Tag: Jahari Medlock

Gators add pair of 3-star offensive linemen on early signing day

Florida added three offensive linemen to the program on early signing day. Here’s a closer look at tackle Jahari Medlock and guard Daniel Pierre Louis.

Florida signed a trio of offensive linemen on early signing day, Langston Hughes (Fairburn, Georgia) lineman Tavaris Dice, Charles Drew (Atlanta, Georgia) offensive tackle [autotag]Jahari Medlock[/autotag] and Seminole Ridge (Loxahatchee, Florida) interior lineman [autotag]Daniel Pierre Louis[/autotag], on early signing day.

For more on Dice, check out Gators Wire’s story on him here.

Medlock is a massive offensive tackle, listed at 6-foot-6 and 278 pounds by 247Sports. He initially committed to Cincinnati over the summer but flipped to Florida after a strong pursuit over the fall. His official visit came in October, when Florida beat Kentucky, and returned for the Ole Miss game 10 days out from the early signing period.

Georgia Tech also pushed for Medlock over the fall, but he chose to play in the SEC, citing Florida’s aggressive playstyle as a deciding factor. He made the flip official on Nov. 25 and signed with Florida at 11:45 a.m. ET on Wednesday.

Pierre Louis is another flip for Florida, this one from in-state rival Florida State. A cultural connection with offensive line coach Jonathan DeCoster helped motivate the flip, as did some instability in Tallahassee. Things moved quickly in this relationship. Florida offered in October after seeing him play and he committed by the end of his official visit in November. North Carolina State was also a player in his recruitment.

Billy Napier on Jahari Medlock

“I think Medlock is a freak of nature,” Napier said on early signing day. “He’s 6-5, a heavyweight wrestler, just unique hip, ankle and knee flexibility. The guy can really run. He plays both ways. I’m not so sure he couldn’t play defense. He’s that athletic. But a guy that really came along. Tough, blue-collar family. Yeah, just unique movements for his size. A guy that can play offensive tackle for you.

Billy Napier on Daniel Pierre Louis

“Daniel is really one of the freakier guys,” Napier said on early signing day. “He’s kind of a human forklift. That’s kind of how we describe him. We’ve had a couple guys like him in the past, at Louisiana, but 6-4.25, really long, 35 arm, 84 wing. A really good bender. He’s got good functional movement. Extremely smart, very bright, very knowledgeable about football. He studies players, and then his mom and dad are exceptional. They’re both educated, both high character. He’s made of the right stuff.”

Recruiting Summary

OT Jahari Medlock

A consensus three-star recruit, Jahari Medlock was ranked highest by On3 at No. 34 among offensive tackles in the class of 2025. The 247Sports composite, which considers all four major recruiting services, puts him at No. 761 overall and No. 56 at his position, while the On3 industry ranking has him at Nos. 591 and 38, respectively.

Medlock’s size fits the mold that Napier likes at offensive tackle. He has the aggressiveness to succeed in the SEC but could stand to become more explosive as he develops.

IOL Daniel Pierre Louis

Pierre Louis is a consensus three-star recruit, ranked the highest by Rivals at No. 25 among offensive guards in the class of 2025. The 247Sports composite puts him at No. 822 overall and No. 56 among interior linemen (includes centers), while the On3 industry ranking has him at Nos. 765 and 65, respectively.

Another big body to bolster Florida’s offensive line, Pierre Louis has the intelligence and size to develop into a contributing guard in Gainesville. He could end up being the hidden gem of this 2025 offensive line class and be a force in Florida’s run game moving forward. For a near 300-pounder, he’s not that slow and knows how to create leverage with his body. Development is key to success in the SEC.

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Florida flips class of 2025 OT Jahari Medlock from Cincinnati

Florida flipped offensive lineman Jahari Medlock from Cincinnati on Monday, continuing a big November for Billy Napier’s recruiting staff.

Florida’s recruiting team continued a strong November on Monday by flipping the commitment of Charles Drew (Riverdale, Georgia) offensive tackle [autotag]Jahari Medlock[/autotag] on Monday.

A Cincinnati commit since June, Medlock decided that he’d rather stay in the South after visiting The Swamp for Florida’s Week 13 upset win over Ole Miss.

Medlock took an official visit to Florida in October to see the Gators defeat the Kentucky Wildcats. He always planned on a return visit, and he just so happened to be in town for Florida’s biggest win of the season. The Gators offered him back in September.

“I think the aggression (they play with),” Medlock said to Swamp247 when asked what made him flip. “The aggression for sure. I’m a big player on aggression. If I’m not playing with aggression, I’m not winning my match. How the coaches take care of everything. How they keep control over everything, and how they have the players do what they do. They execute what they do. That’s the eye-opener for me.”

Florida offensive line coach John Decoster has been a key recruiter for Medlock. Decoster has kept the pressure on the Atlanta-area recruit, letting him know that UF was the right place to get developed and unlock his full potential.

Medlock was just at Georgia Tech for a mid-week official visit, but Florida won out because of Decoster and the environment produced on Saturday.

Recruiting Summary

Medlock is a consensus three-star recruit, ranked the highest by On3 at No. 34 among offensive tackles.

The 247Sports composite ranks him No. 743 overall and No. 56 among offensive tackles in the class of 2025, while the On3 recruiting prediction machine has him even higher at Nos. 578 and 36, respectively. Both composite rankings factor in the four major recruiting services but with different weighting.

Swamp247 Blake Alderman submitted a crystal ball prediction for Medlock, in favor of Florida, right after the conclusion of Saturday’s game against Ole Miss. 247Sports recruiting analyst Anna Adams followed up with another crystal ball Monday morning.

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Florida impresses Cincinnati OL commit on official visit

Florida hosted Cincinnati commit Jahari Medlock this weekend for an official visit, and the Gators made a “huge jump” after beating Kentucky.

Florida didn’t host a bunch of recruits in Week 8, but the four players who were in Gainesville this weekend on official visits experienced what a big win in the Swamp looks like.

Among those four official visitors was Cincinnati offensive tackle commit [autotag]Jahari Medlock[/autotag].

“It was real good. It was way better than I thought it was going to be,” Medlock said to Gators Online. “I thought they were just going to show me a little here and there, but nah, they came with the heat, I’m not going to lie. It was real good. The environment was something different and something I’ve never experienced. The team spirit was different, too.”

The Gators crushed the Kentucky Wildcats, winning the game by a four-touchdown margin. It’s the kind of win that makes kids want to play for the Orange and Blue.

“The campus is huge, and they showed me around,” he said to 247Sports. “Got to meet a lot of the staff and the players. It’s like one big family here. Everyone is really close. They had a presentation on NIL, and that got me really thinking. It’s real cool. I like how they do that. The game was crazy in The Swamp. I’ve never experienced an environment like that. I loved it.”

Medlock talks family

As usual, Billy Napier’s staff recruited the family as well of the player. Napier has consistently prioritized players who come from what he considers a strong family and is quick to mention it after those players are signed. Both of Medlock’s parents joined him on this visit, and that could help the Gators in the long run.

“It was way better for my dad knowing he got to see all this with me. It’s his first time on a college visit,” he said. “Made me feel real great. This is my mom’s favorite team, so it was cool my dad got to see it.”

Medlock will head to Cincinnati on Nov. 9 for a visit. He doesn’t have any other officials on his calendar. Florida is “even higher” on his list now, but it takes a continuous effort to flip players who are already committed. Georgia Tech is another program in the race, but UF is pushing harder right now.

Recruiting Summary

Medlock is a consensus three-star recruit across the four major recruiting services. The 247Sports composite lists him No. 724 overall and No. 53 among offensive tackles in the class of 2025, while the On3 industry ranking is a bit more bullish on him at Nos. 702 and 43, respectively.

The On3 recruiting prediction machine only lists Cincinnati right now, but there’s no doubt that Florida is back in the race to flip him.

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