Tag: jaylen heyward

UCF gets commitments from three 4-star recruits from the class of 2024

This week the Knights have made a series of splashy recruitments in the 2024 cycle.

With several prominent and more-powerful programs within their own state, you don’t normally hear much about the University of Central Florida (UCF) in the recruiting game. This week the Knights have made a series of splashy recruitments in the 2024 cycle, though.

First, on Monday, UCF got a commitment from a four-star running back. Then yesterday, two more blue-chip recruits in the class of 2024 announced their commitments to the Knights. Here’s who they are and where they come from at the high school level.

Oak Ridge (Texas) RB Frankie Arthur

Arthur (5-foot-10, 190 pounds) is ranked as high as No. 5 at his position and had offers from 18 other schools, including SMU, Memphis and Oregon.

Rockledge (Fla.) S Jaylen Heyward

ESPN has Heyward ranked No. 2 among safeties in his class and No. 71 nationally. Aside from UCF Heyward, (5-foot-11, 185 pounds) got offers from 35 other programs, including Georgia, Miami, Alabama and Auburn.

Carrollwood Day (Fla.) WR Bredell Richardson

Nobody is higher on Richardson 6-foot-1, 185 pounds) than Rivals, who have him ranked No. 22 in Florida, No. 23 at wide receiver and No. 128 nationally. He was an extremely popular recruit, getting offers from a total of 47 different programs. That list includes Colorado, Florida, Florida State, Iowa, LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State and South Carolina.

UCF’s class of 2024 now has 17 hard commits, and as a group, they are ranked No. 25 in the nation.

More football stories

Start dates for high school football in each state plus D.C.

The top teams in each state going into the 2023 season

Stream live or watch the high school football season on-demand: Subscribe to the NFHS Network

4-star DB, former Georgia commit, verbally commits to UCF

Former Georgia commit becomes UCF’s top commitment of all-time. UGA football is back to the drawing board at safety in the 2024 cycle.

The Georgia Bulldogs recently lost a commitment from four-star safety recruit Jaylen Heyward. Now, Heyward has committed to the UCF Knights. Heyward did not previously have the Knights in his top schools.

Heyward is electing to stay close to home and play for UCF. His recruitment is not over, but for now he is UCF’s highest ranked commitment of all-time.

Jaylen Heyward plays high school football for Rockledge High School in Rockledge, Florida. Rockledge, Florida, is located southeast of Orlando. Heyward has committed to play in the 2024 Under Armour All-American Game.

The 6-foot, 180-pound defensive back is the fifth-ranked safety in the class of 2024. Heyward is the No. 78 recruit in the 2024 recruiting class and the No. 11 player in Florida, per 247Sports.

Jaylen Heyward runs an impressive 10.68 second time in the 100-meter dash. Heyward’s speed helped him be selected to the 247Sports’ All-Combine Team last year.

Georgia’s safety position should be set for years to come with players like Malaki Starks, Joenel Aguero and David Daniel-Sisavanh. However, the Bulldogs need to target a new safety recruit after recently losing a pair of commitments.

Georgia football has the top ranked class of 2024 in the nation. In addition to Jaylen Heyward, Georgia recently lost a commitment from four-star safety Peyton Woodyard.

Heyward announced his commitment to UCF via social media:

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

 

Auburn target Jaylen Heyward decommits from Georgia

The four-star safety is back on the market and Auburn is looking to take advantage.

Four-star safety [autotag]Jaylen Heyward[/autotag] committed to the Georgia Bulldogs on Jan. 13 but on Tuesday he decided to back off his pledge and Auburn is hoping to take advantage.

They never stopped recruiting the Rockledge, Florida product, getting him on campus for a visit back in March and they are a school he is “strongly considering.”

The 6-foot, 180-pounder told Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports that he is also considering UCF, USC, Michigan, Miami, UCF, Clemson and that Georgia is also still a factor.

Heyward is the No. 79 overall player and No. 5 safety in the 247Sports Composite ranking. He is also the No. 10 player from Florida.

Auburn’s dynamic duo of [autotag]Zac Etheridge[/autotag] and [autotag]Wesley McGriff[/autotag] are leading the charge for the Tigers.

They have already shown they are a potent combination on the recruiting trail, already landing four-star cornerbacks A’Mon Lane, Jayden Lewis and Jalyn Crawford as well as three-star safety Kensley Faustin in the 2024 cycle.

With him expected to be back on campus for Big Cat Weekend, the Tigers will be looking to try and separate from the pack for Heyward and pull off yet another impressive flip.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4 category=1367]

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow JD on Twitter @jdmccarthy15

Georgia loses commitment from 4-star DB

4-star safety Jaylen Heyward decommits from UGA…

Georgia took a hit to its 2024 recruiting class on Tuesday with a decommittment from four-star safety Jaylen Heyward.

The Rockledge, Florida, native is rated the No. 5 safety and the No. 79 recruit overall on the 247Sports composite.

Heyward committed to the Bulldogs in January over Alabama, Michigan, Ohio State, Tennessee, Florida and Colorado.

Heyward joins tight end Landen Thomas and running back Tovani Mizell as former Bulldog pledges in the 2024 class, which still sits at No. 1 in the country.

 

Four-star safety and Georgia commit Jaylen Heyward to attend Big Cat Weekend

The four-star safety will be making his second trip to the Plains since committing to Georgia.

Auburn isn’t done fighting for elite safety [autotag]Jaylen Heyward[/autotag], who has been committed to the Georgia Bulldogs since Jan. 13.

Heyward has continued to visit schools since committing and is planning to make his return to Auburn for Big Cat Weekend, according to a report from On3’s Jeffrey Lee.

Heyward is the No. 77 overall player and No. 4 safety in the On3 Industry Ranking. The Rockledge, Florida product is also the No. 14 player from the Sunshine State.

He previously visited Auburn on March 17 and is expected to return for an official visit at some point according to Lee. He took official visits to Georgia, UCF and Miami during June.

Auburn safeties coach [autotag]Zac Etheridge[/autotag] is leading the charge for the Tigers and he has already proven he can flip elite players from top schools. Last year he pried four-star cornerback Kayin Lee from Ohio State during the early signing period.

While Auburn has plenty of work ahead if they are going to steal Heyward from the Bulldogs, getting him on campus for Big Cat Weekend would be a major development.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1364]

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow JD on Twitter @jdmccarthy15.

4-star DB Jaylen Heyward commits to Georgia football

Class of 2024 four-star safety recruit Jaylen Heyward has committed to UGA

Head coach Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs have added a commitment from four-star safety recruit Jaylen Heyward. The four-star committed to Georgia over Ohio State, Michigan, Florida, Alabama, and Tennessee.

Georgia’s safety position should be set for years to come with players like Malaki Starks and David Daniel-Sisavanh. Georgia has a pair of elite safety commits in the class of 2024.

The 6-foot, 180-pound defensive back is the third-ranked safety in the class of 2024. Heyward is the No. 34 recruit in the junior class and the ninth-best player in Florida, per 247Sports.

Jaylen Heyward plays high school football for Rockledge High School in Rockledge, Florida. Rockledge, Florida, is located south of Cocoa and is southeast of Orlando. Heyward has committed to play in the 2024 Under Armour All-American Game.

The four-star safety was liked what he saw from the Georgia Bulldogs in the national championship game.

The Rockledge star has over 20 scholarship offers. Additionally, the talented safety recently went on visits to Miami, Florida, and Florida State.

Jaylen Heyward runs an impressive 10.68 second time in the 100-meter dash. Heyward’s speed helped him be selected to the 247Sports’ All-Combine Team last year.

Georgia football now has eight commitments in the class of 2024. The Bulldogs have the top-ranked class of 2024 in the nation. One of Georgia’s recent commitments is four-star safety Peyton Woodyard, who is the No. 2 safety in the class of 2024.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

[listicle id=83860]

4-star DB Jaylen Heyward is nearing a commitment

The Georgia Bulldogs are among the favorites to add a commitment from class of 2024 four-star safety recruit Jaylen Heyward.

The Georgia Bulldogs are the favorites, per 247Sports, to land a commitment from four-star safety recruit Jaylen Heyward. The four-star recently placed Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, Florida, Alabama, and Tennessee in his top six schools. However, Heyward is no longer considering Michigan or Tennessee.

Now, Jaylen Heyward plans to commit on Jan. 13 at 2:30 p.m. ET.

The 6-foot, 180-pound defensive back is the third-ranked safety in the class of 2024. Heyward is the No. 34 recruit in the junior class and the ninth-best player in Florida.

Jaylen Heyward plays high school football for Rockledge High School in Rockledge, Florida. Rockledge, Florida, is located south of Cocoa and is southeast of Orlando. Heyward has committed to play in the 2024 Under Armour All-American Game.

The four-star safety was liked what he saw from the Georgia Bulldogs in the national championship game.

The Rockledge star has scholarship offers from Auburn, Alabama, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, and more. Heyward has over 20 scholarship offers. Additionally, the talented safety recently went on visits to Miami, Florida, and Florida State.

Jaylen Heyward runs an impressive 10.68 second time in the 100-meter dash. Heyward’s speed helped him be selected to the 247Sports’ All-Combine Team in 2022.

Kirby Smart and Georgia football currently have seven commitments in the class of 2024. The Bulldogs have the top-ranked class of 2024 in the country. One of Georgia’s recent commitments is four-star safety Peyton Woodyard.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz2y40j067srkf player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=]

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

[vertical-gallery id=83796]

UGA football among top schools for 4-star DB Jaylen Heyward

The Georgia Bulldogs are among the top six schools for class of 2024 four-star safety recruit Jaylen Heyward.

The Georgia Bulldogs are among the top schools for talented four-star safety recruit Jaylen Heyward.

The 6-foot, 180-pound defensive back is the third-ranked safety in the class of 2024. Heyward is the No. 38 recruit in the junior class and the tenth-best player in Florida.

Kirby Smart and Georgia are currently the front runners to land a commitment from Jaylen Heyward. The four-star puts Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, Florida, Alabama, and Tennessee in his top six schools.

Jaylen Heyward plays high school football for Rockledge High School in Rockledge, Florida. Rockledge, Florida, is located south of Cocoa and is southeast of Orlando. Heyward has committed to play in the 2024 Under Armour All-American Game.

The four-star prospect has scholarship offers from Auburn, Alabama, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, and more. Heyward has over 20 scholarship offers. Additionally, the talented safety recently took visits to UCF, Florida, and Florida State.

Jaylen Heyward runs an impressive 10.68 second time in the 100-meter dash. Heyward’s speed helped him be selected to the 247Sports’ All-Combine Team in 2022.

Heyward announced his top schools via Twitter:

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz2y40j067srkf player_id=none image=https://ugawire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[listicle id=80502]

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

Gators make top 6 for this 2024 top-50 safety

Four-star safety Jaylen Heyward has narrowed things down to six schools, and the University of Florida has made the cut.

On Friday, Florida made the cut for 2024 four-star safety [autotag]Jaylen Heyward[/autotag]. He narrowed things down to six finalists: Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State and Tennessee.

On3’s Hayes Fawcett broke the news and caught up with the recruit to discuss each of the teams still in play. Florida has been a long-time favorite of Heyward, and [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]’s work at the school is being noticed by the Rockledge product.

“With Florida, they have always been a dream school of mine,” Heyward said. “The way they’ve been recruiting the state of Florida has been crazy. With Coach Napier as the head coach, I feel like he’s doing an amazing job. Also with Coach PT and Coach Raymond as the DB coach and safety coach they are gonna push me to be the best player I can. The environment in the swamp is just amazing. I’ve been there so many times during this recruiting process and I loved every single visit.”

He’s been to the Swamp four times so far in 2022, and Florida is the current favorite, according to the On3 recruiting prediction machine.

The plan is for Heyward to commit before his senior year, but that still means there are 10 more months of recruitment before he’s off the market. Heyward says the culture and environment of the schools pursuing him will matter just as much as the on-field results.

He is the No. 38 overall recruit in the class of 2024, according to the 247Sports composite, and he is No. 3 among safeties in the class. The On3 consensus agrees with this assessment, ranking him at No. 39 overall and also at No. 3 in his position group.

[mm-video type=video id=01ggd5mw96pdkyp007e4 playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01ggd5mw96pdkyp007e4/01ggd5mw96pdkyp007e4-b4bc1c70e2583ff91e6dc5cbae27c5dd.jpg]

[lawrence-related id=94697,94688,94603,94671,94669]

[listicle id=94699]

[listicle id=94692]

[listicle id=94690]

[vertical-gallery id=58915]

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!

This top 2024 safety recruit set his visit date for Florida’s season opener

It is going to be a packed house in the recruiting section on September 3.

The list of prep prospects planning on making their way to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium for Florida football’s 2022 season-opening game against the Utah Utes continues to grow. Among the many adding their names to the roster of attendees is four-star safety [autotag]Jaylen Heyward[/autotag] out of Rockledge, Florida, who is one of the top players at his position in the 2024 class.

The 5-foot-11.5-inch, 180-pound defensive back made his second stop in Gainesville for the program’s Friday Night Lights event at the end of July, which gave him increased face time with co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach [autotag]Patrick Toney[/autotag] — the coach most involved in his recruiting — as well as others.

“I talk with Coach Toney the most, but I also talk with Coach Jamar Chaney and Coach [William] Peagler,” he told Swamp247. “Coach Toney is a really good DC and I love the way he runs a defense. Low-key, he runs a really similar defense to my high school, so it’s really easy to buy in and understand it.”

The rising junior released his top 12 schools list back in June, with the Gators along with the Alabama Crimson Tide, Georgia Bulldogs, Miami Hurricanes, Ohio State Buckeyes, Oregon Ducks and Tennessee Volunteers included as major players for the young student-athlete. He holds 33 total offers heading into his fall campaign.

Heyward is ranked No. 45 overall and No. 5 at his position in his class nationally according to the 247Sports composite, while the On3 consensus has him at Nos. 42 and 3, respectively. On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine has Florida far in front for the safety’s talents with an 89.6% chance of landing him.

[mm-video type=video id=01gb8g841z8h0r7cebw8 playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gb8g841z8h0r7cebw8/01gb8g841z8h0r7cebw8-f5080e1b4dc72a4e9ba303a6a6c62536.jpg]

[lawrence-related id=90045,90031,90028,90027,89963]

[listicle id=90051]

[listicle id=89316]

[listicle id=89575]

[listicle id=89822]

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!