Tag: Keary Colbert

This 5-star WR ‘sees a difference’ with Florida under Napier

Florida’s made contact with the top-ranked receiver in the class of 2024, but he thinks they could be doing more.

Florida wide receivers coach [autotag]Keary Colbert[/autotag] has landed commitments from several elite pass-catchers during the 2023 cycle, but he’s going after a five-star when it comes to the class of 2024.

On3’s Chad Simmons caught up with the top-ranked receiver in the class of 2024 and the No. 3 overall recruit on the On3 consensus, [autotag]Joshisa Trader[/autotag], and the Gators were one of many teams discussed. Ohio State is currently in the lead, and Florida has a lot of ground to make up, but Trader says he’s seeing the difference in Gainesville now that [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]’s group has taken over.

“I see a difference,” Trader said. “The receivers are doing better from last year. (Florida) got a better coaching staff. To me, they got a better coaching staff.”

Ohio State‘s Brian Hartline is one of two wide receiver coaches ranked higher than Colbert on 247Sports recruiter rankings. If Colbert makes Trader a priority, it could be a fun battle to watch over the next year. The only problem is that Florida hasn’t quite given Trader the attention he thinks he deserves.

“This (is) their first time really recruiting me,” he said. “At first, when they (weren’t) recruiting me, they didn’t really pay attention to me, but I noticed that. They did pay attention to other people they had to recruit to get them there, so I noticed that. I understood that. Going on now, they’ve been better recruiting (me), but I feel like they could do more.”

Whether the Gators answer that call remains to be seen, but Trader has made it known that he wants the Gators to step up. Landing him would be quite the statement by Colbert. Hartline and OSU have created a wide receiver factory that’s routinely brought in some of the best names at the position around the country. Keeping the Florida kid at home that Hartline wants is how top-five classes are built.

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This 5-star WR ‘sees a difference’ with Florida under Napier

Florida’s made contact with the top-ranked receiver in the class of 2024, but he thinks they could be doing more.

Florida wide receivers coach [autotag]Keary Colbert[/autotag] has landed commitments from several elite pass-catchers during the 2023 cycle, but he’s going after a five-star when it comes to the class of 2024.

On3’s Chad Simmons caught up with the top-ranked receiver in the class of 2024 and the No. 3 overall recruit on the On3 consensus, [autotag]Joshisa Trader[/autotag], and the Gators were one of many teams discussed. Ohio State is currently in the lead, and Florida has a lot of ground to make up, but Trader says he’s seeing the difference in Gainesville now that [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]’s group has taken over.

“I see a difference,” Trader said. “The receivers are doing better from last year. (Florida) got a better coaching staff. To me, they got a better coaching staff.”

Ohio State‘s Brian Hartline is one of two wide receiver coaches ranked higher than Colbert on 247Sports recruiter rankings. If Colbert makes Trader a priority, it could be a fun battle to watch over the next year. The only problem is that Florida hasn’t quite given Trader the attention he thinks he deserves.

“This (is) their first time really recruiting me,” he said. “At first, when they (weren’t) recruiting me, they didn’t really pay attention to me, but I noticed that. They did pay attention to other people they had to recruit to get them there, so I noticed that. I understood that. Going on now, they’ve been better recruiting (me), but I feel like they could do more.”

Whether the Gators answer that call remains to be seen, but Trader has made it known that he wants the Gators to step up. Landing him would be quite the statement by Colbert. Hartline and OSU have created a wide receiver factory that’s routinely brought in some of the best names at the position around the country. Keeping the Florida kid at home that Hartline wants is how top-five classes are built.

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This top 2024 wide receiver recruit sets visit date for opening game

The Gators are in hot pursuit of this Hillsborough product, who plans on joining his teammate at Florida’s season opener.

The season opener for Florida football against the Utah Utes is merely hours away at this point and the list of top recruits who plan on stopping by for a taste of what the Gator Nation is cooking in the Swamp continues to grow.

Four-star wide receiver [autotag]Bredell Richardson[/autotag] out of Tampa (Florida) Carrollwood Day plans on joining his teammate, running back [autotag]Anthony Carrie[/autotag], in the stands as the Orange and Blue open up the Billy Napier era on September 3. The 6-foot, 190-pound pass-catcher, much like his high school compadre, took part in the Friday Night Lights event at the end of July before receiving a re-offered scholarship from the new staff.

Speaking of which, the revamped brass at the top of the football program, spearheaded by wide receivers coach [autotag]Keary Colbert[/autotag], has already made a positive impression on the rising junior.

“I like the new staff,” he told Gators Online. “Me and Keary have a good relationship that we’ve been building over a long time. Also, I knew from the jump that it was a slower process with them just because it’s a new staff. They had to get comfortable and figure out what they were doing with their own kids that are up there. I knew it was going to be slower and I was open to that.”

The Gators face competition for the student-athlete’s talents, with the Alabama Crimson Tide, Georgia Bulldogs, LSU Tigers, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Texas Longhorns, Texas A&M Aggies, Miami Hurricanes and Florida State Seminoles among the other schools in hot pursuit of the blue-chipper.

Richardson is ranked No. 70 overall and No. 10 at his position in his class nationally according to the 247Sports composite, while the On3 consensus has him at Nos. 83 and 16, respectively. Florida is out front in On3’s Recruiting Prediciton Machine with a 35.8% chance of signing him ahead of Miami and FSU at 8.4% and 7.2%, respectively.

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Two Florida coaches in top 15 of 247Sports’ recruiter rankings

Florida’s coaching staff has been on a roll lately, and much of it is thanks to two men in particular. 247Sports has them in their top 15.

When [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] assembled his staff at the University of Florida, he said that he wanted to prioritize recruiting. Twenty commitments into the class of 2023 and one class of 2024 four-star verbally pledge to the Orange and Blue, it’s safe to say that Napier was successful, and the numbers back it up.

Co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach [autotag]Sean Spencer[/autotag] is ranked No. 7 on the 247Sports 2023 football recruiter rankings, and [autotag]Keary Colbert[/autotag] is ranked No. 11, which is good for the second-highest placement of any wide receivers coach on the list.

Spencer has been the primary recruiter on five of Florida’s commitments and has played a secondary role in the recruitment of two others. He’s directly responsible for the additions of No. 70 [autotag]Kelby Collins[/autotag], No. 145 [autotag]Will Norman[/autotag], No. 205 [autotag]Isaiah Nixon[/autotag], No. 218 [autotag]Kamran James[/autotag] and four-star [autotag]Gavin Hill[/autotag]. Despite the battery of four-stars committed to Florida thanks to Spencer, he ranks fourth among defensive line recruiters in the country. Clemson‘s Nick Eason, Notre Dame‘s Al Washington and Alabama‘s Freddie Roach are all ranked above Spencer in ascending order.

Still, it’s clear that coach Chaos’ stint in the NFL paid off, and he’s once again at the top of the recruiting game. Florida has the potential to bring in the strongest defensive line classes in the upcoming cycle, assuming all commitments put pen to paper during one of the signing periods.

Colbert has been the primary on five recruits as well, all of whom will play receiver for UF. No. 78 [autotag]Aidan Mizell[/autotag] leads the group and should be paired with No. 142 [autotag]Eugene Wilson III[/autotag] to do some damage. Four-stars [autotag]Andy Jean[/autotag] and [autotag]Creed Whittemore[/autotag] round out the blue-chip names in the class and three-star [autotag]Tyree Patterson[/autotag] adds some depth to the class. And there’s potential to add more receivers to the group.

The only other receivers coach ranked higher by 247Sports is Ohio State‘s Brian Hartline, who has brought in four recruits that average a 96.48 grade. The next receivers coach on the list is Texas’ Brennan Marion at No. 20 and three commits under his belt.

Florida’s other co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach [autotag]Patrick Toney[/autotag] is ranked No. 31 and the only other Gator inside the top 100. Cornerbacks coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag] should be next to break that threshold if he can add one of his high-profile targets. Currently ranked No. 101, adding either four-star [autotag]Dijon Johnson[/autotag] or five-star [autotag]Cormani McClain[/autotag] should do the trick for Raymond.

Outside linebackers coach [autotag]Mike Peterson[/autotag] is ranked No. 111, offensive coordinator and offense line coach [autotag]Rob Sale[/autotag] is ranked No. 188, inside linebacker coach [autotag]Jay Bateman[/autotag] is No. 190, tight ends coach [autotag]William Peagler[/autotag] is No. 240 and running backs coach [autotag]Jabbar Juluke[/autotag] rounds out the group at No. 338 on the list. Assistant offensive line coach [autotag]Darnell Stapleton[/autotag] received secondary credits for four commitments and ranks No. 259 as well.

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Three Gators cut from team by Napier, fourth on thin ice

Three Gators are no longer with the team after Billy Napier informed them of his decision.

At some point, this moment had to come for Billy Napier and the Florida Gators. On Wednesday, the first-year head coach informed three players that they were no longer on the team, according to 247Sports. Safety [autotag]Mordecai McDaniel[/autotag], defensive lineman [autotag]Chris Thomas[/autotag] and receiver [autotag]Fenley Graham[/autotag], who switched to the position during the offseason after playing in the secondary for the past two seasons, are expected to enter the transfer portal as a result.

Receiver [autotag]Marcus Burke[/autotag] was initially removed from the updated roster as well, and the sports information director told several reporters that he was also cut, but that turned out to be a miscommunication after team leaders went to Napier in hopes of reversing the decision. Napier obliged, but the three remaining cuts still came off as a bit of a shock, both to the team and the fanbase.

Graham was a fan favorite. One of the many former Lakeland Dreadnaughts that have come to Florida, his willingness to switch positions earned him praise from wide receivers coach [autotag]Keary Colbert[/autotag] during the spring and it was believed that he’d be in the conversation to be a kick returner in the fall. But these cuts reportedly had little to do with talent and where they were at on the depth chart and more about who was buying into the new culture.

McDaniel is another name that many expected to see contribute in some fashion this season after playing in all 13 games last year and 10 as a freshman. Thomas was a three-star recruit who saw action in just a single game as a freshman, so his cut is less surprising, but it still sends a message to the team. At the same time, doing this after the spring has given Napier enough time to earn the respect of his players.

First-year coaches are able to make these cuts of scholarship players thanks to an NCAA bylaw, but they can still stay on scholarship at the school until they graduate. Most players test the portal, though, and find new opportunities. The only problem is that the May 1 deadline has come and gone, so these players need a waiver to be eligible at another school in the upcoming season.

Florida is down to 87 scholarship players following the move. That means there’s a chance that two or more players are cut.

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Florida football adds this JUCO wide receiver to 2022 class

Florida adds to its wide receiver room with this JUCO addition.

Florida football added another player to its wide receiver room on Sunday when JUCO wide receiver [autotag]Thai Chiaokhiao-Bowman[/autotag] both committed and signed with the program, joining transfer portal arrival [autotag]Ricky Pearsall[/autotag] as the latest additions to the 2022 class.

The 6-foot-2-inch, 190-pound pass-catcher from Minneapolis, Minnesota, spent the past year at Independence Community College (Kansas) and will have the full five years available for him to get his four seasons of play in. He chose his Sunshine State destination over Illinois, Ole Miss and Nebraska, despite his desire early on to remain in the realm of the Big Ten.

Chiaokhiao-Bowman’s primary recruiter was wide receivers coach [autotag]Keary Colbert[/autotag], who was one of many who went out of their way to make Gainesville feel like “home”.

“He and I just had a lot of ties,” he said of Florida’s assistant coach, according to Swamp247. “He played with Dominique Byrd at USC, who is a homie of mine and my brother’s. He also knows Larry Fitzgerald and played in the league so he’s gone places that I want to go. He’s a family guy and he’s really down to earth.

“They need a guy with my skill set to come do big things, even play special teams,” he added in regards to his fit on the current roster. “They plan to move me around between slot and outside. They like my releases, separation at the top of the route, he said he can tell I have good ball skills, I look seasoned and I work hard.”

The JUCO transfer will hopefully hit the ground running this upcoming season for Billy Napier’s squad, especially given how thin the team is at some positions, including the receiver corps.

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Florida earns commitment from this former Arizona State wide receiver

Former Arizona State wide receiver Ricky Pearsall committed to Florida over Oregon on Saturday.

Florida head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] said during spring football that the wide receiver room lacked depth. On Saturday, he landed a talented player from the NCAA transfer portal for his unit that will provide some star power and depth. Former Arizona State wide receiver [autotag]Ricky Pearsall[/autotag] announced his commitment to the Gators via Twitter.

Pearsall chose Florida over Oregon. He recently took an official visit to the Swamp from April 29 to May 1, during which he relished his time with Napier and wide receiver coach [autotag]Keary Colbert[/autotag]. Pearsall also told Swamp247 that he was able to spend some time around quarterback [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag].

He was the Sun Devils’ leading receiver last year when he recorded 48 receptions, 580 yards and four touchdowns as a third-year sophomore. Before he entered the portal, the Arizona State coaching staff was expecting a big year from its former three-star wideout.

Pearsall should immediately become one of Florida’s top four receivers along with [autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag], [autotag]Xzavier Henderson[/autotag] and [autotag]Trent Whittemore[/autotag].

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Gators make top 5 for this 4-star wide receiver

Florida made four-star wide receiver Johntay Cook II’s top five schools along with Texas A&M, Michigan, Texas and Jackson State.

Florida already holds one commitment from a wide receiver this recruiting cycle in three-star [autotag]Tyree Patterson[/autotag]. However, head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and wide receivers coach [autotag]Keary Colbert[/autotag] want to secure pledges from several more wideouts this cycle like four-star [autotag]Johntay Cook II[/autotag]. He released his top five schools on Sunday, including Florida as well as Texas A&M, Michigan, Texas and Jackson State.

Cook hails from Soto, Texas, and the 247Sports composite rankings have him as the 41st overall prospect and the eighth-best player at his position.

The Gators somehow managed to make his list of top schools even without getting him on campus this year so far. He told 247Sports that Florida made his list of top five schools because of Colbert. Cook said Colbert has still prioritized him even after leaving USC.

He plans to take his official visits next month but doesn’t have a timetable for when he wants to make a decision.

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This JUCO wide receiver ironing out details to visit Florida

Billy Napier has this JUCO transfer near the top of his wishlist for the spring cycle, and he says an official visit is in the works.

Several of Florida’s football coaches were out evaluating talent on Monday and one of the more intriguing players in the group is Hutchinson C.C. wide receiver [autotag]Malik Benson[/autotag].

Wide receivers coach [autotag]Keary Colbert[/autotag] made the trip to Lansing, Kansas, to see Benson in action on Monday. Even though the two couldn’t talk during Benson’s practice, they planned to meet up later in the evening, according to 247Sports’ Blake Alderman. Colbert and Benson have developed a strong relationship and the hope is that he can get to campus on an official visit soon.

“I told Florida with my schedule and how everything is working out that I would like to do that last weekend of May,” Benson said to 247Sports. “They said that should be fine, but we are still working on it. If I do take the visit there like I am thinking, it will probably be the end of May.”

Benson already has LSU, Tennessee and Georgia lined up for June and is in talks with Alabama to set up a date. That means Florida is fighting for the fifth spot in his top 5, a list he says will come out on May 7.

Wide receiver is one of Florida’s lightest positions going into 2022 and [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] isn’t hiding the fact that Benson is near the top of his wishlist. The SEC’s best are in the hunt, so Florida needs to wow him when they finally do get him on campus in May.

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Another 4-star prospect high on Florida after attending spring game

Florida is aggressively recruiting Lakeland 4-star WR Tyler Williams and it seems to be paying off after another visit to the Swamp.

Tyler Williams, a four-star wide receiver out of Lakeland, made his second trip of the month to Florida last Thursday to see the Orange and Blue game. He left The Swamp with Florida near the top of his recruitment, according to 247Sports, but there’s still a long road ahead before a decision is made.

“I can say they (the Gators) are sitting kind of high right now,” Williams said. “They are one of the schools I can say that is recruiting me the hardest.”

Seeing the Gators at game speed was a different experience than Williams got on his last trip. The atmosphere was electric and another factor for him to consider when making his college commitment. He hopes to return to Gainesville over the summer to further his relationship with the coaching staff.

Whether or not that will be an official visit remains to be seen. Williams says he’s hopeful that Florida lands one of the coveted five official visits but no schedule is set. Georgia and Clemson are two other programs that Williams has expressed interest in visiting.

Until that schedule comes out, Florida’s recruiting staff will continue to talk with Williams and keep him connected with the program. Napier texts him a few times a week to check in, and wide receivers coach [autotag]Keary Colbert[/autotag] is also in contact.

Florida did just land a commitment from wide receiver [autotag]Tyree Patterson[/autotag], but the Gators are looking to bring in a ton of depth to the position in this cycle. There’s plenty of room to add another receiver or two on top of Patterson and Williams should the latter commit.

Williams is ranked No. 192 overall on the 247Sports Composite and No. 25 among receivers in the class of 2023.

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