Tag: Jabbar Juluke

2023 Recruiting Profile: RB Cedric Baxter Jr. is a top UF target

Here’s a recruiting breakdown of one of Florida’s top recruiting targets, Cedric Baxter Jr.

Running back [autotag]Cedric Baxter Jr[/autotag]. is a 4-star prep prospect out of Edgewater in Orlando, Florida, who ranks among the best at his position in the 2023 recruiting cycle. Residing in Florida football’s backyard, he is an obvious target for new head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag], who has a propensity for focusing on the ground game.

Running backs coach [autotag]Jabbar Juluke[/autotag] has worked hard on building a solid relationship with Baxter, stepping up to re-offer the young running back after receiving one previously from [autotag]Dan Mullen[/autotag]’s staff. While there are a couple of other big names who are also in play, the 6-foot-1-inch, 215-pound back is receiving no shortage of attention from the Gators.

In 12 games played during his junior year, Baxter amassed 1,718 yards and 26 touchdowns on the ground with an average of 8.3 yards per carry — thrice rushing for over 200 yards — while snagging seven passes for 102 yards and another score, earning him all-state recognition. His team went 10-2 and earned a district title in Florida’s second-highest classification thanks in part to his efforts.

Cedric Baxter Jr.’s Recruiting Profile

Film

Florida DC stopping by this Texas A&M commit’s school

Sean Spencer is in Texas this week to see 4-star defensive lineman Anthony James in person.

Florida defensive line coach and co-defensive coordinator Sean “Chaos” Spencer will continue his travels around the country this week and his next stop is the Longhorn state. Swamp247‘s Blake Alderman reported that one of Spencer’s more notable will be to Wylie East High School, the home of four-star Texas A&M defensive line commit [autotag]Anthony James[/autotag].

The 6-foot-5-inch, 245-pounder has an official visit scheduled with Florida for the weekend of June 3. He also has trips planned to Miami and Washington over the summer. Despite looking at other options, James still says that the Aggies are his team as of now. He’s just making sure that College Station is the best fit for him after being one of the first in the class to commit.

Spencer and running backs coach [autotag]Jabbar Juluke[/autotag] have been his main points of contact with UF since picking up an offer from [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and Co. toward the end of March. The June visit should add another level of depth to the relationship between James and Florida.

Ranked No. 118 overall on the 247Sports composite, James is one of the premier defensive linemen in the class. He stands at No. 16 among players on the D-line and jumps up to No. 7 in 247Sports’ individual rankings. It won’t be easy to sway him away from Texas A&M, but there certainly seems to be an avenue to get the job done.

Interestingly, the Aggies don’t have a date scheduled to host James but he has said in the past that they’ll get the last crack at him.

[mm-video type=video id=01g2wm5racw97y3ztjrk playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g2wm5racw97y3ztjrk/01g2wm5racw97y3ztjrk-4cd8a74f9512d12e750d737477220239.jpg]

[lawrence-related id=83868,83802,83793,83723,83720]

[listicle id=83838]

[listicle id=83878]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today!

Florida football makes this coveted running back’s top 12

Florida made three-star running back Parker Jenkins’s list of top 12 schools on Sunday.

Florida made three-star running back [autotag]Parker Jenkins[/autotag]’ list of top 12 schools on Sunday along with Northwestern, Arkansas, Oklahoma State, Boston College, Florida State, SMU, Ole Miss, Houston, Oregon, LSU and Tennessee.

The 247Sports composite ranks him as 367th overall prospect and the 25th best running back in the country. Jenkins hails from Houston, Texas, and the Tigers currently hold the crystal ball prediction.

Even though Jenkins dropped a large list, it’s impressive Florida made his list of top schools considering it only offered him on May 4.

The Gators have quite a few running backs ahead on their board like five-star [autotag]Richard Young[/autotag], four-stars [autotag]Cedric Baxter Jr[/autotag]. and [autotag]Treyaun Webb[/autotag].

They sit in a great spot for Baxter and Webb currently. Head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and running backs coach [autotag]Jabbar Juluke[/autotag] want to take two running backs this cycle due to the committee approach they take in the backfield.

Florida likely wouldn’t push for Jenkins unless they miss on Baxter and Webb.

[mm-video type=video id=01g14nqpgjmqwwt7t8dn playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g14nqpgjmqwwt7t8dn/01g14nqpgjmqwwt7t8dn-175232225759855a847269f1c3d0dd86.jpg]

[lawrence-related id=83793,83723,83720,83717,83713]

[listicle id=83707]

[listicle id=83838]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today!

Florida coaches keeping an eye on nation’s No. 2 RB recruit

Florida has sent coaches in back-to-back weeks to see Richard Young in action. The Gators want that official visit.

Florida’s coaches are out this week checking in on some priority targets at practice and perhaps the top name on running backs coach [autotag]Jabbar Juluke[/autotag]’s list this week is five-star running back [autotag]Richard Young[/autotag] out of Lehigh Acres, Florida.

Juluke visited Young’s practice on Wednesday, according to 247Sports, after defensive backs coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag] was by last week. Florida is in Young’s top seven but he doesn’t appear to have the Gators at the top of the list at this point. Sending guys out to evaluate him each week is just another way to let one of the top running backs in the nation know that Florida is very interested in him.

Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Oregon, Oklahoma and Texas A&M are the other schools vying for Young’s services. The Sooners will get him on June 3 for an official visit, and the Bulldogs are up two weeks later. OSU gets him on June 24 leaving just two more official visits left for him to schedule. The Crimson Tide are expected to receive one of those, so now is the time for Florida to make its push.

The Gators did get Young on campus twice over the spring. He’s gotten to know the new staff well in that time and said he enjoys the family atmosphere down in Gainesville. That said, an official visit is what’s needed to make his words anything more than pleasantries.

Young is the No. 2 overall running back on the 247Sports composite and the No. 19 overall recruit in the class of 2023. The On3 Consensus has him as No. 1 among running backs and No. 24 nationally.

[mm-video type=video id=01g28n0r6qr27mccc370 playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g28n0r6qr27mccc370/01g28n0r6qr27mccc370-f943b832ebf2dab603b22df21dd5d1ac.jpg]

Gators make another visit one of their top 2023 recruiting targets

Florida is sending another coach out to see four-star running back Cedric Baxter Jr. again during the spring evaluation period.

Florida is expected to use its second visit of the spring evaluation period on Thursday to see four-star running back Cedric Baxter Jr., according to Swamp247. Baxter is the Gators’ top target at the running back position this cycle. They recently made his list of top five schools, including Arkansas, Miami, Texas and Texas A&M.

Last week, head coach Billy Napier sent area recruiter and offensive line coach [autotag]Darnell Stapleton[/autotag] to see Baxter in Orlando, Florida. This week Florida is sending running backs coach [autotag]Jabbar Juluke[/autotag].

Baxter is currently ranked as the 26th overall prospect and the second-best at his position, according to the 247Sports rankings.

He has visited Florida three times this year with his most recent one taking place on April 9. He told reporters during his last visit that he likes how Napier plans to use a staple of backs where three of them will get at least 10 carries a game.

Baxter is unsure when he will make his commitment but each one of his top five schools will receive an official visit.

[mm-video type=video id=01g28n0r6qr27mccc370 playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g28n0r6qr27mccc370/01g28n0r6qr27mccc370-f943b832ebf2dab603b22df21dd5d1ac.jpg]

[lawrence-related id=83428,83381,83382,83336,83334]

[listicle id=83383]

[listicle id=83408]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Florida checking in on these 3 Texas-based tight end targets

Florida sent tight ends coach William Peagler to Texas to check in on three tight ends targets this week.

Florida football quickly scrambled and put together a board of potential tight end prospects after a couple of its players suffered injuries during spring practice. The injuries left the Gators with only one healthy scholarship player in [autotag]Keon Zipperer[/autotag].

Head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and tight ends coach [autotag]William Peagler[/autotag] are targeting three from the state of Texas: three-star Clemson commit [autotag]Reid Mikeska[/autotag], four-star Stanford commit [autotag]Jaden Platt[/autotag] and three-star [autotag]Lafayette Kaiuway[/autotag]. Peagler flew out to Texas to visit the trio, according to Swamp247.

So far this cycle, Florida has only hosted Mikeska out of the three. The Gators got him to the Swamp on April 2 where he got to check out spring practices under Napier. However, he committed to the Tigers on April 13. Peagler stopped by Mikeska’s practice on Wednesday.

Peagler is set to visit Platt and Kaiuway on Thursday.

The Gators running backs coach [autotag]Jabbar Juluke[/autotag] extended an offer to Platt back toward the end of March. He has still been communicating with Peagler despite his commitment to the Cardinals. Platt hasn’t visited the Swamp but expressed his interest in doing so after he received the offer. He said his commitment to Stanford is solid but hasn’t shut down his recruitment yet.

Peagler will also visit Kaiuway in Arlington, Texas. Florida also extended an offer to him late in March. He hasn’t visited Florida, either but wants to see Peagler and Napier in Gainesville.

[mm-video type=video id=01g2ahnnwj3bh83wmy63 playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g2ahnnwj3bh83wmy63/01g2ahnnwj3bh83wmy63-2e5634b74747e9809cecff3e25aed6eb.jpg]

[listicle id=83383]

[listicle id=83408]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

4-star Texas A&M commit will take official visit to Florida in June

Billy Napier and the Florida Gators will get a chance to host 4-star Texas A&M commit Anthony James on an official visit in June.

The Texas A&M Aggies picked up a commitment from four-star defensive end [autotag]Anthony James[/autotag] in February of 2021, but that hasn’t stopped the Wylie East (Wylie, Texas) recruit from taking a look at other programs around the country. One of those programs is at the University of Florida, and James is now set to take an official visit to Gainesville over the weekend of June 3, according to 247Sports.

Running backs coach [autotag]Jabbar Juluke[/autotag] has maintained steady contact with James over the spring and things culminated in an offer on March 29. Now it’s time to see what the Gators are really about. It’ll be James’ first trip to the Swamp and he’ll get to meet the staff in its entirety. Aside from Juluke, defensive coordinator/defensive line coach [autotag]Sean Spencer[/autotag] is the only other coach or staffer that he’s regularly talked to.

The Aggies are coming off the top recruiting class in 2022 and they appear poised for another strong year. Stealing James from them would be a nice feather in [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]’s cap and doesn’t seem all that farfetched. Washington and Miami are two other programs that have scheduled a visit with James and he was at the Hurricanes’ spring game in April.

There’s clearly some wiggle room when it comes to that Texas A&M commitment, but James is making sure that the Aggies get the final crack at him. Until then, it’s a waiting game to see who wows him the most.

James is the No. 118 overall recruit in the class of 2023, according to the 247Sports composite, and is ranked No. 16 among defensive linemen.

[mm-video type=video id=01g197pq4xejztknfft6 playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g197pq4xejztknfft6/01g197pq4xejztknfft6-f2ba5a1feb4572b4013e201f48d2a8df.jpg]

[lawrence-related id=83314,83306,83305,83248,83236,83184,83128]

[listicle id=83276]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Florida football staff hits the road to evaluate recruiting targets

UF’s coaching staff is back on the road evaluating prospects as spring football kicks off in Florida.

Spring football has begun in the state of Florida and that means various Gators coaches are back on the road to see some of the top recruits on UF’s board in action.

[autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] has done well to get several of the state’s top prospects on campus over the spring, and now he gets another chance to have his people evaluate those players. Napier has stressed the importance of his evaluation process from day one as the Gators’ head coach. Diagnosing the problem and finding the right tools to fix it is what he does best and it’s through a meticulous process.

Spring practices gave Napier and Co. a chance to see exactly what they had to work with, and it’s no secret that Florida lacks depth in various spots on the depth chart. Some of that will be addressed in the transfer portal but the long-term issues will need strong and focused recruiting to repair.

Here’s where some of the Florida football coaches are this Monday, according to 247Sports.

Florida football makes top 5 for its top running back target

Florida made four-star running back Cedric Baxter Jr.’s top five schools on Saturday along with Texas A&M, Miami, Arkansas and Texas.

Florida, head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and running backs coach [autotag]Jabbar Juluke[/autotag] are looking to sign two running backs this cycle. Their top targets are four-star [autotag]Cedric Baxter Jr[/autotag]., out of Orlando, Florida, and four-star [autotag]Treyuan Webb[/autotag], out of Jacksonville, Florida. Webb named the Gators his leader following the Orange and Blue game on April 14. Baxter dropped his top five on Saturday, which included Florida and Texas A&M, Miami, Arkansas and Texas.

The 247Sports composite rankings have Baxter 46th-best player overall and the fourth-best at his position. He finished his junior season with 1,718 yards and 26 touchdowns while averaging over eight yards per carry. Baxter also caught seven passes for 102 yards and another score.

So far in 2022, he has visited Florida three times while stopping by Miami twice, UCF, USC, Texas, Texas A&M, Ohio State and Arkansas once.

His top five schools will likely be where he takes his official visits. Baxter recently told 247Sports that he originally wanted to have a decision made before his senior season but feels like he won’t have one made until later in the recruiting cycle.

[mm-video type=video id=01g19ww6tvm7xkfkq942 playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g19ww6tvm7xkfkq942/01g19ww6tvm7xkfkq942-76ac864a47d6a1e2d02a791a52db62cd.jpg]

[lawrence-related id=82835,82815,82806,82787,82738]

[listicle id=81723]

[vertical-gallery id=82369]

[vertical-gallery id=82538]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Florida now leads for this 4-star RB after visit to Orange and Blue game

Four-star running back Treyaun Webb named Florida his leader after his latest visit to see the Gators.

Four-star running back [autotag]Treyaun Webb[/autotag] named Florida his leader, following his visit to its Orange and Blue game on Thursday.

Webb is a legacy recruit for the Gators. His cousin is none other than Gator great [autotag]Dee Webb[/autotag]. The younger Webb hails from nearby Jacksonville, Florida, and is ranked 115th overall and as the fifth-best running back, according to the 247Sports composite.

Webb said he’s thankful head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] moved the spring game to Thursday from Saturday because he wouldn’t have been able to make it during the weekend. He told 247Sports that the visit went well and he liked how a lot of fans recognized him even though he’s just a high school football recruit.

“The fans were amazing,” he said. “I feel like Florida is the only place where I can really go — either Florida or South Carolina, well I haven’t been to South Carolina yet — as far as I can go and walk around, feel comfortable like it’s my home. I can walk around, basically do anything I want. It’s basically home away from home. Fans, everything. The staff, they treat me like I’m one of their own.

“Anything I can look for in a school, I’ve got it in my back yard. It’s that overall feeling, that home feeling, I can go there, feel comfortable just walking around, talking to fans. The fans is crazy. I’ve never felt love from any fans (like that). It feels good going to a place where fans know you, take picture with you. You’ve got little kids looking up to you and stuff like that, I like that.”

Florida sits in the best spot in Webb’s recruitment along with South Carolina. He plans to take official visits to the Swamp and Columbia as well as Tennessee and Penn State in June before making a commitment during the last few days of the month.

“Florida is probably my leader in my recruitment for a while now,” Webb said. “That’s kind of where it’s at in my recruiting right now; Florida’s always been my leader, really.”

Napier and running backs coach [autotag]Jabbar Juluke[/autotag] have done an excellent job in Webb’s recruitment after Florida was an afterthought under former head coach [autotag]Dan Mullen[/autotag].

[mm-video type=video id=01g0mfxnrkwfbjydq7ca playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g0mfxnrkwfbjydq7ca/01g0mfxnrkwfbjydq7ca-837e1b5942895af848a48f17a11ea36a.jpg]

[lawrence-related id=82452,82450,81716,81702,81696]

[listicle id=81723]

[vertical-gallery id=82369]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.