Tag: Myles Graham

2024 RB commit locked in with Florida, return visit planned

Four-star running back Chauncey Bowens is still locked in with Florida after nearly four months committed to the Gators.

Florida isn’t in danger of losing a commitment from four-star The Benjamin School (North Palm Beach, Florida) running back [autotag]Chauncey Bowens[/autotag] after earning a pledge from him back in September. Communication between the Gators and Bowens is as strong as ever and he is planning a trip up to Gainesville to attend Florida’s Junior Day, according to Gators Online.

Bowens says that he’s still being recruited as if he weren’t under commitment and the special treatment has him feeling like a priority for the Gators.

“Me and the staff are in constant communication,” he said to Gators Online. “That was another main reason why I committed. Committing was exciting because it was like joining a new family. A few months later, it still feels like we are a tight family and always recruiting the next big-time Gator together.”

Getting Bowens on campus went a long way in keeping the relationship with the university strong. It makes plenty of sense then that he’s already locked in Jan. 21 as his next planned trip to the Swamp for the team’s camp.

Bowens is one of three recruits from the class of 2024 Florida has under commitment. Elite quarterback [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag] and four-star linebacker [autotag]Myles Graham[/autotag] headline the class alongside Bowens.

The On3 consensus ranks Bowens at No. 256 overall and at No. 24 among running backs in the class. The 247Sports composite agrees with that assessment, ranking him slightly lower at No. 276 nationally but at No. 23 among those at his position.

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Gators land huge commitment from this 2024 5-star quarterback

Florida just got its quarterback of the future. DJ Lagway, a five-star, dual-threat talent, committed to the Gators over Baylor, Texas A&M and USC.

Florida landed its quarterback of the future on Wednesday. Five-star prospect [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag] committed to the Gators over Baylor, Clemson, Texas A&M and USC on ESPN2.

“The coaching staff has been amazing,” Lagway said. “Great communication. They told me they’re building something special, Coach (Billy) Napier and (offensive analyst) Coach (Ryan) O’Hara. I’m just excited to get to work.”

Lagway’s goal is to bring the No. 1 recruiting class to Gainesville and he’s ready to lead the effort and help recruit during his senior year. Florida currently has two other verbal commitments in the class of 2024 from four-star linebacker [autotag]Myles Graham[/autotag] (No. 30 overall) and four-star running back [autotag]Chauncey Bowens[/autotag].

247Sports logged a pair of crystal balls in favor of Florida ahead of the decision, and it’s easy to see why there was some confidence in Lagway choosing Florida. He wasted little time during his ceremony and exclaimed “you already know, let’s do this” as his little brother busted out the orange cap.

Florida appears to have a true leader under commitment with Lagway’s announcement out of the way and it couldn’t have come at a better time for the Gators. [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] has declared for the NFL draft after just a season as the starter and experience under center.

The hope is that Ohio State transfer [autotag]Jack Miller III[/autotag] or incoming freshman [autotag]Jaden Rashada[/autotag] will fill the gap, but Florida shouldn’t have any problems fielding a quarterback once Lagway gets in town. In fact, the timeline could allow for him to redshirt as Rashada’s understudy in 2024 or 2025 and then takeover the following season.

Lagway is ranked 24th overall in the class of 2024 on the 247Sports composite and is No. 4 among quarterbacks. On3 agrees with that assesment, ranking Lagway at No. 21 nationally and No. 3 among those at his position. ESPN lists him as the top-ranked dual-threat quarterback in the class.

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Friday Night Notes: Florida Gators climbing, top ’24 recruit makes his case, plus more

Florida also got commitments from two highly-ranked defensive tackles from the 2023 class.

USA TODAY High School Sports‘ Friday Night Notes is a weekly high school football recruiting recap that looks at the latest news from around the country—from the Class of 2023 to ’24 and beyond.

Last week in the recruiting landscape, the biggest riser was Texas, which scored a commitment from top-two running back recruit Cedric Baxter Jr. This week, the biggest beneficiaries of the news cycle were the Florida Gators, who had a very strong run of recruiting.

Over the last several days, Florida’s defense has scored commitments from three of ESPN’s top 300 recruits.

The most recent addition to the pool is Woodward Academy (Ga.) linebacker Myles Graham, who is the son of former Florida and NFL running back Earnest Graham. Graham (6-foot-1, 212 pounds) is a four-star recruit who is composite-ranked No. 2 among linebackers and No. 52 overall in the nation.

Hale McGranihan, 247Sports

Florida also got commitments from two highly ranked defensive tackles from the 2023 class: Kelby Collins from Gardendale (Ala.) and Will Norman from IMG Academy (Fla.). Collins posted 16 sacks last season and is their highest-ranked recruit among Seniors.

Together, these two recruits helped push the Gators up three spots from No. 13 to No. 10 in 247Sports’ composite team rankings.

Billy Napier might also be in a position to snap up another top 2024 recruit who just changed his mind about his college commitment…

Top-50 2024 EDGE prospect sets another Florida visit

Top-50 2024 EDGE rusher KingJoseph Edwards has announced his next visit to Gainesville.

With the commitment of [autotag]Myles Graham[/autotag] to the Gators earlier this month, other 2024 recruits are beginning to take notice and schedule visits to Gainesville.

KingJoseph Edwards recently told On3 that he will be in attendance for the Gators highly-anticipated October 15 matchup against the LSU Tigers. Edwards, who took a visit to Gainesville back in June, was recently offered a scholarship by head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and defensive line coach [autotag]Sean Spencer[/autotag], who is spearheading his recruitment.

After receiving his commission, Edwards was quick to praise Florida for multiple reasons, including its academic reputation, the support staff and the ability to decide which side of the ball he wants to play on.

In addition to Florida the Buford, Georgia native currently holds a multitude of offers from programs such as Alabama, Ohio State, USC, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Georgia, who currently are in the lead for Edwards’ signature with an 88% chance at signing Edwards, according to On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine.

According to the On3 Consensus, Edwards is listed as 2024’s No. 8 player in the state of Georgia regardless of position, the No. 6 EDGE rusher in the nation, and the No. 33 player in the nation regardless of position.

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Social media reactions to Florida building a top-10 recruiting class

Gators Twitter has been on fire all weekend with commitment after commitment coming in for the orange and blue.

This was the wrong weekend to go on vacation if you’re a fan of the Florida Gators. [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and his army of a recruiting staff put together another huge weekend and landed commitments from a quartet of four-star recruits.

Three of those commits come from the class of 2023 and have propelled UF into the top 10, according to both 247Sports’ team rankings and On3’s. Defensive linemen [autotag]Kelby Collins[/autotag] and [autotag]Will Norman[/autotag] made their announcements on Saturday, and defensive lineman [autotag]Kamran James[/autotag] joined the class on Sunday. Linebacker [autotag]Myles Graham[/autotag], a legacy commitment in the class of 2024, made his decision shortly after James announced.

It all happened pretty quickly and the excitement from Gator fans, coaches and players was hard to contain. Fortunately, we live in the age of social media where dishing out reactions to the masses is but a click away. Here are some of the best social media reactions to a very busy weekend from the Orange and Blue.

Florida lands 4-star legacy LB as first commit in class of 2024

The Gators are having quite the recruiting weekend, and they may have just got their centerpiece for the class of 2024.

Gator Nation didn’t have much time to celebrate the commitment of four-star defensive lineman [autotag]Kamran James[/autotag] on Sunday. Shortly after James made his announcement, 2024 four-star linebacker [autotag]Myles Graham[/autotag] became the first junior to pledge his college years to the Orange and Blue.

The 6-foot-1-inch, 212-pound defender is the son of former UF running back [autotag]Earnest Graham[/autotag] and has been among the Gators’ top targets in the class of 2024. Being a blue-chip recruit and legacy had him on [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]’s radar immediately, and linebacker has become a position of need during the 2023 cycle. The 247Sports composite ranks Graham as the second-best linebacker in the class and No. 52 overall.

Being a legacy certainly helped Graham reach his decision, but it wasn’t the only factor that helped him select the University of Florida.

“Out of all the places, this was the one that just fell into place,” Graham said to Swamp247. “It’s the perfect place for me and my family. My sister goes there now, and it just works out for me. I love the staff there. Everything just worked itself out.”

As a sophomore, Graham worked as both a running back and linebacker at Naples Evangelical Christian. He totaled 130 tackles, eight pass breakups, two forced fumbles and an interception on defense, and rushed for 595 yards (8.8 yards per carry) and five touchdowns on offense. He transferred to Atlanta Woodward Academy ahead of his junior and is looking to build on that over the next two years.

Graham is ranked higher than any of Florida’s current commits in the class of 2023. His commitment puts Florida on the board (247Sports’ team recruiting rankings) at No. 13, one spot ahead of Miami. As the first commit in the class, Graham has decided to put on his recruiting hat and says he wants to help “build the best class that (he) can build.”

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Auburn 2024 linebacker target set to commit at noon Sunday

The No. 2 linebacker for the 2022 class didn’t leave a lot of notice for his recruitment.

The No. 2 linebacker in the nation for 2024 gave short notice for his recruitment.

Atlanta native Myles Graham announced Saturday night that he planned to commit at noon on Sunday. Graham has Auburn in his final five schools, all of which are SEC schools save for Ohio State.

Graham currently has no projected Crystal Ball, as his class is a year out, but he has a legacy that it may be important to keep an eye on — his father is Earnest Graham, who played running back for the Florida Gators and then the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFL. Florida is one of the schools that Graham has in his last five, so Auburn fans will find out soon if he commits to the Tigers, his legacy school of Florida or goes a different route entirely.

The Tigers only have two hard commits for the class of 2024, but they’re both four-star prospects — Auburn currently has 247Sports’ ninth-ranked class. Coach [autotag]Bryan Harsin[/autotag] and his staff will be hoping to boost that number with Graham’s potential commitment on Sunday.

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Top-50 legacy 2024 recruit will be at Florida’s season opener

Five trips to the Swamp in a year is typically a good sign. Florida is set to host four-star linebacker Myles Graham for the 2022 season opener.

Four-star linebacker [autotag]Myles Graham[/autotag] is no stranger to the University of Florida. His father, Earnest, ran the ball for the Gators in the early 2000s before playing in the NFL for eight years, and Billy Napier‘s staff has harped on that connection while fiercely recruiting him.

So far, things are going well for UF in recruiting the legacy target. Graham has already been to campus four times in 2022, and he told Gators Online that he’s planning a fifth trip to the Swamp. That trip will come on the weekend of Florida’s season opener against the Utah Utes, which is shaping up to be a big recruiting weekend.

In addition to Florida, Graham is considering Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Ohio State early on. He hopes to decide his future within the next few weeks or else Graham may wait until after his junior year to commit.

The timing of this fifth visit to Florida bodes well for UF’s chances, which currently sit just under 30% on the On3 recruiting prediction machine. That may not sound like much, but Auburn is in second place on that list with just a 13.1% chance to land Graham.

The On3 consensus has Graham ranked No. 45 overall in the class of 2024 and No. 4 among linebackers. Florida recently flipped linebacker Jaden Robinson, but Graham is the team’s target at the position in the upcoming cycle.

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2024 4-star legacy LB has Florida on top, considers committing early

There’s a chance Myles Graham commits before the start of his junior year and Florida is sitting near the top of his list.

Several of Florida’s top targets in the class of 2023 were in town this weekend for Friday Night Lights, but members of the class of 2024 were in town as well.

Linebacker [autotag]Myles Graham[/autotag] might be UF’s top target at linebacker in the next cycle, and he was one of the many rising juniors in Gainesville this weekend.

Swamp247‘s Blake Alderman caught up with the four-star recruit after the event ended, and Graham continues to place Florida at or near the top of his list. That’s important at this stage because Graham is already considering committing ahead of his junior season.

“I want to commit either before the season or after the season,” Graham said. “So either in these next couple of weeks or after the season.”

Graham’s father, Earnest, made his own name in the orange and blue back in the early 2000s. He left Gainesville as one of the best running backs in program history. Billy Napier and his recruiting staff are using that family tie to their advantage, and Graham seems to understand exactly how his name affects his recruitment.

“They are pushing the legacy button, coming here, following in my dad’s footsteps,” he said. “It’s a big deal because he was a great player here … Being a legacy, it doesn’t sway me one way or another. Florida’s going to have to earn my respect, just as anybody else did in the recruiting process.

“But being a legacy, if I were to commit to Florida, it would tremendously help me in many ways, in terms of NIL, networking, meeting people, because they already know my dad. Having that last name of Graham, it’s a special name. It’s definitely nice having that.”

Graham is considering Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Ohio State and Texas as well, but Florida iss viewed as the front-runner. The Gators need to secure a blue-chip linebacker in 2024 after whiffing on most of their top targets at the position during the current cycle.

The 247Sports composite places Graham No. 51 overall and No. 4 among linebackers in the class of 2024. He’s considered the 10th-best recruit out of Georgia.

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Legacy Gators recruit schedules another visit for end of July events

Gators will get the son of Gator great Earnest Graham on campus a the end of this month.

A high-profile recruit will make another visit to Gainesville at the end of the month.

[autotag]Myles Graham[/autotag], the son of former Florida running back [autotag]Earnest Graham[/autotag], will be attending the Gators’ recruiting cookout being held on July 30 according to On3’s Corey Bender. The cookout comes one day after Florida’s annual Friday Night Lights recruiting event, where recruits get one-on-one work with Florida coaches and staff underneath the lights of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

The visit will be the fourth time the 2024 four-star linebacker has set foot on campus in 2022. While a fourth visit is a good thing for Florida, Graham’s decision is far from being made. Considered the No. 3 linebacker and No. 39 overall player in his class according to the On3 consensus, Graham has fielded offers from a variety of programs in addition to Florida. These include the typical heavy hitters such as Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Auburn, Texas A&M, Texas, and many more.

First-year head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] himself has made Graham a priority, building a personal relationship with the Under Armour All-American and his family. Landing Graham would not only be a boost in the recruiting rankings but in morale as well. Landing a legacy player who just so happens to be one of the best at his position would signal to programs and fans alike that Napier’s long game just might be worth waiting for.

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