Tag: Max Brown

Gators flip 4-star QB Jaden Rashada from Miami

The Gators shocked the world overnight and got their quarterback. Jaden Rashada has flipped his commitment from the University of Miami to the University of Florida.

In a surprise turn of events, four-star quarterback [autotag]Jaden Rashada[/autotag] flipped his commitment from the University of Miami to the University of Florida.

Rashada committed to the Hurricanes back in June, and it was the start of a string of wins for UM that made Florida fans anxious. The Gators have since put together a top-10 class, and flipping Rashada moves them up to No. 8 on both 247Sports and On3’s team rankings for the class of 2023.

Team booster Hugh Hathcock teased a big announcement on Wednesday, and Rashada’s Thursday night/Friday morning announcement did not disappoint. Although it hasn’t been explicitly stated that Rashada got a nice NIL package, the puzzle pieces are there to put together. Hathcock is the biggest donor the football program has and Rashada posted a video of him in Hathcock’s Lamborghini to make the announcement.

Rashada’s commitment makes him the highest-rated recruit in the class of 2023 and there’s room for early playing time. If [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] departs for the NFL, which many believe he will, Rashada could compete for the starting job as a true freshman with Ohio State transfer [autotag]Jack Miller III[/autotag].

Miller was the clear No. 2 to Richardson coming into the season, but his thumb injury has propelled [autotag]Jalen Kitna[/autotag] into the backup role this year. There’s also freshman [autotag]Max Brown[/autotag] to consider and incoming quarterback [autotag]Marcus Stokes[/autotag] in that race. Rashada has the right tools to make it happen, but it wouldn’t be too crazy to see him spend a year in a backup role.

The 247Sports composite ranks Rashada No. 57 overall in the class of 2023 and No. 7 among quarterbacks in the class. The On3 composite agrees with that opinion, placing him at No. 61 nationally and in the same spot among players at his position.

Rashada is now the highest-ranked recruit on Florida’s lit of verbal commitments, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see more of Miami’s commits jump ship. The Hurricanes still have commitments from the top cornerback in the class [autotag]Cormani McClain[/autotag] and the top offensive tackle in the class, [autotag]Francis Mauigoa[/autotag]. If Florida was pushing on Rashada, they are probably pushing on those two still as well.

[lawrence-related id=95249,95630,95609,95606,95594]

[listicle id=95619]

[listicle id=95589]

[listicle id=95579]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=none image=https://gatorswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today!

Billy Napier provides injury update on backup QB Jack Miller

Billy Napier broke down quarterback Jack Miller’s thumb surgery and gave a tentative timeline for the backup’s return.

News broke earlier in the week about quarterback [autotag]Jack Miller III[/autotag]’s thumb injury, and now Florida head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] has now given a timeline for his return.

“Jack had a thumb avulsion fracture, which is really the same surgery that Drew Brees had a couple of years ago,” Napier said on Sunday following the team’s second fall scrimmage. “So, we anticipate him missing, I’m going to say the first two games. We’re hopeful that we’ll get him back Week 3. He’ll be in a cast for a couple of weeks as things start to grow back together and we’ll start the rehab process.”

That’s not great news for the Gators considering the depth behind Miller and starter [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag]. Redshirt freshman [autotag]Jalen Kitna[/autotag] and true freshman [autotag]Max Brown[/autotag] are the next names up on the unofficial depth chart, but Napier says walk-on Kyle Engel has shown enough to warrant consideration.

“I think we’re very much in a competition there for the backup spot,” he said. I think we’ve seen Kitna do some good things, we’ve seen Engel do some good things. Max is a little bit behind mentally being a rookie.”

It sounds like Brown is still going through the growing pains that most deal with when transitioning from high school to college, but that leaves Florida very little to work with through the first two weeks of the season. Richardson has dealt with his share of injuries in the past, which means Florida needs a solid backup.

Miller’s return can’t come soon enough, and opposing defenses can count on Richardson being conservative in the early goings given UF’s current roster deficiencies.

[mm-video type=video id=01gaw8vrwe4pm8zqczta playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gaw8vrwe4pm8zqczta/01gaw8vrwe4pm8zqczta-86e38e9011dd971b3810803d1b45f82b.jpg]

[lawrence-related id=89752,89741,89732,89726]

[listicle id=89575]

[listicle id=89316]

[listicle id=89586]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today!

Florida’s backup quarterback undergoes thumb surgery

The Gators’ quarterback room took a big hit with the loss of the Ohio State transfer.

According to Edgar Thompson of the Orlando Sentinel, Florida Gators backup quarterback Jack Miller has undergone surgery for an injury suffered on his right thumb.

The injury does not seem to impact who will start against Utah in the Orange and Blue’s season opener but it is a massive blow to the quarterback room. [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] has been the consensus favorite to be the starter, and while Billy Napier and his staff have yet to officially name a starter, it was assumed that the redshirt sophomore would win the job over Miller.

Miller transferred to Gainesville from Ohio State in the offseason in an attempt to bolster a quarterback room that lacked experience. At the end of the Spring, Miller had established himself as the clear backup, beating out [autotag]Carlos Del Rio-Wilson[/autotag] and [autotag]Jalen Kitna[/autotag], both of whom were on the roster in 2021. Del Rio-Wilson transferred to Syracuse after spring camp while last year’s starter Emory Jones transferred to Arizona State in the offseason, where he will also be among the first on the field.

247Sports’ Graham Hall has confirmed Thompson’s original report and has added that there is hope that Miller can return “before the midway point of the season”.

Hall also reported that as of Tuesday, on three of Florida’s six rostered quarterbacks were participating in practice: Anthony Richardson, [autotag]Max Brown[/autotag] and [autotag]Kyle Engel[/autotag]. Kitna, a redshirt freshman, wore a non-contact jersey and did not participate due to a lower-leg injury.

Head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] is expected to provide an update on Miller after Florida’s scrimmage on Sunday.

[mm-video type=video id=01gavbny36z6hh5qdsy6 playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gavbny36z6hh5qdsy6/01gavbny36z6hh5qdsy6-029e1733501417ba4f878297758b4b3b.jpg]

[lawrence-related id=89663,89661,89657,89638,89624]

[listicle id=89586]

[listicle id=89361]

[listicle id=88854]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today!

2023 Florida Football Season Preview: Quarterbacks

Gators Wire’s 2022 position-by-position roster breakdown starts with the quarterback room.

The college football season begins in slightly less than three weeks, which means there’s still time to break down the 2022 Florida Gators roster position-by-position. The quarterbacks are up first, and there’s a pretty clear hierarchy heading into the season.

In 2021, the quarterback position at Florida was a mess under offensive guru Dan Mullen. [autotag]Emory Jones[/autotag] entered the year as the team’s starter, but the fans soon clamored for the freshman with the big arm and even more impressive legs, [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag]. Mullen stuck with Jones for most of the year until finally giving Richardson a shot to start against … Georgia. Talk about setting a kid up for failure.

Jones closed the year as the starter when Richardson was dealing with injuries. The two combined for 18 interceptions (and 25 touchdowns) to close a 6-7 year. Florida let Mullen go well before the lame-duck loss to UCF in the Gasparilla Bowl, and the Billy Napier Era started to take shape. Jones earned his degree from UF and transferred to Arizona State, leaving Richardson the presumed starter for 2022.

Florida also lost [autotag]Carlos Del Rio-Wilson[/autotag] to Syracuse via the transfer portal, but Napier didn’t make any moves after that loss, signaling he was comfortable with the depth he has at the position.

Let’s go through the quarterbacks on the 2022 roster.

Check back with Gators Wire for more position-by-position breakdowns leading up to the season.

Report: Florida QB Jalen Kitna out following ‘small procedure’

One of Florida’s quarterbacks is dealing with an injury, but Billy Napier is describing it as a minor setback.

The Gators will be without third-string quarterback [autotag]Jalen Kitna[/autotag] for an indefinite amount of time, according to [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]’s comments to reporters on Tuesday. Swamp247 got an update from the first-year head coach, and the damage, fortunately, sounds minor.

“I would say Kitna is the player that I probably saw the most growth in from spring practice,” Kitna said. “Just to see him take another step fundamentally, I thought he’s throwing the ball much more consistently, much more accurate, better grasp. You know, he had a little bit of a setback injury-wise. We anticipate getting him back. He had a small procedure just yesterday.”

Whatever Kitna is dealing with, he won’t be rushed back to practice. [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] is the team’s clear starter and Ohio State transfer [autotag]Jack Miller[/autotag] has a fairly firm hold on the backup spot for now.

During the spring game, Kitna saw limited action and attempted just three passes, one of which was intercepted. Still, he emerged as a clear No. 3 with [autotag]Carlos Del Rio-Wilson[/autotag]’s transfer. Freshman [autotag]Max Brown[/autotag], a three-star recruit in the 2022 cycle, and walk-on [autotag]Kyle Engel[/autotag] are also in the position room for Florida.

There’s no timeline for Kitna’s return, but Napier’s comments make it sound like he could be healthy for some portion of the season if necessary.

[mm-video type=video id=01ga43tw6zatp1vcr13c playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01ga43tw6zatp1vcr13c/01ga43tw6zatp1vcr13c-9ccab54d2d2c89d51866f0d3aa4a95c3.jpg]

[lawrence-related id=89191,89177,89174,89161,89158]

[listicle id=89024]

[listicle id=88854]

[listicle id=88059]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today!

 

5-star, nation’s No. 1 LB discusses latest trip to Tiger Town

Now that Clemson has formally turned the page to offering prospects in the 2024 class, the Tigers have extended offers to a bunch of rising juniors, but the first of those 2024 recruits to earn an offer from Dabo Swinney’s program was Jefferson …

Now that Clemson has formally turned the page to offering prospects in the 2024 class, the Tigers have extended offers to a bunch of rising juniors, but the first of those 2024 recruits to earn an offer from Dabo Swinney’s program was Jefferson (Ga.) High School five-star Sammy Brown.

Brown – the nation’s No. 1 linebacker in his class, per multiple recruiting services – picked up that offer while on campus March 12 and then returned on April 6 to take in Clemson’s final spring practice prior to its April 9 spring game.

Brown (6-2, 220) was most recently back on campus for another visit last weekend, and he spoke with The Clemson Insider about his latest trip to Tiger Town.

“We went up Friday morning and left that night,” Brown told The Clemson Insider. “My brother was camping in the weekend camp, so we just helped him out and made a visit out of it. I was able to spend a lot of time with Coach Goodwin (defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Wes Goodwin) and be able to just talk with him. I was also able to talk with some of the players that were working the linebacker drills.”

Sammy’s brother, Max, a class of 2027 athlete, enjoyed his experience participating in the Swinney Camp.

“He loved the camp,” Sammy said. “He was able to work with the older group a little bit and get some coaching from Coach Goodwin and what not.”

Jefferson (Ga.) 2024 five-star linebacker Sammy Brown during Dabo Swinney’s football camp Friday, June 10, 2022. Bart Boatwright/The Clemson Insider

Speaking of Goodwin, Sammy feels that their bond continued to grow while spending more time together last Friday.

“Our relationship is definitely getting stronger,” he said. “It’s a lot more talks about hunting and fishing than it is football. A little recruiting here and there, but mostly the conversation is about life outside football.”

Overall, the highlight of Friday’s visit for Sammy was learning about P.A.W. Journey, a leadership initiative that develops the Clemson football program’s student-athletes through personal growth, life skills and professional development.

“It was really cool to just see what they’re doing and how they’re developing players off the field,” he said.

Did this particular visit change anything about where the Tigers currently stand in his recruitment?

“I’m still trying to stay totally neutral on schools right now,” he said, “but I really like what Clemson is doing!”

Sammy said if he and his family can’t get back to Clemson again this summer, they will try to return for a game this fall.

He is rated as a five-star prospect by the 247Sports Composite, which ranks him as the No. 1 linebacker and No. 6 overall player in the 2024 class regardless of position.

2023 Recruiting Profile: 5-star QB Dylan Lonergan still an option for Florida?

Florida hasn’t locked in on one quarterback just yet, but Dylan Lonergan remains an option after naming the Gators in his top five.

Billy Napier did add three-star quarterback [autotag]Max Brown[/autotag] in his transitional 2022 recruiting class, but there’s still pressure on the first-year coach to strike big in the signal-caller department after getting a full year to recruit. One of those options is four-star Brookwood (Georgia) quarterback [autotag]Dylan Lonergan[/autotag].

A standout athlete in two sports, football and baseball, Lonergan has narrowed down his options to just five schools and Florida made the cut. The Gators appear to be the weakest link as of now with official visits scheduled with three other programs in his top five, but that could change if Napier is able to get Lonergan on campus.

Being able to play baseball in college is a big part of his decision, and there’s no guarantee [autotag]Kevin O’Sullivan[/autotag] makes it work. [autotag]Miguel Mitchell[/autotag], a defensive back signee in the 2022 class, is expected to play both sports though, so it’s likely an option if the football team wants him that badly.

Still, things have been relatively quiet between Florida and Lonergan since he named them in his top five and the recruitment of [autotag]Jaden Rashada[/autotag] might be a sign that the Gators are moving away from him. A decision is expected to come in July, so Florida would need to get him on campus quickly to jump back into the conversation.

Peter Woods’ Recruiting Profile

Film

QB Carlos Del-Rio Wilson finds a new home through transfer portal

After just a year with the Orange and Blue, Carlos Del Rio-Wilson is headed to Syracuse via the transfer portal.

Florida lost a pair of quarterbacks to the transfer portal this offseason, redshirt junior [autotag]Emory Jones[/autotag] and redshirt freshman [autotag]Carlos Del Rio-Wilson[/autotag].

Jones’ departure was somewhat expected after [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] took over at the program and brought in [autotag]Jack Miller[/autotag] to compete with him and [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag], but Del Rio-Wilson was only a true freshman and third on the depth chart once Jones left. He played sparingly in the spring game, attempting just two passes and absorbing a pair of sacks.

His new home will be in upstate New York as Del Rio-Wilson announced that he’d be joining the Syracuse Orange on his social media Tuesday. When he first announced his intention to enter the transfer portal, Napier took the time to praise Del Rio-Wilson and said he’d help as much as he could to find him a new home.

“Carlos was first-class for us,” Napier said. “I can’t compliment him enough. His work ethic. He was a good teammate. He’s done a really good job representing himself, his family, since he’s been at the University of Florida. Nothing but good things to say about him.”

That leaves Florida with Richardson, Miller and [autotag]Jalen Kitna[/autotag] on the roster, and they’ll soon add [autotag]Max Brown[/autotag] once he enrolls this June.

Del Rio-Wilson will do his best to overtake Garrett Shrader as the starter. He’ll have plenty of competition to overcome as well, but Syracuse’s depth chart isn’t nearly as set in stone as Florida’s is.

[mm-video type=video id=01g3sq65b67sdvptkjw2 playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g3sq65b67sdvptkjw2/01g3sq65b67sdvptkjw2-197c62ebc9982f7edd4c3c0204fbd77d.jpg]

[lawrence-related id=84420,84415,84405,84397,84381]

[listicle id=83732]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today!

Napier praises transferring Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, vows to help move on

The Gators won’t look for a transfer replacement for Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, and Billy Napier plans to help him through the transfer process.

Quarterback [autotag]Carlos Del Rio-Wilson[/autotag] announced his decision to transfer from the University of Florida on Tuesday, but there aren’t any hard feelings from the coaching staff. In fact, head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] is being quite supportive of the move, according to a report from 247Sports.

“I think he just observed spring practice and felt like a change of scenery would be good for him in terms of competing and finding an opportunity to play,” Napier said. “And I can relate to that. I was a quarterback, and you want to play. You want it to be your team at some point. I respect that decision and we’re fully supportive and help him with everything he can do going forward.”

Napier described Del Rio-Wilson as “first-class” with a strong work ethic. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him thrive elsewhere, but the timeline at Florida wasn’t going to work out. The Gators added quarterback [autotag]Jack Miller[/autotag] through the portal over the offseason and he quickly took over the backup role behind starter [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag].

Florida also signed three-star recruit [autotag]Max Brown[/autotag]and has [autotag]Jalen Kitna[/autotag] on scholarship. Even with [autotag]Emory Jones[/autotag] heading out, UF was looking at having five quarterbacks on the roster had Del Rio-Wilson not entered the portal. He and Kitna redshirted last year, so their eligibility clocks are now ticking.

Because Florida has the depth it needs for the season at quarterback and is looking to add another in the class of 2023, Napier said that the Gators would not be looking to add another name to the room during the spring transfer period.

[mm-video type=video id=01g18kqwrc1n641w98bh playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g18kqwrc1n641w98bh/01g18kqwrc1n641w98bh-312f50a5c5c3081ed712a3ac53ad56e9.jpg]

[lawrence-related id=82806,82787,82738,82736,82734]

[listicle id=81723]

[vertical-gallery id=82369]

[vertical-gallery id=82538]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

One of Florida’s former 4-star QBs just enter the transfer portal

Carlos Del Rio-Wilson will seek greener pastures for his talents.

Florida football lost another player to the transfer portal on Tuesday when former four-star quarterback [autotag]Carlos Del Rio-Wilson[/autotag] told Gators Online that he will search for other opportunities to manifest his talents. The signal-caller situation in the Swamp is a bit more clear after sophomore [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] put up a solid performance in the Orange and Blue spring game last week, likely leading to Del Rio-Wilson’s decision.

His inability to crack the QB rotation last year under head coach [autotag]Dan Mullen[/autotag] resulted in a redshirt season, giving him a full four years of eligibility remaining. However, the 6-foot-3-inch, 215-pound student-athlete out of Cartersville, Georgia, must have begun to feel the squeeze in the quarterback room.

With former Ohio State signal-caller [autotag]Jack Miller[/autotag] arriving through the portal and [autotag]Emory Jones[/autotag] sticking around despite a little transfer juke-move, plus fellow 2021 recruiting classmate [autotag]Jalen Kitna[/autotag] remaining in the mix, the Georgian gunslinger decided to seek greener pastures. Plus, the impending addition of true freshman [autotag]Max Brown[/autotag] made the quarterback room even more claustrophobic.

Florida fans can expect plenty more moves through the revolving door that has become the NCAA transfer portal — for better or for worse. The portal giveth, and it taketh away… but hopefully, new head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] will finish on the inside edge of the competition in the coming months.

[mm-video type=video id=01g0mfxnrkwfbjydq7ca playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g0mfxnrkwfbjydq7ca/01g0mfxnrkwfbjydq7ca-837e1b5942895af848a48f17a11ea36a.jpg]

[lawrence-related id=82653,82649,82641,82614,82550]

[listicle id=81723]

[vertical-gallery id=82369]

[vertical-gallery id=82538]

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.