Heathwood Hall (Columbia, South Carolina) cornerback [autotag]Oni Konanbanny[/autotag] has been a top recruiting target for Florida since his official visit in November when the Gators’ upset win over Ole Miss catapulted them to the top of several lists.
Konanbanny didn’t pull the trigger during the early signing period, but that’s a good thing for UF considering he’s still verbally committed to the Tennessee Volunteers. With two weeks remaining to national signing day, 247Sports logged a crystal ball prediction in favor of Florida.
“There has been confidence on UF’s end coming out of the official visit last November, and the feeling has not changed after hosting him once again on Friday,” Florida recruiting insider Blake Alderman said. “… The intel has favored Florida being in strong standing to pull this flip off, and sources have still felt good on the chances for a flip to happen.”
Alderman also noted that a return to Florida could come before the Feb. 4 signing day, and a trip to Tennessee is also on the table.
Keith Niebuhr of On3 Gators Online followed Alderman with the same prediction and several other experts have held firm to their calls from the early period. On3 director of recruiting Chad Simmons, vice president of recruiting and transfer portal Steve Wiltfong and 247Sports national recruiting analyst Tom Loy all believe Konanbanny will flip next month.
Recruiting Summary
Konanbanny is labeled as a three-star cornerback by On3 and 247Sports on their standalone lists, while ESPN and Rivals have him as a four-star.
The 247Sports composite, which considers all four major recruiting services, has Konanbanny at No. 313 overall and No. 30 cornerback in the 2025 class. The On3 industry ranking, a secondary composite that uses a different formula
Konanbanny committed to Tennessee on Aug. 23, but after a visit with Florida on Nov. 22, experts expect the Gators to be in the thick of the race for the cornerback.
The On3 recruiting prediction machine has the Gators favored to land Konanbanny (72.7%) followed by Tennessee (20.0%).
247Sports Scouting Report
“Big-framed defensive back that has some of the tools required to shade the perimeter, but could also settle in as a safety at the next level,” 247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins said in an August report. “Has a unique background as he was born in Europe and played soccer throughout his youth before making his way across the pond in 2022.
“Size has not been third-party verified, but in-person evaluations suggest that he’s over six feet and thick through the core. Displays explosive tendencies in the lower half while getting snaps on both defense and offense. Comfortable in press-man and will use his hands to redirect assignments.
“Can anticipate and jump routes, but needs to keep improving technique and his transitions. Highlight reel shows a player that isn’t afraid to pop someone, but game tape suggests he could improve as an open field tackler. Has developed some ball skills while doubling as a wide receiver, but needs to get better at locating the football in coverage.
“Overall, should be viewed as a green international cornerback with multi-year Power Four starter upside that must keep progressing as he will see a serious uptick in competition on Saturdays. Older for the class, but owns a promising multi-year profile and is still new to the game.”
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