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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