Tag: JUCO

Coveted JUCO defensive lineman signs with Florida football

The Florida Gators officially signed a three-star JUCO defensive lineman to the class of 2024

A three-star elite JUCO defensive lineman put his name to paper on Wednesday, signing to the Florida Gators after verbally committing last week.

Blinn College edge defender [autotag]Brien Taylor[/autotag] is officially a member of the 2024 Gators squad following his latest move during the early signing period.

The 6-foot-5-inch, 290-pound gridiron giant has always been vocal about his admiration of the UF campus and football coaching staff and felt satisfied that he was still made to feel like a priority after the Gators made changes to its defensive staff.

“Even after coach (Sean) Spencer was let go, they pushed even harder to make sure I knew I was still a priority and everything was real from the jump,” he told On3. “They like folks like me. I’ve never had anything handed to me; I go get what I want.”

Taylor wants to take advantage of the depleting Gators roster and make an immediate impression after making his way to Gainesville.

“I have the opportunity to make an instant impact. I got everything I need. I’ll be practicing against the best players to be able to get to the next level.”

Taylor is the No. 14 overall prospect among JUCO recruits and ranked No. 4 at the edge position for the class of 2024. Taylor chose the Gators over the likes of the Auburn Tigers, Tennessee Volunteers, Oregon Ducks and Georgia Bulldogs.

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Bay State JUCO target sets official visit date with Florida football

The Gators are hosting this big-time defensive line JUCO prospect this weekend.

Florida football has been doing its due diligence regarding JUCO prospects as Billy Napier and Co. look to restock the roster with players seeking a bump up in competition.

Three-star defensive lineman [autotag]Malcolm Alcorn-Crowder[/autotag], a redshirt freshman currently at Butler (Kansas) Community College, is one of the Gators’ targets this offseason. He received an offer from Florida in November while Sean Spencer was still on the staff and the team has continued its pursuit after his departure.

The 6-foot-6-inch, 297-pound trench warrior hosted tight ends coach Russ Callaway last Tuesday and is now scheduled to make an official visit to the Swamp this coming weekend, according to Swamp247. Previously, he had been scheduled to stop by campus last weekend but that has been updated to Friday, Dec. 15.

The Bay State product has gotten a glimpse of the Gators’ program in the past, having visited the university while he was in high school.

“I’ve been there before when I was in high school when Dan Mullen was the coach. The stadium was nice, the facilities were nice, but I heard they upgraded those,” he noted.

Coupled with his contact with the staff over the past weeks, Alcorn-Crowder has a good idea of what he is getting into.

“I know a little bit about them. They always have good coaches being in the SEC. I watched them this season. I’ve liked some of the things they do and the scheme they put out there. They try and get after it.”

Most importantly, the Orange and Blue have something to offer the young, aspiring student-athlete.

“They have traditionally produced d-lineman from their program. Florida has been a winning program before. They are a team in the national light, and they are a team that has been ranked.”

Alcorn-Crowder is ranked No. 28 overall and No. 8 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite JUCO. On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine has the Gators on top with a 45.8% chance of landing him, followed by the Kansas State Wildcats at 41.0%.

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Florida football earns commitment from JUCO defensive lineman

The Florida Gators earned a commitment from a three-star JUCO defensive lineman.

Florida football earned a commitment from a highly regarded three-star JUCO recruit on Monday afternoon, bolstering its efforts in restocking the roster after a disappointing season.

Defensive lineman [autotag]Brien Taylor[/autotag] announced his commitment to the Orange and Blue with the help of national recruiting expert Hayes Fawcett, who posted the news on X. Included in the post is a good-looking graphic of Taylor donning Florida’s new blackout jerseys with an interesting caption, mentioning how the Gators are essentially starting over.

“The whole town is invested into Gator football, and I’m ready to contribute to a rebuild,” Taylor said.

Taylor isn’t necessarily taking shots at the UF program, but showing that he’s willing to give it all when it comes to bringing the Gators back to the standard that Florida fans have come to know.

The 247Sports composite JUCO has him ranked No. 8 overall and No. 3 at his position nationally in the 2024 cycle while On3’s JC industry ranking has him No. 14 overall and No. 4 at edge defender nationally.

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Florida football still in pursuit of coveted JUCO defensive lineman

The Gators appear to have the inside track for this big-time defensive lineman transfer.

The college football transfer portal is currently wide open as a myriad of student-athletes seek the next stop on their collegiate journeys. Among the many schools looking to reload following the 2023 campaign are the Florida Gators, who have many positions of need.

This past weekend, Billy Napier and Co. hosted a handful of recruiting targets, including three-star defensive lineman [autotag]Brien Taylor[/autotag] out of Blinn College in Texas on Sunday. The 6-foot-5-inch, 270-pound defender came away impressed with what the Orange and Blue had to offer.

“I love everything about it, for real,” Taylor told Swamp247. “The whole coaching staff and everybody involved in UF… it seems real family oriented and they make you know when you come here, it ain’t just football. They’re going to make sure you’re prepared for life as a man. You’re going to develop different characteristics that you need and will help you in life. It’s the No. 1 public school so it’s somewhere to be, for sure.”

However, Florida is not the only major suitor for the lineman’s talents. The Oklahoma State Cowboys, Auburn Tigers, Georgia Bulldogs and Tennessee Volunteers have also hosted him for official visits as well. Nonetheless, Taylor seems to be high on Gainesville as his next destination.

“He said this is the place to be,” Taylor said, “and that we can turn it around, for real.”

The one area where Florida has faltered in his recruitment was with the dismissal of defensive line coach Sean Spencer, stating that he “wasn’t happy” with the move. The good news is that defensive line graduate assistant Kali James and outside linebackers coach Mike Peterson, who had already been involved in his recruitment, have picked up the slack.

“The staff and everybody made sure to do a good job,” Taylor said. “Make sure that even though Coach Spencer’s gone, I’m still a priority.”

Taylor appeared in 13 games in two seasons at Blinn College, amassing 39 total tackles, including 9.5 for a loss, 2.0 sacks and a forced fumble.

The 247Sports composite JUCO has him ranked No. 8 overall and No. 3 at his position nationally in the 2024 cycle while On3’s JC industry ranking has him No. 14 overall and No. 4 at edge defender nationally.

The Gators have three crystal ball predictions for Taylor from 247Sports while On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine gives Florida a 94.7% chance of landing him.

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Florida in pursuit of JUCO OT, official visit scheduled

The Florida Gators have officially offered JUCO offensive tackle Maurice Rodrigues after an assistant coach paid him a visit. He’ll take an official visit to UF.

Florida is looking to add as much offensive line depth as possible this offseason, and Billy Napier’s staff proved it is willing to go the JUCO route when they offered Saddleback College (Pasadena, California) tackle [autotag]Maurice Rodrigues[/autotag].

The Orange and Blue officially offered Rodrigues on Tuesday, according to Swamp247’s Blake Alderman. Offensive line assistant Darnell Stapleton flew out to see Rodrigues in action, and he checked enough boxes to get the offer.

Florida will get him on campus for an official visit at the perfect time, too. Rodrigues says he’ll be in town for the weekend of Dec. 15, which has him departing Gainesville just three days before the early signing period opens up.

Right now, Texas Tech seems to be the only Power Five program seriously interested in Rodrigues. The Red Raiders offered in late November and hosted him recently for an official visit.

Florida is already bringing in four linemen in the upcoming cycle: four-star tackle Fletcher Westphal, three-star tackle Marcus Mascoll, three-star tackle Mike Williams and three-star interior offensive lineman Noel Portnjagin.

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Florida football coach to visit JUCO defensive lineman on Tuesday

Russ Calloway will be in Kansas on Tuesday to meet up with a coveted JUCO recruit.

Florida football returns to the recruiting trail now that the NCAA transfer portal is officially open and the Gators’ sights are currently set on one standout JUCO player.

Three-star defensive lineman [autotag]Malcolm Alcorn-Crowder[/autotag], a redshirt freshman currently at Butler (Kansas) Community College, is scheduled to host Florida’s tight ends coach Russ Callaway on Tuesday. The 6-foot-6-inch, 297-pound behemoth received an offer a few weeks ago while Sean Spencer was still on the staff and it appears that Napier and Co. plan to follow through with the late-blooming student-athlete.

“I like the atmosphere at Florida, fans and competition. They are in the SEC and play a lot of great teams every year,” Alcorn-Crowder previously told Gators Online. “The coaching staff is always good and they always produce defensive linemen. Those were really the main points I liked.”

The Miami Hurricanes, Minnesota Golden Gophers, North Carolina State Wolfpack, Maryland Terrapins, Mississippi State Bulldogs, Cincinnati Bearcats and South Florida Bulls are also in the mix for the Bay State product.

“(Florida is) definitely up there on my list,” he also told On3. “They have a good coaching staff and always produce defensive linemen, so they are definitely up there on my list.”

Graduating in December, the defender plans on making his decision after visiting a handful of schools — a list that includes Mississippi State, Miami and Cincinnati.

Alcorn-Crowder is ranked No. 25 overall and No. 8 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite JUCO. On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine has the Kansas State Wildcats on top with a 74.9% chance of landing him, followed by the Connecticut Huskies (2.1%), Massachusetts Minutemen (1.8%) and N.C. State (1.5%).

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Florida pushing hard for this JUCO defensive lineman

Blinn College (JUCO) defensive lineman Brien Taylor was in Gainesville this weekend, and he has an official visit planned with UF as well.

Florida hosted several players on unofficial visits over the weekend, including Blinn College defensive lineman [autotag]Brien Taylor[/autotag].

Taylor entered the transfer portal after a successful stint with the Buccaneers, earning a three-star JUCO transfer rating from 247Sports. Florida offered him back in September, but it took him until now to get on campus. Taylor hoped to take an official visit this weekend, but it ended up getting switched to a three-day unofficial.

He was able to experience the Florida-FSU game and left town picturing himself in the Orange and Blue.

“I like their defense,” Taylor said to 247Sports’ Blake Alderman. “They were playing well and have some dogs. From seeing them, I felt like I could be someone to help make an impact. Felt like I could be someone to make an impact if I come in there and put in that work.”

Taylor should return for an official visit on Dec. 8, and he’s likely to make a decision shortly after that trip to Gainesville. Auburn, Georgia, Oklahoma State and Tennessee have already hosted him on official visits, though. It won’t be easy to secure the 6-foot-5-inch, 270-pounder, but Taylor seems keen on Florida.

“They are in there for sure. They are for sure in the top of the ranks. It’s going to come down to Florida being one of my final schools for sure.”

Florida will lose a few veteran pieces of the defensive line this offseason. Adding Taylor would be a nice way to counter those losses.

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Gators to get coveted JUCO DE for December official visit

Florida’s is looking to woo this JUCO defensive end to the Orange and Blue.

Billy Napier and Co. have built a formidable recruiting class in the 2024 cycle, but their work is nowhere near complete. Among the Gators targets as the class wraps up is a junior college player from the Lone Star State.

Three-star defensive end [autotag]Brien Taylor[/autotag] out of Blinn College (Texas) recently told Gators Online’s Keith Niebuhr that he plans to officially visit the University of Florida on Dec. 8.

The 6-foot-5-inch, 290-pound trench warrior also has an official visit with the Auburn Tigers this weekend and Georgia Bulldogs on Nov. 11. He made an official visit with the Oklahoma State Cowboys in September.

“It was like a dream come true,” Taylor said his offer from Florida. “The opportunity to play in that stadium for a team I watched growing up. Tim Tebow. Cam Newton. That’s one of the loudest stadiums.”

Niebuhr asked Taylor what he was looking for in his collegiate destination.

“Somewhere that feels like a home away from home,” the JUCO standout responded. “Somewhere I can get used to. And somewhere I feel needed and wanted at the same time. Someplace that has my best interest at hand.”

Taylor is ranked No. 15 overall and No. 6 at his position nationally according to 247SportsJUCO while the On3 JC industry ranking has him ranked at Nos. 13 and 3, respectively. On3’s recruiting prediction machine has Auburn in the lead with a 29% chance of signing him, followed by Georgia (25.4%), Florida (21.7%) and the Tennessee Volunteers (18.1%).

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Former Michigan State football DB Michael Gravely has new home

Michael Gravely has found a new home, looking to get his football career back on track:

Michael Gravely Jr. was a member of Mel Tucker’s first recruiting class at Michigan State in 2021. Gravely came to the Spartans as a 3-star prospect from Cleveland, Ohio, attending Euclid High School.

Unfortunately, in his first season in East Lansing, an off the field issue forced the Cleveland native to leave the program without ever playing a game in the green and white.

Now, Gravely is looking to get his football career back on track, and will attend the College of Dupage this fall, a junior college in the NJCAA.

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JUCO safety transfer target includes Florida among top 5 schools

This JUCO transfer portal target could help shore up the Gators’ defensive back field in 2024.

The college football recruiting dead period has returned after a brief break at the end of July, but head coach Billy Napier and his army of staffers are still working hard to bring the best and brightest into the Swamp.

The Gators got some good news on Tuesday when three-star JUCO safety Laquan Robinson, who currently plays for the Holmes Community College (Goodman, Mississippi) Bulldogs announced his top-five favorite destinations on his personal social media account, with the Orange and Blue among his preferred programs. Also included are the Texas A&M Aggies, Auburn Tigers, Ole Miss Rebels and Houston Cougars.

Originally from Greenville, Alabama, the 6-foot-2-inch, 195-pound defensive back left the high school ranks with the 2022 class. In one season with Dawgs, he logged nine games of action, tallying 39 solo and seven assisted tackles (5.1 total per game) while also snagging an interception.

Robinson is ranked No. 5 overall and No. 1 at his position in the 2024 transfer portal class nationally according to 247Sports’ proprietary analysis while the composite On3 industry ranking has him at Nos. 411 and 39, respectively. On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine has Auburn in front (19.5%) followed by the Mississippi State Bulldogs (17.1%), Ole Miss (14.6%) and Florida (12.2%).

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