Tampa, Florida) defensive back [autotag]Dijon Johnson[/autotag] is the latest to set his plans.

According to 247Sports, Johnson plans to stop by UF for a multi-day visit the weekend of Dec. 9, the same day four other Gators commits have scheduled their official visits. He’ll join fellow four-star defensive backs [autotag]Ja’Keem Jackson[/autotag] and [autotag]Sharif Denson[/autotag], four-star linebacker [autotag]Jaden Robinson[/autotag] and three-star wide receiver [autotag]Tyree Patterson[/autotag]. That quintet will enjoy all the riches that come with a Florida official visit and help recruit four-star UCF defensive line commit [autotag]John Walker[/autotag] and four-star undecided running back [autotag]Mark Fletcher[/autotag].

Johnson might be a key player in Florida’s recruitment of Fletcher. Both were once committed to Ohio State, but Johnson backed off that pledge and flipped to Florida. Now decommitted from OSU, Fletcher is deciding between UF and Miami. Meeting up with a player who made a similar decision could help Fletcher feel more comfortable with his decision.

The Gators are in need of some youth in the secondary and the feeling is that Johnson will get early playing time in the Swamp. Safeties coach and defensive coordinator Patrick Toney was a key player in landing Johnson, so there’s good reason to think that he’ll have a considerable role in the defensive scheme.

Johnson is ranked No. 98 overall on the 247Sports composite and is No. 7 among safeties in the class of 2023.

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This blue-chip Gators commit to play in prestigious Polynesian Bowl

This soon-to-be Gator is heading out to Hawaii for bowl season.

Bowl season is just on the horizon. While the college football ranks are wrapping up their regular season schedules and preparing for their postseason aspirations, members of the high school ranks are also getting set for their winter showcases.

Among those is the Polynesian Bowl, for which four-star Florida football recruit [autotag]Dijon Johnson[/autotag] accepted an invitation to play on Monday. The game, which spawned from the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame in 2017, showcases some of the top senior prep prospects in the nation at Aloha Stadium in Halawa, Hawaii.

The 6-foot-1-inch, 190-pound safety out of Tampa (Florida) Wharton is pretty amped about the opportunity, according to Swamp247.

“I’m excited. It’s pretty far away. So, I’m just excited to go out there and show what I can do while also trying to have some fun on the trip,” the stand-out defensive back offered. “I can’t wait to meet some of the other guys out there. I’m just excited to be a part of the game.”

Johnson is ranked No. 97 overall and No. 7 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 consensus has him at Nos. 101 and 11, respectively.

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