Tag: jordan castell

Social media reactions to Florida’s big recruiting haul

It all happened kind of fast, but Florida just hit a major recruiting hot streak to close out the summer. Here’s how Gator Nation reacted.

The Florida Gators just added four more recruits to the class of 2023 and Gator Nation is sounding off on social media.

The first few months of the summer were tough on Florida fans. Billy Napier and his staff missed out on several top targets before hitting their stride. Losing the likes of four-star quarterback [autotag]Jaden Rashada[/autotag] and five-star offensive tackle [autotag]Francis Mauigoa[/autotag] to Miami made the slow start even more painful.

Then, four-star running back Treyaun Webb committed and four-star quarterback [autotag]Marcus Stokes[/autotag] flipped from Penn State. But Napier and the Gators were just getting started. Most of July is considered a dead period in college football, which means players can’t get on campus or meet with coaches in person during the back half of their summer break. The final week of the month is a quiet period, though, and Napier made the most of it.

Landing a quartet of four-stars in the final days before recruits are shut down again until the start of the college season is exactly the boost Florida (and its fans) needed. Cornerback [autotag]Ja’Keem Jackson[/autotag], safety [autotag]Jordan Castell[/autotag] and receivers [autotag]Andy Jean[/autotag] and [autotag]Aidan Mizell[/autotag] pledged their services to the Gators and vaulted UF into the 12th spot on 247Sports’ team rankings.

It’s safe to say that Gator Nation is celebrating this hot streak and here’s how they’re doing it.

Florida’s 2023 recruiting class nearing top 10 after recent additions

The Gators are rolling. After adding four four-star recruits to the class of 2023, Florida is just outside the top 10 in 47Sports’ team rankings.

The Florida Gators started the month of July ranked 28th in the nation by 247Sports when it came to recruiting the class of 2023. Fast forward to July 30 and UF is ranked No. 12 by the service. It appears capable of pushing into the top 10.

Billy Napier earned pledges from a quartet of four-star recruits in the final week of the month. Cornerback [autotag]Ja’Keem Jackson[/autotag] was the first to commit, but his announcement might have been overshadowed by Florida missing on his teammates, four-star defensive linemen [autotag]John Walker[/autotag] and [autotag]Derrick LeBlanc[/autotag]. Both were considered priority targets for the Gators and were higher ranked than Jackson.

But Jackson’s commitment was the start of events. Receiver [autotag]Aidan Mizell[/autotag], who is ranked No. 72 overall on the 247Sports composite, picked the Gators the next day. Defensive back [autotag]Jordan Castell[/autotag], the No. 13 safety in the class, followed on Saturday morning, and former Miami wide receiver commit [autotag]Andy Jean[/autotag] moved up his announcement to join the fun.

That’s four four-star recruits committed in roughly 72 hours, and Florida might not be done. Perhaps this barrage of commitments is settled, but the Gators hosted several blue-chip recruits at their Friday Night Lights event and cookout.

At No. 12 overall, Florida sits just behind Tennessee and LSU. Leap-frogging the two SEC programs would not only put Florida in the top 10, but it would also put it directly behind Miami. The Hurricanes had an even bigger July than the Gators, recruiting-wise, and the two are bound to be compared as the season plays out.

Florida is moving in the right direction, but a five-star commitment is needed to get into the same conversations as the elites. [autotag]Cormani McClain[/autotag] is the obvious name to go after to secure that top-10 placement, and this recent surge has fans believing Napier can pull it off.

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Florida hosted this top-100 DB during a busy recruiting weekend

Could Billy Napier be looking to flip another blue-chip recruit? Dijon Johnson, a four-star defensive back committed to Ohio State, was in town for Friday Night Lights.

The Florida Gators are in the middle of their busiest recruiting weekend of the summer right now as Friday Night Lights and the team cookout take place. The visitors’ list heading into the weekend was long and filled with blue-chip talent, but there were a few names that showed up unexpectedly.

One of those names is four-star defensive back [autotag]Dijon Johnson[/autotag] out of Wharton High (Tampa, Florida). Johnson, or “Mustard” as he’s affectionately called, committed to Ohio State in April, but he’s clearly still taking a look at other programs. The expectation was for him to pop up at the Miami recruiting cookout on Saturday, but Johnson told 247Sports that he was staying in town for Florida’s cookout instead.

This is the second trip Johnson has made to UF within the week. He and his dad were on campus to meet with cornerback coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag]. He could be seen spending most of his time with Raymond or co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach [autotag]Patrick Toney[/autotag]. The dead period ended on Monday and starts back up in August.

There’s no guarantee that Johnson backs off his pledge to OSU, but things look shaky at best right now with that commitment and Florida is primed to swoop in if he does change his mind. It also seems like this is one of the recruits Florida will have a leg up on against Miami, but that could (and has) changed in a heartbeat with other players this cycle.

The Gators already have a trio of in-state four-star defensive backs in the class, Osceola cornerback [autotag]Ja’Keem Jackson[/autotag] (Kissimmee), West Orange (Winter Garden) safety [autotag]Jordan Castell[/autotag] and Bartram Trail (Jacksonville)cornerback [autotag]Sharif Denson[/autotag].

Johnson would be the highest ranked of the bunch at No. 93 overall on the 247Sports composite. He’s also ranked No. 10 among cornerbacks in the class of 2023.

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Gators add another elite defensive back to the class of 2023

The Gators are on a roll. Four-star safety Jordan Castell’s commitment is the third in as many days for Billy Napier and Co.

Florida’s hot streak continued Saturday morning with the commitment of four-star safety [autotag]Jordan Castell[/autotag].

The West Orange High (Winter Garden, Florida) recruit picked UF over Alabama and Tennessee on a YouTube live stream. Experts pegged Castell as a Gator in early June after his official visit to the Swamp. He all but confirmed the decision the night before by replying to Florida commit Treyaun Webb’s tweet that predicted more commitments over the weekend.

Above all else, Castell seemed fully onboard with [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]’s mission of keeping in-state talent at home.

“Florida, you know, just putting on for the city,” Castell said. “I can stay home, family can watch me, why would I go make somebody else’s state better when I can do it at the crib.”

He praised Alabama and Tennessee, but Florida’s defensive back coaching duo of [autotag]Patrick Toney[/autotag] and [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag] seemed to put things over the edge.

“Coach Raymond, that’s the GOAT man,” he said. “Check his resume and just look what that man did. I went to go work out for him and he just taught me so much just through that period. I know that me being out there (Florida) for three years, yeah, I’m going to be nasty.”

Castell is ranked No. 199 overall on the 247Sports composite and No. 13 among safeties in the class of 2023. He’s the 15th player to commit in the cycle and should move Florida up a spot to No. 13 in the team rankings.

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2023 Recruiting Profile: Will 4-star S Jordan Castell commit to UF after moving decision date?

The Gators are looking to add four-star safety Jordan Castell to the class of 2023 on Saturday, July 30. He previously named Florida, Alabama and Tennessee to his top 3.

Florida missed out on consensus top-5 safety [autotag]Joenel Aguero[/autotag] on July 23 to Georgia but the Gators still have a chance to nab another four-star safety in West Orange’s [autotag]Jordan Castell[/autotag] before the month closes out.

Castell visited Florida and Tennessee in June and quickly moved up his commitment date to July 30. He named a top three of the Gators, Volunteers and Alabama Crimson Tide but hasn’t been to Tuscaloosa since the end of January.

That has many in Gator Nation believing that Castell will be picking up an orange and blue hat on Saturday, and the experts agree. On3’s recruiting prediction machine has UF as the 96.2% favorite less than a week out and 247Sports has six crystal balls logged in favor of the Gators. That’s about as sure as it gets, but we did just see four-star offensive tackle [autotag]Payton Kirkland[/autotag] pick Texas, a school he never visited, over Florida last weekend.

Nothing is official until the decision is in, but Florida seems to be in an ideal spot to add another name to the class of 2023 this week.

4-star safety moves up commitment date, names Florida in top 3

Four-star safety Jordan Castel is moving up his decision date after talking with his family, and Florida is among his three finalists.

Instead of deciding on the first day of October, four-star safety [autotag]Jordan Castell[/autotag] will announce his college decision on July 30. Andrew Ivins of 247Sports says he’s down to just three schools: Florida, Alabama and Tennessee.

The Gators hosted him on two occasions. The first was an unofficial on March 31, and the second was his only official visit leading up to the decision. Florida is the only school Castell has been to twice and is the crystal ball leader for him with three predictions submitted in its favor. On3’s recruiting prediction machine gives him a 90.8% chance to land the recruit as well, so it’s safe to say that the Gators are the favorites with the new commitment date rapidly approaching.

“Florida, there’s just a lot of love and I can see how they are setting up their players for the next level, especially with Coach (Corey) Raymond and Coach (Patrick) Toney,” Castell said. “I have seen what those guys have done at the programs they were at in the past.”

He could end up playing either safety or cornerback for the Gators. He spent most of his junior year at outside cornerback for West Orange High, so that might be where he winds up long-term.

Castell is ranked No. 219 overall on the 247Sports composite and No. 16 among safeties in the class of 2023. On3 is more bullish on him, ranking him at No. 130 overall and No. 10 at his position.

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This 4-star safety recruit set to make 3rd Gainesville visit this month

The Gators will have a whole gaggle of recruits on campus at the end of July for the Friday Night Lights/cookout weekend.

Billy Napier has managed to get another four-star defensive back recruit on campus during the last weekend in July.

[autotag]Jordan Castell[/autotag], the 6-foot-2-inch, 195-pound safety out of West Orange High School in Winter Garden, Florida, will be in Gainesville for the July 30 cookout the Gators are hosting for recruits. Castell told 247’s Blake Alderman that he could potentially be in attendance for the Gators’ Friday Night Lights recruiting event the night before as well.

Friday Night Lights is an annual recruiting event hosted by Florida football where recruits can work with coaches under the lights of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

This visit will be the third for Castell since the Gators offered him earlier this year. He took an unofficial visit in the spring and an official visit in June. Florida co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach [autotag]Patrick Toney[/autotag] and cornerbacks coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag] are spearheading Castell’s recruitment, and it seems to be paying dividends.

Castell told Alderman that both coaches have played a large part in his recruitment, highlighting Raymond’s prior experience in developing high-level talent and how both coaches want to see Castell play all over the secondary.

Castell is expected to announce his decision on October 1st with Alabama and Tennessee listed as the other finalists, with the Gators currently in the lead for Castell’s signature.

Castell is currently listed as the No. 15 Safety in the country, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings.

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4-star safety recruit receives crystal ball prediction for Florida

Gators got some good news recently on this coveted defensive back.

Florida football and [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] got some encouraging news from 247Sports’ Blake Alderman recently when his crystal ball prediction was released on Sunday for four-star safety [autotag]Jordan Castell[/autotag] out of Winter Garden (Florida) West Orange. The Gators got the first prediction so far from the service with a medium level of confidence.

The 6-foot-2-inch, 195-pound safety is no stranger to the Orange and Blue, making a trip in March to familiarize himself with the team and the campus while coming back for an official visit the first weekend of June — during which his prediction was released. After his March visit, the prep prospect offered the following to Swamp247.

“I love the energy there. I love the coaching staff they have at Florida. It’s just a really great spot to be at. I was at their scrimmage so I got to see the energy of their practice. They had guys that looked like they loved being out there playing for each other. It was real nice. I got to sit in the position meetings with the safeties and then I got to meet with the DB coaches like Coach Raymond, Coach Toney, and Coach Chaney. I have a good relationship with them.

“Really I just like the environment there. The coaching staff seemed really cool and I got to talk to some of the players. They get guys to the next level at Florida and have players who want to be there. I just feel like I fit in there. I think I fit in their defense. I am good at covering and I can come down and tackle. I just feel like I can help them a lot.”

Castell, who hails from the same high school as Oklahoma Sooners 2022 signee wide receiver Jayden Gibson, currently ranks No. 259 nationally and No. 23 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite, while the On3 consensus has him at Nos. 341 and 30, respectively. The On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine currently has the Gators out front in his recruiting with a 93.7% chance of landing him.

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A look at recruits Florida football is hosting first weekend of June

Here are the eight prep prospects making their way to the Swamp this weekend.

Florida football will host a group of eight 2023 recruits this weekend starting on Friday, June 3, as [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and his staff prepares to impress some of the best that the high school ranks have to offer. The Gators have seven blue-chip prospects heading to Gainesville — all four-star rated by both the 247Sports Composite and the On3 Consensus — plus a three-star commit who is also making the trip.

Additionally, in line with the new policy of focusing on recruits from within the state’s borders, six of the visitors hail from the Sunshine State while the other two are not much further away in Georgia and Alabama. There will be plenty more visits in the coming weekends this month and the Gators are looking to get off to a strong start with this first batch of preps.

Below is a look at all eight prospects heading to the Swamp from June 3 to 5 along with their respective rankings, a brief blurb on their recruitment, as well as a look at our previous coverage here at Gators Wire.

Gators coach Patrick Toney checks in on this 4-star safety target

The West Orange High product gets a visit from a Gators coach at his school’s spring game.

Florida football’s co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach [autotag]Patrick Toney[/autotag] is out on the recruiting trail on Thursday for a scheduled visit at West Orange High in Winter Garden, Florida, according to Swamp247. The Gators coach will be in town to watch the school’s spring game, which includes 4-star safety [autotag]Jordan Castell[/autotag] who is among many head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and his staff are pursuing to beef up their defensive backfield.

The 6-foot-2-inch, 195-pound athlete is no stranger to the Gators, having toured UF’s campus back in March, giving him a chance to familiarize himself with the team and its surroundings. While meeting with the coaching staff, he was also able to get a gander at some of the spring practices that were underway giving him a peek at what the Swamp has to offer.

After the visit, Castell offered the following to Swamp247.

“I love the energy there. I love the coaching staff they have at Florida. It’s just a really great spot to be at. I was at their scrimmage so I got to see the energy of their practice. They had guys that looked like they loved being out there playing for each other. It was real nice. I got to sit in the position meetings with the safeties and then I got to meet with the DB coaches like Coach Raymond, Coach Toney, and Coach Chaney. I have a good relationship with them.

“Really I just like the environment there. The coaching staff seemed really cool and I got to talk to some of the players. They get guys to the next level at Florida and have players who want to be there. I just feel like I fit in there. I think I fit in their defense. I am good at covering and I can come down and tackle. I just feel like I can help them a lot.”

The junior safety is planning on taking another trip to Gainesville in June for an official visit, though no exact date has been set yet.

Another top player that the Warriors’ program recently produced is Oklahoma Sooners 2022 signee wide receiver [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag], who the Gators pursued and managed to get a commitment from, but ultimately missed out on. Former Florida offensive tackle [autotag]Stone Forsythe[/autotag], who was the 24th pick of the sixth round (No. 208 overall) in the 2021 NFL draft by the Seattle Seahawks, also played for the high school Orange and Blue.

Castell is the No. 359 prep prospect overall while ranking as the No. 32 player at his position nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite, while the On3 Consensus has him at Nos. 332 and 30, respectively. Both services have Florida out front in the recruitment race, with 247Sports listing it as the only “warm” school and On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine giving the Gators a 46.8% chance of landing him.

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