Tag: Joe Hamilton

Gators to get second visit after impressing this top-ranked 2024 EDGE

The Gators are looking to make a strong play for the top-ranked EDGE defender in the 2024 class.

While the focus of late has primarily been on the 2023 high school football recruiting class, the Florida Gators behind new head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and his staff have also been pushing forward with the 2024 crop of prospects as well.

Among the best that the outgoing sophomore class has to offer is four-star EDGE defender Colin Simmons out of Duncanville (Texas), who is currently the top prospect at his position according to both the 247Sports composite and the On3 consensus. The 6-foot-3-inch, 215-pound hybrid lineman/linebacker recently wrapped up a tour of the Swamp earlier this month and appears to have enjoyed his stop.

“I like it out there in Florida. The weather feels good and everything,” he told Gators Online. “I felt like I did good at the camp and showed some of my skills and potential. Also, I just like how the staff comes off as if Florida is the place to be.

“It was great, honestly. I had fun and the place was cool. It was a little vibe.”

So far, his recruitment has been spearheaded by outside linebackers coach [autotag]Mike Peterson[/autotag] and recruiting staffer [autotag]Joe Hamilton[/autotag]. Simmons’ experience with the former has endowed him with a good deal of knowledge that has left him thirsty for more.

“Coach Mike Peterson has definitely taught me a few things. I feel like he could teach me more too, especially with my pass-rushing ability and more outside of football also.”

On the other hand, his connection with the latter has more of a local feel for him.

“I have a real good vibe with (coach Hamilton). He’s down from where I’m from. He’s just trying to get me back up there, especially for a game this season to see how the crowd and vibe is.”

He expects to return to Gainesville for one of the matchups in the Swamp this fall, telling Gators Online, “I’m most definitely catching a game.”

Simmons is currently pursued by the Alabama Crimson Tide, LSU Tigers, Oklahoma Sooners, Texas Longhorns, Georgia Bulldogs, USC Trojans, Oregon Ducks and Michigan Wolverines, among many others. The 247Sports composite has him ranked No. 17 nationally and third in Texas while the On3 consensus has him at Nos. 13 and 1, respectively. The Sooners are way out ahead in his recruitment with an 81.8% chance of signing him according to On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine.

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This 4-star EDGE picks up offer from Florida, calls UF his dream school

He’s been watching Florida since he was a kid. Now, four-star EDGE Braylan Shelby has an offer to play for the Orange and Blue.

The Florida Gators only recently got into the race for Texas four-star [autotag]Braylan Shelby[/autotag], but he’s quickly put the Orange and Blue near the top of his list.

Florida coaches were in Friendswood, Texas, to see Shelby in action on Monday, and an offer was on the table by the next day, according to Gators Online. Arkansas, LSU, Miami and Texas Tech have also begun to pursue him, and Texas and USC have been after Shelby for even longer.

The Gators do have something working in their favor that the other programs don’t, though: nostalgia.

“Actually, growing up, Florida was my dream school,” Shelby said. “I always, for some reason, went to turn on the TV, that was the game that was always on. Growing up, I always loved Florida.”

Things are still fresh, but Shelby expects Florida to quickly move up his board. He plans to hit Florida, Florida State and Miami in one summer trip, which should give him a better idea of the program.

“I feel like right now, they’re (Florida) like a top eight to top ten, somewhere around there,” he said. “I know when I take a visit, they’ll probably move up. Just for right now, I say around there.”

The Longhorns and Trojans are the teams to beat right now with Shelby intent on spending two of his five official visits on those two programs. Meeting [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and the coaching staff in person should help UF’s chances of getting him back on campus after defensive personnel analyst Joe Hamilton has done most of the communicating for the Gators.

Shelby is ranked No. 349 on the On3 consensus and is the No. 35 EDGE in the class of 2023 according to the service.

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Florida is going after this 4-star DL committed to Texas A&M

Could Florida steal this four-star defensive lineman from Texas A&M?

Four-star defensive lineman [autotag]Anthony James[/autotag] committed to Texas A&M on February 11, 2021 but that hasn’t stopped him from talking with other elite programs over the last year. One of the teams in James’ ear recently has been the Florida Gators.

James tweeted on Tuesday that Florida’s new staff offered him a scholarship, tagging head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag], co-defensive coordinators [autotag]Sean Spencer[/autotag] and [autotag]Patrick Toney[/autotag], running backs coach [autotag]Jabbar Juluke[/autotag] and defensive personnel analyst [autotag]Joe Hamilton[/autotag].

He’s supposed to visit the University of Miami on April 16, so there’s an opening for Florida’s recruiting staff to try and schedule a visit with him while he’s in the state. James plays for Wylie East (Texas), so it may be hard to pry him away from his home state.

Jimbo Fisher is coming off the No. 1 recruiting class for 2022 and James is one of the centerpieces of the Aggies’ 2023 class. He’s ranked No. 54 overall and No. 8 among defensive linemen on 247Sports’ individual rankings.

Texas A&M has already seen one four-star de-commit from the program (Eli Holstein), so it’s not entirely out of the question that James backs off his pledge as well. Michigan most recently hosted James in November on an unofficial visit for the Ohio State game.

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In-state 4-star wide receiver set to take March visit to Florida

Napier and his army are relentlessly on the recruiting trail.

Florida will need to sign a good amount of wide receivers in 2023 after only taking one in coach Billy Napier’s first class. One name on the Gators board is four-star wideout Bryson Rodgers from Zephyrhills, Florida, and he plans to make the trip to see the Gators in March, according to Swamp247.

He was supposed to visit the Swamp in January before the February dead period but had to reschedule due to allergies. Rodgers told 247Sports’ Blake Alderman that an official date hasn’t been set but hopes to make the trip next month.

Napier and wide receivers coach Keary Colbert have prioritized him since they’ve arrived in Gainesville. Colbert visited his high school back in January and spoke with him over the phone a few times. During their conversations, Colbert reaffirmed his offer to suit up for the Orange and Blue as well as establish a relationship.

“I have been getting to know his personality, and he’s definitely different than coach (Billy) Gonzales,” Rodgers said. “It’s important for me to get to know that new personality and that new coach who wants to recruit me. He’s there to give me knowledge on the program.”

Napier and his staff have placed a stronger emphasis on the recruiting trail than the previous one, and that’s something the talented pass-catcher has noticed.

Rodgers said Colbert is ambitious and wants to bring more game-changing wideouts to Florida like it did in the past.

Colbert also isn’t the only coach he’s been speaking with, either.

“I have been talking to coach (Joe) Hamilton, too,” he said. “He and the other coaches told me they are going to come after me hard. Even coach (Billy) Napier told me I was someone who was really underrated in his eyes. In his opinion, he thought I should be a higher ranked guy, but he said the stars and stuff aren’t going to shy him away from recruiting me.”

Napier added that he loves his game and who he is as a person.

Last fall, Rodgers dropped a list of his top seven schools but scrapped it ultimately because of all the coaching changes. However, he hopes to make a commitment near the end of summer, so he can focus on his senior season.

In March, he plans to see Ohio State, Georgia and Florida State along with Florida.

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