Tag: Javion Hilson

Blue-chip FSU-committed EDGE sets Florida official visit date

The Gators will be the first program to host the top EDGE target in the 2025 cycle.

The list of prep prospects set to make their official visits to the Swamp in the coming months continues to grow for Florida football as Billy Napier and Co. continue to grind away on the recruiting trail.

The Gators added a big name to their visit schedule recently, according to Swamp247. That would be four-star edge defender [autotag]Javion Hilson[/autotag] out of Cocoa (Florida) in the 2025 cycle, who is the top-ranked player in the nation at his position according to 247Sports.

The 6-foot-3.5-inch, 225-pound defender will return to Gainesville for an official visit just in case he has second thoughts on his current commitment with the Florida State Seminoles. Prior to that, he was signed on with the Alabama Crimson Tide, but following Nick Saban’s retirement, he had cold feet on staying in Tuscaloosa and switched to Tallahassee.

Hilson’s visit schedule

Hilson is set to embark on his April tour, with a trip to see the Miami Hurricanes set for April 6 and a return visit to the Tide on April 8 next weekend. The high school junior then heads out to meet with the Colorado Buffaloes on April 27.

As for the edge rusher’s official visit slate, Florida gets first dibs on May 31, followed by Alabama the following weekend and the UCF Knights the weekend after that. FSU wraps the schedule up on June 21 for the final set OV.

Recruiting summary

Hilson is ranked No. 35 overall and No. 1 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking has him at Nos. 43 and 3, respectively.

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Florida hosting 4-star EDGE committed to FSU over weekend

Javion Hilson was interested in Florida before he committed to Alabama and flipped to Florida State. Now he’s returning to Gainesville for another visit.

Cocoa edge defender [autotag]Javion Hilson[/autotag] was one of Florida’s top targets toward the end of 2024, but he committed to Alabama in December and flipped to Florida State.

But the Gators aren’t out of the race for Hilson just yet.

He’ll be in town on Saturday for Florida’s final junior day of the contact period, according to On3. He’ll also stop by Miami over the weekend.

Hilson last visited The Swamp for Florida’s upset win over Tennessee. At the time, he said UF was near the top of his recruitment. Getting some more one-on-one time with Gators head coach Billy Napier could help Florida’s chances immensely, but flipping him is no easy task.

Hilson is a consensus four-star recruit ranked the highest by On3 at No. 37, but even ESPN has him inside its top 100. As a result, Hilson checks in at No. 33 nationally on the On3 industry ranking, which uses a weighted average of all four major recruiting services. He’s also ranked No. 3 among edge defenders in the class.

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List of top Alabama recruits who have decommitted since Nick Saban retired

After Alabama coach Nick Saban announced his retirement, football recruits began decommitmenting from the Crimson Tide. See the list here.

Longtime Alabama head coach Nick Saban’s retirement sent a shock wave around college football as the sport lost not only a legend but one of the greatest coaches of all time. A key part of game planning, program strategy, and recruitment, Saban touched all elements of arguably the top program of modern college football.

With his exit, many top high school football recruits who chose Alabama are now reconsidering their decision. Five-star prospects including Ryan Williams, Jaime Ffrench and Zion Grady are among those who have announced intentions to re-evaluate the college football market and have conversations with other teams they previously passed on in favor of Alabama and Saban.

Take a look at the list of former Alabama commits back on the market. All rankings are according to the 247Sports Composite:

Florida State flips four-star EDGE Javion Hilson from Alabama

No. 2 EDGE in 2025 recruiting cycle flips commitment from Alabama to Florida State

Nick Saban’s surprise retirement continues to take a toll on [autotag]Kalen DeBoer[/autotag] and the Alabama Crimson Tide on the recruiting trail. There was always going to be some fallout on the roster when Saban left, just a bummer to see some of it play out. However, National Signing Day is not until Feb. 7, so DeBoer and company will have plenty of time to get back out on the recruiting trail and do their work.

The unfortunate news in Tuscaloosa today comes as Florida State flipped four-star EDGE Javion Hilson from the Tide. Hilson is viewed as the No. 37 ranked player in the 2025 class and the No. 2 edge in his cycle. The Seminoles have been red hot in the transfer portal and landed former Alabama RB Roydell Williams earlier in the week.

On a more positive note, five-star wide receiver Ryan Williams was back in Tuscaloosa last night on a surprise visit. It also sounds like Safety Caleb Downs may be nearing a decision on where he will spend the last two years of his collegiate career, but there is a sense of optimism around Tuscaloosa for both Downs and Williams.

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Alabama lands in top 10 for 2025 4-star EDGE Javion Hilson

2025 four-star edge rusher Javion Hilson released his top schools list.

Alabama currently has the No. 1 ranked recruiting class in the 2025 recruiting cycle. The coaching staff is continuing to pursue some of the top targets on their recruiting board. One of those top targets is 2025 edge rusher Javion Hilson.

Recently, Hilson listed Alabama as one of 10 finalists to land his commitment. The Florida native made the announcement via X.

During his junior season, Hilson amassed 90 tackles, 26 tackles for loss, and 14 sacks.

At 6-foot-5 and 235 pounds, Hilson has the speed and physical presence to rush the passer as well as stop the run. He can play multiple techniques along the defensive line.

Alabama will continue to pursue Hilson as his recruitment ensues in the coming months.

Roll Tide Wire breaks down Javion Hilson’s recruiting profile.

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Florida to host 4-star in-state EDGE for SEC opener

Four-star edge rusher Javion Hilson is hoping to get to know the Florida Gators a bit better, and a gameday visit could do the trick.

Jayvan Boggs isn’t the only Cocoa High recruit visiting the University of Florida on Sept. 16 when the Tennessee Volunteers come to town.

According to Corey Bender of Gators Online, edge rusher [autotag]Javion Hilson[/autotag] is set to join his teammate on the upcoming trip, which will be his first-ever time in the Swamp. The Gators only offered him on July 30, and August is the start of school and the high school season.

He’ll get a chance to ask questions and meet coaches once he’s in Gainesville, and it’s a step he’s looking forward to taking.

“I would like to know how the classes are, their coaching staff, and how the campus is,” Hilson said to Bender. “I will love to get up there soon too so I can get a feeling for it.”

Hilson is a consensus four-star recruit, ranked the highest by On3 at No. 24 overall in the class of 2025. His industry ranking, which uses a weighted average of all four major recruiting services, is No. 47 overall and No. 5 among edge rushers in the class. He’s also the seventh-best player in the state of Florida.

Right now, UCF sits at the top of the On3 recruiting prediction machine with 27.4% odds to land Hilson. Ohio State (24.0%) and Pittsburgh (20.6%) are the other major players, but Florida (1.6%) should join the race once Hilson sees the Swamp in person.

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Florida football offers in-state four-star EDGE rusher

The Florida Gators have offered in-state, four-star edge rusher Javion Hilson out of Cocoa High.

The Florida Gators are starting to take a serious look at the class of 2025, and the most recent recruit to receive an offer from the Orange and Blue is Cocoa edge rusher Zavion Hilson.

Florida tight ends coach Russ Callaway extended the offer to Hilson, according to a social media post the 6-foot-4-inch, 230-pounder sent out on Sunday. While it’s still very early in the process for Hilson, things are starting to pick up.

A handful of SEC programs have offered him so far, and Ohio State’s recent interest should help get other Power Five programs interested.

The UCF Knights are the team to beat right now, according to the On3 recruiting prediction machine, which gives them a 28.3% chance to land Hilson. Ohio State is making a push, though, and is a very close second with 24.8% odds. Pittsburgh is another major program Florida will have to overcome.

Hilson is a consensus four-star recruit except on Rivals.com, where he has no grade. The On3 industry ranking, which uses a weighted average of all four major recruiting services, places him at No. 50 overall and No. 7 among edge rushers in the class of 2025. He’s also the No. 7 player in the state of Florida for his year.

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LSU offers 2025 4-star EDGE from Cocoa, Florida

LSU’s search for edge rushers in the 2025 class has led them to Cocoa, Florida, and the Tigers recently offered a top-100 prospect.

LSU’s search for edge rushers in the 2025 class has led them to Cocoa, Florida, and the Tigers recently offered a top-100 prospect.

[autotag]Javion Hilson[/autotag] is a 6-foot-4, 230-pound prospect who plays for Cocoa High School. The Cocoa Tigers finished the 2022 season 11-3 with a win over Florida State University High School in the Florida 2 S state championship game.

Hilson does not currently have any Crystal Ball projections at this time but UCF is a 28.3% favorite to land him per On3.

Film Analysis: Hilson is a menace as an edge rusher. He does a great job of containing his side of the field and making one-on-one tackles.

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Florida 2025 defensive end receives Ohio State offer

Ohio State is early to offer the star Floridian #GoBucks

There are plenty of high-end prospects in Florida, but [autotag]Ohio State[/autotag] was quick to offer a rising 2025 star.

Defensive end, [autotag]Javion Hilson[/autotag], a 6-foot, 4-inch, 225-pound edge rusher was offered a scholarship by the Buckeyes. What’s interesting is that he is the No. 10 edge rusher and 69th overall player in his class according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings, but doesn’t hold many high-level offers.

It’s good that Ohio State pulled the trigger early because it will certainly gain the attention of Hilson and show him that he’s a priority target. Yes, it is early in his class, but that hasn’t stopped schools from offering multiple other prospects who are ranked lower.

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At the current moment, Ohio State only has one commitment in the 2025 class, cornerback Jontae Gilbert. The Buckeye coaching staff is working hard at continuing their early success in the cycle.

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