Tag: Jamar Chaney

This 4-star safety sets official visit to Florida in June

Four-star safety Jordan Castell is one of many Florida targets planning to use an official visit to the Swamp this summer.

Four-star safety Jordan Castell told 247Sports on Sunday that he plans to take an official visit to Florida in June. He’s one of my many recruiting prospects that are electing to use some of their officials during the summer. Castell hails from down the turnpike in Winter Garden, Florida. The 247Sports composite rankings have him 354th overall player and the 32nd best player at his position.

Castell made his first visit to the Swamp late last month when the Gators and head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] were holding spring practices leading up to the Orange and Blue game. He was able to see the team scrimmage while also spending lots of time with cornerbacks coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag], co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach [autotag]Patrick Toney[/autotag] and off-the-field analyst [autotag]Jamar Chaney.[/autotag]

He said the Florida coaches like how versatile he is and plan to move him around among the secondary positions in its defense.

Castell notes that Tennessee, Auburn, Florida, Alabama and Ohio State are the schools standing out to him the most currently.

The Gators factor highly in his recruitment because of the environment in the program and because he believes he would be an excellent fit in this defense.

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This 4-star linebacker had a ‘fantastic’ first trip to The Swamp

Four-star linebacker Raul Aguirre said his first trip to UF was fantastic and hopes to return in the future.

Four-star linebacker [autotag]Raul Aguirre[/autotag] didn’t know much about Florida football when he picked up an offer from the Gators earlier in spring, but a Tuesday visit to The Swamp has given the Fayetteville, Georgia, recruit some insight into what [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]’s program is all about.

He spoke with 247Sports following the visit and gave Napier and Co. a rave review with a return trip in mind.

“I would say the visit was fantastic,” Aguirre said of the visit. “All across the board, the coaches showed a lot of love. The players showed a lot of love, and the facilities were really good. I am definitely going to get back up there sometime soon.”

That visit could wind up being one of Aguirre’s five officials, but the 6-foot-2-inch, 220-pounder says Ohio State is the only team locked into one right now. Florida’s new training facility is set to open up over the summer and could be what draws him back. Aguirre left Gainesville impressed with the old facilities and knows that the new ones will be even better.

Until then, UF’s recruiting and coaching staff will continue to keep in contact with him. Defensive analyst [autotag]Jamar Chaney[/autotag] is his main point of contact on the staff and who he spent the most time around during his visit. Inside linebackers coach [autotag]Jay Bateman[/autotag] also spent time with Aguirre and pushed the idea that they wanted him in the linebacker room next year.

Aguirre will be at Miami over the weekend for an unofficial visit and then his schedule is clear for the rest of the spring. He’ll look to put together a top-10 or top-8 list after that and then will need to figure out which of those programs are receiving official visits.

The 247Sports composite ranks Aguirre No. 123 overall in the class of 2023 and is No. 9 among linebackers.

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This 4-star DL thinks Florida feels like home with his decision looming

Florida is in a good spot with four-star defensive lineman Zavion Hardy as he nears a college decision.

Four-star defensive lineman [autotag]Zavion Hardy[/autotag] is nearing a college decision, according to a report from 247Sports‘ Andrew Ivins, and the Florida Gators are one of two teams best positioned to land the Macon, Georgia, prospect along with South Carolina.

Hardy warned Ivins on Tuesday night that a decision could be coming soon, which likely means a June or July commitment.

He’s coming off a weekend trip to Columbia where he saw the Gamecocks in action during their spring game. Hardy was accompanied by his brother and a teammate on the visit and felt quite comfortable in South Carolina. He said it felt “basically like home,” and repeated that phrase when Florida came up.

Although South Carolina has wowed him more recently, Hardy left his March visit to the Swamp thrilled with [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and the new staff in Gainesville. Defensive line coach [autotag]Sean Spencer[/autotag] and defensive analyst [autotag]Jamar Chaney[/autotag] have kept in contact ever since to keep Florida in the hunt.

Coming in at 6-feet-5-inches tall and 262 pounds as a junior, Hardy played on the defensive line and tight end as a junior. The Gators like Hardy’s versatility and size and see him taking up various roles on the line.

Ole Miss has recently jumped into the fold with a visit, so a third Southeastern Conference program could make things more complicated as Hardy’s recruitment winds down. Georgia Southern and Georgia State have both offered, but the SEC is a more desirable destination for him.

Hardy is No. 113 overall on the 247Sports composite class of 2023 rankings and is No. 15 among defensive linemen.

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4-star IMG Academy OL has Florida in top 6, plans commitment for May

Knijeah Harris, a four-star interior offensive lineman from IMG Academy, will make his college decision in the first week of May and Florida is one of his six finalists.

IMG Academy’s [autotag]Knijeah Harris[/autotag], a four-star interior offensive lineman, has cut his list of colleges down to just six programs: Florida, Alabama, Miami, Michigan State, Oklahoma and Texas A&M.

Harris will make his decision on May 7 on CBS Sports HQ and will be plenty busy making trips to his top six in the weeks leading up to it. He’s set to visit Gainesville on Thursday for the Orange and Blue game, according to 247Sports, and chose to bring his parents along so they could meet Billy Napier‘s staff in person.

“I just want to give my parents a chance to see them because they haven’t met the new coaching staff yet,” Harris said. “I have been up there a few times by myself, but I want them to be able to put a face to all the conversations they have been having.”

Harris last visited the Swamp on March 26 and seems to have built a strong relationship with the Gators’ staff. He was first offered by [autotag]Jamar Chaney[/autotag], who was part of [autotag]Dan Mullen[/autotag]’s staff at the time, and has built off that relationship since Napier retained him.

247Sports’ Blake Alderman reported that Harris has steadily moved up the Gators’ recruiting board over the spring, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Gators make a strong push for him as his commitment date looms. There’s also the IMG Academy connection with the program being in-state. Napier has said in the past that he hopes to build a steady pipeline from one of the best high school programs in the state.

Texas A&M already got an official visit from Harris over the weekend and Michigan State will host him on another unofficial after the trip to UF. Oklahoma has a June date set to host him, but that could get canceled if he commits elsewhere.

The 247Sports composite ranks Harris at No. 296 overall in the class of 2023 and No. 18 among interior offensive linemen.

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This top-100 DL will be in attendance for Florida’s Orange and Blue Game

Four-star defensive lineman Will Norman has set reservations to visit Florida’s Orange and Blue Game later this month.

Florida, head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and defensive line coach [autotag]Sean Spencer[/autotag] received massive news on Tuesday when four-star defensive lineman [autotag]Will Norman[/autotag] tweeted that he’ll visit them again for the Orange and Blue Game. The IMG prospect is ranked as the 86th-best prospect nationally and the 12th-best player at his position.

The Gators made major head way in Norman’s recruitment after a strong visit back on Jan. 29. They recently made his top seven that he released on March 29.

“My visit to Florida really changed things for me,” Norman said, according to On3. “It was really a fast start with the relationships. Their coaches are off to a great start with me. Florida made me feel like one of their athletes and they definitely moved up into my top five. They are one of my top schools. I will be back there.”

It’s great for Napier and his staff that Norman stuck to his word and will return for the spring game even though it’s going to be held on a Thursday compared to a Saturday.

Norman said he wants to find a place where he feels comfortable and Florida checks off that box because of Spencer, off-the-field analyst [autotag]Jamar Chaney[/autotag] and others. He likes how they are genuine with him.

He plans to visit Texas A&M this weekend and has made trips to Florida State, Auburn and Penn State so far this year. Norman has not revealed when he would like to make a decision but wants to take official visits to each one of his top five schools.

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Florida improves its chances with 5-star this ATH after impressive visit

Florida made a strong impression on IMG Academy’s five-star athlete Samuel M’Pemba during his visit this weekend.

IMG Academy, a high school football factory, in nearby Bradenton, Florida, sent a host of its players to the Swamp to visit the Gators this weekend. The Ascenders constantly produce some of the best recruits in the country and aren’t any different this season with talented five and four stars like Francis Mauigoa, Samuel M’Pemba, Carnell Tate, Jordan Hall and Will Norman.

Talented athlete M’Pemba was one IMG player to visit Florida on Saturday. After his visit, he spoke with Swamp247 and said the Gators helped their chances this weekend. He said the visit with coach Billy Napier and his staff went well and that he likes the new leadership in charge of the Florida program. M’Pemba noticed a difference between the old staff and the new one quickly.

“Really just who they are,” he said of their differences. “The old staff, I wouldn’t say they were bad, but it just didn’t feel the same. I feel like the vibe now is more personal. They are all about relationships and it feels like a family atmosphere.”

Linebackers coach and alumni liaison Mike Peterson and off-the-field analyst Jamar Chaney have been the main contacts for M’Pemba on Florida’s staff. He said he has a special bond with Chaney because of his relationship dating back to when he was at Mississippi State.

M’Pemba has started to generate a list of his top schools in his head and confirmed that Florida will be on it once he decided to release it.

In the next month or so, he plans to Michigan, Notre Dame and Missouri. He mentioned that he could visit the Swamp again this spring but doesn’t have an exact date set. He also said he is in no rush to make a decision anytime soon.

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This 4-star defensive lineman ecstatic for first Florida visit

Four-star defensive lineman Zavion Hardy looks forward to putting names to faces when he visits Florida this weekend.

Florida may have jumped in late on 4-star defensive lineman Zavion Hardy’s recruitment when it offered him last month, but the Macon, Georgia, native still holds the Gators in high regard. He included the Orange and Blue among his top eight schools that he released on Feb. 22. Now he plans to visit the Swamp the first weekend after the dead period is lifted.

The Gators have played a significant factor in his recruitment so far because of the relationships he built with off-the-field analysts Jamar Chaney and Kareem Reid as well as defensive line coach Sean Spencer and head coach Billy Napier. He looks forward to visiting Florida, so he can put names to faces.

So far, he told Swamp247 that the Gators and South Carolina are the schools recruiting him the hardest. Hardy said he liked how Florida started to build a relationship with him before they extended an offer to him.

“I just never really have talked to schools the same way to Florida,” he said. “Usually when I get an offer from a school, I don’t really have time to talk before, it’s more of them offering me straight up, and then the bonds eventually came.”

Other schools to make his top eight besides Florida include Jackson State, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Florida State, Miami, Georgia and UCF. He also plans to visit the Rebels later this month.

Even though he’s narrowing his options down, he doesn’t plan to make a commitment anytime soon.

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Florida reportedly hiring Mississippi State’s Jamar Chaney as an analyst

Chaney becomes the second analyst to join Billy Napier’s staff.

Florida’s expanded support staff has reportedly added one more piece of the puzzle. The team is set to hire Mississippi State defensive analyst Jamar Chaney as a senior defensive analyst, according to On3Sports’ Matt Zenitz. Chaney worked with inside linebackers at MSU, and he is likely to take on the same role assisting UF’s new linebackers coach(es), a position that hasn’t been filled yet.

Before spending the last two seasons on staff at his alma mater in Starkville, Chaney spent one season on coach Dan Mullen‘s Florida staff in 2019 as the assistant director of player personnel for high school relations. Prior to that, he spent three seasons as the head coach of his high school alma mater, St. Lucie West Centennial in Port St. Lucie.

Chaney played for the Bulldogs in college from 2005-09, and he was a seventh-round pick in the 2010 NFL draft. He played his first three seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles before spending his final two with the Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders. He last played in 2014.

New Gators coach Billy Napier expanded the salary pool for support staff to $5 million. He has already made one off-the-field hire, bringing offensive analyst Ryan O’Hara with him from Louisiana. O’Hara will assist Napier in coaching the quarterbacks.

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