Tag: Lucas Simmons

Florida football misses out on 4-star offensive tackle to FSU

Florida was hoping to keep four-star offensive lineman Lucas Simmons away from the Seminoles, but it looks like he’s headed to FSU next year.

Florida just landed a trio of impact commitments but Florida State got the nod over UF from four-star offensive tackle [autotag]Lucas Simmons[/autotag] on Monday afternoon.

The Gators had been pushing hard for the native of Sweden who is playing his high school ball at Clearwater Academy International, but FSU won out. The entire staff tweeted out “HejaGators” before April’s Orange and Blue Game and hosted him on his penultimate official visit on June 20, but the Seminoles formed a stronger bond with Simmons.

“Florida state is home,” Simmons said to On3. “I love FSU and the people in the program. Every time I leave Florida State I’m looking to book my next trip and every time I’m there I feel like home. Atkins and Norvell are people I trust to the fullest and I don’t see myself playing and getting developed under anyone else except them. I believe in the program, I believe in the coaches and players, and I believe that FSU will be what it once was.”

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Simmons is ranked No. 117 overall on the On3 consensus and No. 11 among offensive tackles in the class of 2023. Florida still has [autotag]Knijeah Harris[/autotag] and [autotag]Bryce Lovett[/autotag] to fall back on, but Billy Napier will need to look elsewhere to round out the class.

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Florida jumps once again in recruiting rankings following latest committment

Eugene Wilson III’s commitment to Florida has the Gators rising up the recruiting rankings.

Florida added the twelfth commitment of its recruiting class of 2023 on Friday and that means the Gators are once again on the rise in the team recruiting rankings.

After finishing Wednesday at No. 26 on the 247Sports team rankings, Florida jumped to No. 20 after adding [autotag]Eugene Wilson III[/autotag], who took over the top spot in the class. True to Napier’s word, Florida has prioritized those recruits that are nearest by. 10 of the team’s 12 commits are from the Sunshine State and none are farther than 350 miles away from UF.

On3 is even more bullish on the Gators ranking them at No. 14 and tied with Lousiville. With even more blue-chip recruits expected to consider Florida in the coming months, it may not be long until we see UF crack the top 10 in these ratings and the top 15 on 247Sports.

Even though [autotag]Dan Mullen[/autotag] had a bad reputation for recruiting poorly, his classes always finished in the top 15 and typically broke into the top 10. [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] is expected to top that and he now on his way to accomplishing that goal after a rocky start.

Gator Nation was in a panic after missing out on blue-chip quarterback Jaden Rashada among other high-priority targets, but the fanbase (and coaching staff) seems to have breathed a big sigh of relief after three sunglasses emojis in around 24 hours.

Florida could be on the rise once again as early as Monday, July 11, when offensive lineman [autotag]Lucas Simmons[/autotag] makes his decision.

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Florida in top 4 for this in-state 4-star OT deciding on Monday

Will Florida add another elite offensive lineman to the class of 2023 on Monday or miss out once again?

The Florida Gators are one of four finalists for Clearwater (Florida) Academy International four-star offensive tackle [autotag]Lucas Simmons[/autotag], who will announce his commitment on Monday, July 11.

Florida State, Tennessee and USC are the other teams in consideration. Simmons will choose one of the four programs during a live broadcast on CBS Sports HQ. The feeling going into the final stretch is that USC and FSU are in a better spot than Florida to land Simmons, but he’s still mulling things over for now.

A native of Sweden, there’s no home state advantage in this recruitment, especially with his parent still living overseas. If anything, being able to get a direct flight into town would give a team an edge. He made visits to all four programs in June and had his parents with him, so now it’s just about making the right decision.

“It’s just the consistency with how they (Florida) have been recruiting me,” Simmons said to 247Sports. “They have been very consistent and I like how they have five offensive line coaches. It’s constant development.”

Simmons has NFL potential at 6-foot-7-inches tall and 300 pounds. He’s a project player at the college level but could easily step into a starting left tackle role after a year or two.

The 247Sports composite ranks Simmons as the No. 109 overall recruit in the class of 2023 and at No. 13 among offensive tackles.

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Gators land in final four for this 4-star offensive tackle

There’s still work to be done, but Florida is still in the mix for this four-star offensive tackle who plans on deciding soon.

One of Florida’s recent visitors has narrowed down his recruitment to four programs. Four-star Clearwater Academy International offensive tackle [autotag]Lucas Simmons[/autotag] named Florida, Florida State, Tennessee and USC as his finalists with plans to commit in the coming weeks, according to a report from On3 Sports.

Each program hosted him on an official visit in June with UF and FSU getting the last visits in that order. He’s visited Tallahassee a total of six times and Florida’s hosted him four times.

“I am getting closer to a decision,” Simmons told Chad Simmons of On3. “I think it happens in the next two weeks or so. It will be one of those four schools. I like coaches at all of those schools and feel comfortable at each school, and now I just have to think about it.”

The Gators are currently third on the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine. USC holds the top spot, despite hosting him on just one visit, and the ‘Noles are at No. 2 on the list. No expert predictions have been submitted yet, and Simmons seems determined to give as much thought as possible to the decision.

The On3 consensus puts Simmons at No. 116 overall in the class of 2023 and No. 11 among offensive tackles.

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Gators impress this 4-star OT on mid-week official visit

After taking an official visit to the University of Florida, four-star offensive tackle Lucas Simmons has nothing but positives to say.

Florida football played host to four-star offensive lineman [autotag]Lucas Simmons[/autotag] over the week for an official visit. He left town on Thursday with an extremely favorable opinion of the university, according to 247Sports.

“It was really really really really good,” Simmons said. “I was really excited about this visit. It was a mid-week visit, so I knew going in it was going to be different.”

Simmons got to see the day-to-day activities of players that weekend visitors don’t always get to witness. He thought it was a unique experience that gave him some new things to consider despite visiting the campus several times in the past. Simmons’ parents were also able to make the trip all the way from Sweden for their first time in the Swamp.

Acknowledging his heritage was another good move by the UF staff. Simmons enjoyed Swedish treats left in his hotel room for him and took a photo shoot with the flag. Although they’re small gestures, they are ones that are appreciated by the 6-foot-7-inch, 300-pound recruit.

Offensive line coaches [autotag]Rob Sale[/autotag] and [autotag]Darnell Stapleton[/autotag] got to spend some time with Simmons, and that relationship is developing nicely. Simmons says he can expect fairness and respect from them and knows that there’s plenty of work to do before his SEC size translates to SEC playing time.

Simmons’ other official visits have been to Oklahoma State, Tennessee and USC. Florida State will get him over the weekend for the final OV, and then it’s time to think things over before making a decision. Having his parents there along for the ride will make things even easier. A mid-July decision is what he expects at this point.

The 247Sports composite ranks Simmons as the No. 107 overall recruit in the class of 2023 and at No. 13 among offensive tackles in the group.

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Gators host pair of recruits on mid-week official visits

The mid-week official visits went well for Florida a week ago, so why not run it back this week?

After hosting two elite talents last week on mid-week official visits, the Florida Gators have another duo in town. Four-star offensive lineman [autotag]Lucas Simmons[/autotag] and three-star linebacker [autotag]Samuel Omosigho[/autotag] arrived in Gainesville on Monday, according to 247Sports.

Simmons has warmed up to the Gators in recent months, but USC is considered the leader in his recruitment. Tennessee and Oklahoma State have also hosted him on official visits, and Florida State will get him over the weekend.

Despite playing high school ball in the state of Florida, Simmons is an international player from Sweden who moved to the States in 2021. That means the home state pitch won’t be as effective on him, but he does have two Florida schools in the mix a month or two out from his expected decision date.

Omosigho is a Texas-based recruit that’s actually rated four stars by 247Sports but composite rankings agree that he’s closer to the three-star range. Florida started talking with him in the spring and extended an offer in April. Personnel analyst Joe Hamilton played a key role in getting the ball moving with Omosigho and running backs coach [autotag]Jabbar Juluke[/autotag] stopped by his school in spring. Now he’ll get to see Florida’s campus in person and meet the staff in its entirety.

Ranked No. 412 overall in the class of 2023 on the 247Sports composite, Omosigho isn’t short on Power Five offers. Auburn, Michigan and Oklahoma are just three of his offers, and the Sooners are making a strong push for him.

Last week’s visits went well, and five-stars can be a bit harder to please than other recruits. We’ll have to wait and see what kind of boost Florida gets in these two races after they leave town.

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This 4-star offensive tackle sets official visit to Florida

Four-star offensive tackle Lucas Simmons will use one of his five official visits to see Florida on June 10.

Four-star offensive tackle Lucas Simmons told Swamp247 that he will officially visit Florida on June 10. Simmons is ranked as the 176th overall prospect and the 18th best player at his position.

The Gators have turned up the heat on Simmons over the past couple of months. They have made two stops by his school during the spring evaluation period and hosted him on unofficial visits during their Orange and Blue game and on April 30.

On his most recent visit, Simmons was able to spend lots of time with offensive line coaches [autotag]Rob Sale[/autotag] and [autotag]Darnell Stapleton[/autotag]. They told him that they feel like he can come in and play early if he comes in and works hard due to all the upperclassmen they have on their roster.

Simmons has taken an official visit to Oklahoma State already so far and plans to take some to Tennessee, USC and Florida State as well as Florida.

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This 4-star offensive tackle sets official visit date to Florida

Four-star offensive tackle Lucas Simmons announced after his latest visit that he’ll take an official visit to Florida this summer.

Florida is looking to make some major renovations to its offensive line room this recruiting cycle after the former coaching staff failed to land top-ranked prospects during their tenure. The Gators sit in a favorable position for several top offensive linemen this cycle, including four-star offensive tackle [autotag]Lucas Simmons[/autotag] who plans to officially visit the Swamp on June 10.

Simmons made his third visit to Florida to see head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and offensive line coaches [autotag]Rob Sale[/autotag] and [autotag]Darnell Stapleton[/autotag] on Saturday. He told 247Sports he most enjoyed the time he spent around the coaching staff.

Sale and Stapleton’s main pitch to Simmons was that if he came in and worked hard that he could make an impact early if he chose the Gators. He also believes that Florida would do an excellent job developing him.

Simmons said the last two visits to Gainesville have really opened his eyes. He said during his first visit that he still had the old coaching staff in mind. During Saturday’s trip, he said Florida started to feel like home.

He plans to take several official visits this summer to schools like Tennesse, USC and Florida State while taking one to Oklahoma State last weekend. Simmons said he plans to use his last one to see the Gators on June 10.

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This four-star OT plans to visit Florida for its Orange and Blue Game

Four-star offensive tackle Lucas Simmons will make the short drive from IMG to Florida on Thursday for its spring game.

Florida head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and offensive line coaches [autotag]Rob Sale[/autotag] and [autotag]Darnell Stapleton [/autotag]have continued to priortize the big men up front after former head coach [autotag]Dan Mullen[/autotag] and offensive line coach [autotag]John Hevesy[/autotag] struggled to recruit the unit. Several top targets like four-stars [autotag]Roderick Kearney[/autotag], [autotag]Knijeah Harris[/autotag] and [autotag]Payton Kirkland[/autotag] plan to visit Florida for the Orange and Blue Game. Now the coaching staff can add one more. 247Sports reported that four-star offensive tackle [autotag]Lucas Simmons[/autotag] will also be in attendance.

He is one of many talented prospects set to come out of IMG Academy this cycle. 247Sports independent rankings have Simmons as the 136th overall prospect in the country and the 15th best player at his position.

This will be his second visit to the Swamp. He last visited the Gators in March. After his first visit, Simmons said he liked spending time with Napier, Sale and Stapleton as well as learning about how prestigious the University of Florid is.

Simmons currently has a list of his top 12 schools that includes Florida, Arkansas, Baylor, Florida State, Michigan, Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, USC and USF. So far this year, he has taken visits to the Gators, Seminoles, Volunteers and Trojans.

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The stars are coming out for Florida’s Orange and Blue game on Thursday

The stars will be out for Florida head coach Billy Napier’s first spring game on Thursday.

Head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] has proven the doubters wrong. Many fans and media members thought the decision to move the Orange and Blue game from Saturday to Thursday to achieve a recruiting advantage was a mistake that would end up backfiring. Despite having the game held on a weekday, Napier and the Gators have managed to bring in three 2023 five-stars and 15 four-stars along with a boatload of top prospects from the 2024 recruiting class.

The Orange and Blue game visitors’ list is headlined by five-star cornerback [autotag]Cormani McClain[/autotag], offensive lineman [autotag]Francis Mauigoa[/autotag] and athlete [autotag]Samuel M’Pemba[/autotag]. This will all be their second visit to the Swamp under Napier. Swamp247 is also reporting that they have an eye out for five-star cornerback [autotag]AJ Harris[/autotag] that could also visit, but he and his family have not finalized their plans yet.

Maryland defensive lineman [autotag]Darrell Jackson[/autotag] isn’t a high school prospect, obviously, but Swamp247 reported that he will be visiting the Gators Thursday after entering his name into the transfer portal last week.

Florida will bring in a lot of talent on Thursday hailing from the trenches like offensive linemen [autotag]Payton Kirkland[/autotag], [autotag]Lucas Simmons[/autotag], [autotag]Knijeah Harris[/autotag], defensive linemen [autotag]Will Norman[/autotag], [autotag]Derrick LeBlanc[/autotag], [autotag]Jordan Hall[/autotag] and [autotag]Tomarrion Parker[/autotag].

The Gators are looking to sign several top pass catchers this cycle with a lack of playmakers currently on the roster. Some of the most talented wideouts include [autotag]Hykeem Williams[/autotag], [autotag]Aidan Mizell[/autotag] and [autotag]Tyler Williams[/autotag].

Other top targets expected are four-star running back [autotag]Treyaun Webb[/autotag], safety [autotag]Joenel Aguero[/autotag] and [autotag]Kenton Kirkland[/autotag].

The stars will be out in full force for the Gators’ Orange and Blue Game on Thursday.

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