Tag: Isaiah Nixon

Sports Illustrated’s 2023 recruiting class rankings has Gators in top 10

The Gators earned a spot among Sports Illustrated’s top 10 teams in the 2023 recruiting class.

The Florida Gators 2023 recruiting class comes in at No. 10 in Sports Illustrated’s 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 [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]. 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, and 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.

Sports Illustrated’s John Garcia Jr. had this to say, in part, about the Gators’ 2023 Early Signing Day results:

Florida may or may not have pushed a pair of in-state commitments out of the recruiting class this week, which doesn’t pair very well without any reciprocation come signing day. While UF has built a strong and balanced class to date, it struck out on late targets leading up to this week. Billy Napier’s staff did help UF hold on to commits coveted by others, though, like defensive back [autotag]Sharif Denson[/autotag] and wide receiver [autotag]Andy Jean[/autotag].

Four-star Saint Petersburg, Florida, prospect [autotag]Isaiah Nixon[/autotag] is the player Garcia is alleging could have been pushed out of the class. He flipped from Florida to UCF on signing day and, along with losing out on a late push for four-star Orlando prospect John Walker, was the second in-state player the future Big 12 program snagged over the Orange and Blue.

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 February 1st, 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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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.

Florida EDGE commit trending toward early signing period flip

Florida could be losing a member of its recruiting class of 2023 on the first day of the early signing period.

The insiders at both 247Sports and On3 are reporting that Florida edge rusher commit [autotag]Isaiah Nixon[/autotag] is likely to sign with the UCF Knights on Wednesday when the early signing period opens up.

Of course, Nixon was originally committed to the Knights until a June visit to the Swamp forced his initial flip. 247Sports’ Jacob Rudner said that the this move has been described as a “mutual parting of ways,” and On3’s Corey Bender said that he wouldn’t consider this a “flip,” per se.

It shouldn’t take long for some clarity to develop in this situation. Nixon is planning on signing on the first day of the early period, which is less than 24 hours out at this point. It wouldn’t be a national signing day without some drama, and UCF did just land former Gators wide receiver commit [autotag]Tyree Patterson[/autotag] as well. Well played, Knights. Well played.

Nixon is the only edge rusher in Florida’s class labeled as such, but there are plenty of defensive linemen coming in that could shift positions. Florida may need to look more aggressively for an edge in the transfer portal to fill out the depth chart, though.

Nixon is a four-star recruit that is ranked No. 267 overall and No. 32 among edge rushers in the class of 2023 on the 247Sports composite. The On3 consensus is a bit higher on him at No. 250 nationally and No. 27 among those at his position.

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Florida to host 5-star duo on official visits for LSU game

These two five-star teammates made it to the Swamp over the summer, but now they’ll get a chance to see Florida’s campus on game day.

The Florida Gators will have a pair of priority recruiting targets in town on October 15 when the LSU Tigers come to Gainesville.

A pair of five-star teammates from Carver High in Montgomery, Alabama, defensive lineman [autotag]James Smith[/autotag] and edge rusher [autotag]Qua Russaw[/autotag], are expected to take official visits to the University of Florida on that date, according to 247Sports.

Russaw and Smith made their first trip to the Swamp back in July during the same weekend as the team’s Friday Night Lights camp. Recruiters view the duo as a package deal and they’ve each narrowed things down to the same six schools, but it’s possible they end up in different programs. Alabama and Georgia are the two favorites to land them, but Florida is viewed as a dark horse that could pick up steam with a strong visit.

Aside from those three programs, Alabama State, Auburn and Ohio State are still in the race. Alabama State might be the odd man out here, but historically black colleges and universities are picking up steam with some of the top recruits in the country. Those who follow recruiting closely will remember the top recruit in the class of 2022, cornerback Travis Hunter, flipping on signing day from Florida State to Jackson State.

Florida has one of the strongest defensive line classes in the country, though, and that could be what’s enticing Russaw and Smith. On the edge, Russaw would join four-star commit [autotag]Isaiah Nixon[/autotag], who flipped from UCF. At defensive tackle and end, the Gators have almost half a dozen incoming players verbally committed with a four-star grade. [autotag]Kelby Collins[/autotag] leads the group at No. 79 on the 247Sports composite, but adding Russaw and Smith would take the Gators to the next level.

Smith is No. 14 overall on the composite and is ranked No. 2 among defensive linemen in the class of 2023. Russaw is No. 26 overall and No. 3 among edge rushers on the list. Earning commitments from both recruits would immediately put Florida in contention for a top-3 class, but there’s a lot of work to put in until a decision is made.

The duo’s recruitment should continue through the rest of the season and they should stay uncommitted until the early signing period.

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Florida commits in action during Week 2 of high school football

Take a look at how Florida’s top recruits fared this past week on the high school gridiron.

Week one of college football was plenty exciting, but there was still high school football action as well, and Florida’s commits put up some highlights.

Two players were on a bye, four-star receiver [autotag]Eugene Wilson III[/autotag] and four-star defensive lineman [autotag]Will Norman[/autotag]. The latter has had an interesting high school journey that took another turn over the weekend.

A good chunk of the class was in attendance for Florida’s upset win over the Utah Utes on Saturday as well. Seeing the Swamp over capacity and experiencing Billy Napier’s first game day as the head coach of the Gators sat well with them.

Here’s a look at what Florida’s recruiting class of 2023 did over the weekend.

Two Florida coaches in top 15 of 247Sports’ recruiter rankings

Florida’s coaching staff has been on a roll lately, and much of it is thanks to two men in particular. 247Sports has them in their top 15.

When [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] assembled his staff at the University of Florida, he said that he wanted to prioritize recruiting. Twenty commitments into the class of 2023 and one class of 2024 four-star verbally pledge to the Orange and Blue, it’s safe to say that Napier was successful, and the numbers back it up.

Co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach [autotag]Sean Spencer[/autotag] is ranked No. 7 on the 247Sports 2023 football recruiter rankings, and [autotag]Keary Colbert[/autotag] is ranked No. 11, which is good for the second-highest placement of any wide receivers coach on the list.

Spencer has been the primary recruiter on five of Florida’s commitments and has played a secondary role in the recruitment of two others. He’s directly responsible for the additions of No. 70 [autotag]Kelby Collins[/autotag], No. 145 [autotag]Will Norman[/autotag], No. 205 [autotag]Isaiah Nixon[/autotag], No. 218 [autotag]Kamran James[/autotag] and four-star [autotag]Gavin Hill[/autotag]. Despite the battery of four-stars committed to Florida thanks to Spencer, he ranks fourth among defensive line recruiters in the country. Clemson‘s Nick Eason, Notre Dame‘s Al Washington and Alabama‘s Freddie Roach are all ranked above Spencer in ascending order.

Still, it’s clear that coach Chaos’ stint in the NFL paid off, and he’s once again at the top of the recruiting game. Florida has the potential to bring in the strongest defensive line classes in the upcoming cycle, assuming all commitments put pen to paper during one of the signing periods.

Colbert has been the primary on five recruits as well, all of whom will play receiver for UF. No. 78 [autotag]Aidan Mizell[/autotag] leads the group and should be paired with No. 142 [autotag]Eugene Wilson III[/autotag] to do some damage. Four-stars [autotag]Andy Jean[/autotag] and [autotag]Creed Whittemore[/autotag] round out the blue-chip names in the class and three-star [autotag]Tyree Patterson[/autotag] adds some depth to the class. And there’s potential to add more receivers to the group.

The only other receivers coach ranked higher by 247Sports is Ohio State‘s Brian Hartline, who has brought in four recruits that average a 96.48 grade. The next receivers coach on the list is Texas’ Brennan Marion at No. 20 and three commits under his belt.

Florida’s other co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach [autotag]Patrick Toney[/autotag] is ranked No. 31 and the only other Gator inside the top 100. Cornerbacks coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag] should be next to break that threshold if he can add one of his high-profile targets. Currently ranked No. 101, adding either four-star [autotag]Dijon Johnson[/autotag] or five-star [autotag]Cormani McClain[/autotag] should do the trick for Raymond.

Outside linebackers coach [autotag]Mike Peterson[/autotag] is ranked No. 111, offensive coordinator and offense line coach [autotag]Rob Sale[/autotag] is ranked No. 188, inside linebacker coach [autotag]Jay Bateman[/autotag] is No. 190, tight ends coach [autotag]William Peagler[/autotag] is No. 240 and running backs coach [autotag]Jabbar Juluke[/autotag] rounds out the group at No. 338 on the list. Assistant offensive line coach [autotag]Darnell Stapleton[/autotag] received secondary credits for four commitments and ranks No. 259 as well.

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Florida picks up commitment No. 18 from 4-star Alabama DL

Billy Napier can’t be stopped. Florida added commitment No. 18 to the class of 2023 on Saturday and jumped up a spot in the team rankings.

The Florida Gators earned a verbal commitment from four-star defensive lineman [autotag]Kelby Collins[/autotag] on Saturday.

Collins picked Florida over Alabama and Georgia at a ceremony held at Gardendale High in Alabama. Despite some technical difficulties, Collins delivered the news with an emphatic Gator chomp, signaling that UF had indeed picked up commitment No. 18 in the class.

He joins fellow defensive line commits [autotag]TJ Searcy[/autotag], [autotag]Gavin Hill[/autotag] and [autotag]Isaiah Nixon[/autotag] in the class with the potential to add four-star lineman [autotag]Kamran James[/autotag] on Sunday. The 247Sports composite ranks Collins No. 70 overall in the class of 2023 and No. 6 among defensive linemen. Adding him moves Florida ahead of USC into the No. 12 spot on the 247Sports’ team rankings and adding James could move UF into the top 10.

Collins is now Florida’s highest-ranked commitment, per 247Sports’ rankings, and has the Gators on the cusp of bringing in one of the top defensive line classes in the country.

247Sports’ Blake Alderman reported that Collins narrowed things down to Alabama and Florida in the days leading up to the decision and informed Billy Napier‘s staff of his decision beforehand. It’s a big win for Napier, who proved he can go into Alabama as a first-year Power Five coach and land a kid the Tide wanted.

“I just fell in love with the program and the coaches,” Collins said. “They got a real plan. All the players have bought in for such a short period of time and that stuck out. The history all the coaches got and the energy they bring every day is something you want to be around.”

The early panic from Florida fans is now well in the past and Napier’s first real recruiting class is shaping up to be quite a success. Adding a few more blue-chip recruits ([autotag]Cormani McClain[/autotag] being the most important name on the wishlist) to round out a top-10 class should bring his approval rating to an all-time high.

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Florida football lands commitment from 4-star DL on Independence Day

It’s an Independence Day surprise! The Florida Gators have picked up another commitment from the class of 2023.

After teasing a decision by the end of the summer over the weekend, four-star edge rusher [autotag]TJ Searcy[/autotag] has committed to the University of Florida over Clemson, South Carolina and Tennessee.

The Upson-Lee (Thomaston, Georgia) recruit made things official on Independence Day with a post on social media that read “Happy 4th” with an emoji of a Gator and a blue heart above his commitment photo.

Searcy is the second four-star edge rusher to join the class along with former UCF commit [autotag]Isaiah Nixon[/autotag]. Although he’s listed as a defensive lineman by most recruiting services, Searcy is headed to Florida as a JACK edge rusher and is expected to play a similar role to the one [autotag]Brenton Cox Jr[/autotag]. will have this year. His strength is rushing the passer but he also possesses the versatility to drop back into coverage if necessary.

Outside linebacker coach Mike Peterson played a key role in getting him to Gainesville, and now the job is to develop a relatively raw prospect into an NFL-ready player. At 6-foot-5-inches tall and 250-pounds, Searcy certainly has the frame to succeed in the SEC.

Florida is back up to No. 38 overall on 247Sports’ team recruiting rankings. Losing [autotag]Tommy Kinsler[/autotag] on Saturday caused the Gators to dip back into the 40s, but Searcy brings the commitment list back up to nine players and raises the average grade of the class from 0.8964 to 0.9006 as the newest top recruit.

The 247Sports composite ranks Searcy at No. 153 overall in the class of 2023 and No. 20 among defensive linemen. The On3 consensus has him in the same spot in its national rankings, but it’s worth noting that On3’s individual rankings have him at No. 49 overall.

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Who ruled Florida in football recruiting for June? The answer might surprise you.

You’ll be surprised which school won the recruiting war in the Sunshine State last month.

The college football recruiting trail was blazing hot in June matching the rising mercury, and while there were some ups and downs over the past 30 days, overall the Gators hung tough as the dog days of summer continue to roll in.

One of new head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]’s biggest goals in turning around a struggling Florida football program is to dominate the recruiting scene within his school’s home state. Despite the recent decommitment from one three-star Sunshine State prospect, seven of the Gators’ current eight commits hail from the Sunshine State. However, the Orange and Blue were not the overall winners on their home turf last month.

According to Jon Santucci and Chris Boyle over at the Gainesville Sun, it was the Ohio State Buckeyes who lured the most top prospects from the Gators’ own backyard in their recent ranking of the 10 schools that fared the best on the recruiting trail in the nation’s southern-most state. Here is how they justified their No. 1 pick.

If it feels like Florida boundaries should be redrawn to add Columbus, there’s a good reason. Ohio State has dominated the state this cycle with six commitments. The Buckeyes put an exclamation point on an already loaded class with the top two receivers in the state (and maybe the nation) in Tate and Inniss. Anything the Buckeyes do in Florida between now and December will just be showing off.

While a northern school coming in and carpetbagging talent from the south is enough to get any Gator fan’s blood boiling, Florida did rank second on the list (keeping in mind that this was published before the recent decommitment news).

Billy Napier and his staff had a great close to the month, picking up commitments from defensive lineman [autotag]Gavin Hill[/autotag], cornerback [autotag]Sharif Denson[/autotag], edge rusher [autotag]Isaiah Nixon[/autotag] and offensive lineman [autotag]Tommy Kinsler[/autotag] in an eight-day period. The Gators now have eight players committed from Florida and, from what we’re hearing, are doing a great job building relationships around the state.

Florida is followed by the Miami Hurricanes at No. 3, with the South Carolina Gamecocks, Clemson Tigers, Pitt Panthers, Michigan State Spartans, Cincinnati Bearcats, Rutgers Scarlet Knights and Maryland Terrapins trailing behind, respectively. The Alabama Crimson Tide, Oklahoma Sooners, Tennesee Volunteers, Texas A&M Aggies and UCF Knights all earned honorable mentions on the list.

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