Tag: Patrick Toney

Gators add another elite defensive back to the class of 2023

The Gators are on a roll. Four-star safety Jordan Castell’s commitment is the third in as many days for Billy Napier and Co.

Florida’s hot streak continued Saturday morning with the commitment of four-star safety [autotag]Jordan Castell[/autotag].

The West Orange High (Winter Garden, Florida) recruit picked UF over Alabama and Tennessee on a YouTube live stream. Experts pegged Castell as a Gator in early June after his official visit to the Swamp. He all but confirmed the decision the night before by replying to Florida commit Treyaun Webb’s tweet that predicted more commitments over the weekend.

Above all else, Castell seemed fully onboard with [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]’s mission of keeping in-state talent at home.

“Florida, you know, just putting on for the city,” Castell said. “I can stay home, family can watch me, why would I go make somebody else’s state better when I can do it at the crib.”

He praised Alabama and Tennessee, but Florida’s defensive back coaching duo of [autotag]Patrick Toney[/autotag] and [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag] seemed to put things over the edge.

“Coach Raymond, that’s the GOAT man,” he said. “Check his resume and just look what that man did. I went to go work out for him and he just taught me so much just through that period. I know that me being out there (Florida) for three years, yeah, I’m going to be nasty.”

Castell is ranked No. 199 overall on the 247Sports composite and No. 13 among safeties in the class of 2023. He’s the 15th player to commit in the cycle and should move Florida up a spot to No. 13 in the team rankings.

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What will it take for Florida to be national title contenders in 2022?

ESPN looked at what 20 major college football teams need to do to compete for a national championship, and let’s just say there are a lot of conditions that need to be met.

Heading into the first year of the Billy Napier era there aren’t many who are expecting the Florida Gators to compete for a national championship. The folks at ESPN like to push the boundaries of reality though and laid out what exactly needs to be done for Napier to claim glory in year one.

For starters, ESPN groups the teams by how many “ifs” it would take for them to be national title contenders. Florida is a four-If team and the first thing that has to go right is sophomore [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] finding success. The upside is high but Napier needs to find some consistency from his young quarterback.

As a part-timer last season, Richardson produced passes of 75, 41, 38, 36, 36, 33 and 27 and rushes of 80, 73, 26 and 25. He’s got a big arm, and he is much faster than a 240-pounder has any right to be …

If Billy Napier coaxes steadier play from the sophomore, Florida goes from also-ran to contender very quickly. (“Quickly” is a must — Florida plays Utah, Kentucky and Tennessee in September.)

The next item on the list that would make Florida a contender is “if a thin skill corps makes plays.” When Dan Mullen left and Napier came in, the Gators lost a ton of talent to the transfer portal and also some to the draft.

Napier brought in running back [autotag]Montrell Johnson[/autotag], who tore up the Sun Belt Conference as a freshman under his coaching at ULL. He also brought in [autotag]Ricky Pearsall[/autotag] to help out [autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag] at receiver, but there aren’t too many proven names behind those guys. ESPN points to [autotag]Xzavier Henderson[/autotag] as a potential difference maker this season.

There’s also plenty of youth on the defensive side of the ball. [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag] and [autotag]Brenton Cox Jr[/autotag]. returning helped bolster the front seven, but ESPN says that unit will need to be much better than expected for Florida to contend.

Four leading returning defensive linemen are all sophomores, and while veteran Brenton Cox Jr. is excellent, sophomores might carry most of the upside at linebacker too. That’s not typically part of a title recipe.

Finally, if all of those other pieces come together, Florida needs its new coaching staff to get creative. The defense needs to be better than good in this dream scenario where the Gators win it all, and that requires some ingenuity from co-defensive coordinators [autotag]Patrick Toney[/autotag] and [autotag]Sean Spencer[/autotag]. Coach Chaos (Spencer) has the nickname to match, but there needs to be true havoc on the field.

The Gators ranked 98th in havoc rate* last season. Defensive co-coordinators Patrick Toney and Sean Spencer have never worked together, but they need to very quickly craft a lot more disruption than Florida has produced of late.

With all that said, competing for an SEC East title might be enough for Billy Napier’s first year to be considered a success. Only a few of those “ifs” need to come true for that to happen, and it feels mildly attainable after going through hoops to make Florida look like national contenders

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Gators to get 5th visit from this 4-star ATH for Friday Night Lights

Things are gonna be cooking in in Gainesville at the end of July.

Less than two weeks ahead of Florida football’s next big event on the recruiting front, news of more and more of the nation’s top prep prospects accepting their invites to Friday Night Lights and the team cookout at the end of July continues to roll in.

The latest to confirm his intent to attend is four-star athlete [autotag]Fred Gaskin III[/autotag] from down the road at Vanguard High in Ocala, who is expected to make it to the former event while missing out on the latter due to a schedule conflict with a camp that day.

The 5-foot-11-inch, 182-pound in-state blue-chipper is expected to play a role in the defensive backfield, most likely at safety. He has warmed up well to Florida’s co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach [autotag]Patrick Toney[/autotag] so far, offering the following to Gators Online after a recent visit.

“His coaching style, I’m not going to lie, is pretty good. He’s really understanding with how players play. He is all about his development. If you listen to what he says and how he explains it, it worked every time he explained something new to me.”

The Gators are currently out front in his recruitment, with other schools such as the Miami Hurricanes, Penn State Nittany Lions and South Carolina Gamecocks also in the mix, among others.

Gaskin is currently ranked No. 141 overall and No. 19 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite, while the On3 consensus has him at Nos. 162 and 12, respectively. Florida currently has a solid edge on the competition for his talents, sitting at a 68.9% chance of signing him per On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine with Miami in second at 16.2%.

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2023 Recruiting Profile: Can Florida land 4-star safety Joenel Aguero?

One of the top safeties in the class of 2023, four-star Joenel Aguero, has UF in his top four and will announce his decision on July 23.

One of Florida’s top out-of-state targets is four-star safety [autotag]Joenel Aguero[/autotag] out of St. John’s Prep in Danvers, Massachusetts. He’s set to make his college decision on July 23 and will choose among the Gators, Georgia Bulldogs, Miami Hurricanes and Ohio State Buckeyes.

Georgia is considered the heavy favorite with a 93.6% chance on the recruiting prediction machine, but Florida has done its best to compete with the Bulldogs for the former IMG Academy defensive back. Aguero has shown interest in reuniting with former teammate [autotag]Kamari Wilson[/autotag] in the Gators’ secondary and has developed decent relationships with safeties coach [autotag]Patrick Toney[/autotag] and cornerbacks coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag].

[autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and Co. hosted him on an official visit in June, but it was sandwiched between trips to Georgia and Ohio State, and Miami ended up getting the final visit. Mario Cristobal has been on a tear lately, so this would be a nice win over both UM and UGA for Napier if he can pull it off.

Here’s all you need to know about the blue-chip defensive back.

This 4-star safety recruit set to make 3rd Gainesville visit this month

The Gators will have a whole gaggle of recruits on campus at the end of July for the Friday Night Lights/cookout weekend.

Billy Napier has managed to get another four-star defensive back recruit on campus during the last weekend in July.

[autotag]Jordan Castell[/autotag], the 6-foot-2-inch, 195-pound safety out of West Orange High School in Winter Garden, Florida, will be in Gainesville for the July 30 cookout the Gators are hosting for recruits. Castell told 247’s Blake Alderman that he could potentially be in attendance for the Gators’ Friday Night Lights recruiting event the night before as well.

Friday Night Lights is an annual recruiting event hosted by Florida football where recruits can work with coaches under the lights of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

This visit will be the third for Castell since the Gators offered him earlier this year. He took an unofficial visit in the spring and an official visit in June. Florida co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach [autotag]Patrick Toney[/autotag] and cornerbacks coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag] are spearheading Castell’s recruitment, and it seems to be paying dividends.

Castell told Alderman that both coaches have played a large part in his recruitment, highlighting Raymond’s prior experience in developing high-level talent and how both coaches want to see Castell play all over the secondary.

Castell is expected to announce his decision on October 1st with Alabama and Tennessee listed as the other finalists, with the Gators currently in the lead for Castell’s signature.

Castell is currently listed as the No. 15 Safety in the country, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings.

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Gators land third 4-star defensive commitment of the week

The Gators added another four-star recruit to its class of 2023 on Monday.

Jacksonville is Gator country.

That was the message repeated throughout four-star Bartram Trail defensive back [autotag]Sharif Denson[/autotag]’s commitment video on Monday. Joined by a group of former Gators from the Jacksonville area, Denson made his pledge to the University of Florida and became the third four-star defensive commit to join Billy Napier‘s recruiting class of 2023 in the last week.

Denson, who has long been considered Florida’s to lose, picked his parents’ alma mater over Miami and Texas A&M after taking unofficial visits to all three programs in June. He set the top three on Wednesday with plans to take officials throughout the season.

Defensive Coordinator and safeties coach [autotag]Patrick Toney[/autotag] has been a key player in this recruitment as had cornerbacks coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag], according to Gators Online. Denson feels that the duo has the potential to mold him into an NFL-ready defensive back. The plan is to play him at the STAR position but also at outside corner since his versatility allows it.

Florida is now up to nine commits in the class of 2023 and No. 17 on the On3 team recruiting rankings list. Denson is the second-highest-ranked recruit in the class so far at No. 196 overall on the On3 consensus. Only former UCF commit [autotag]Isaiah Nixon[/autotag] is ranked higher, and [autotag]Gavin Hill[/autotag] is right behind him. All three four-star recruits have been added within the week.

Four-star athlete Aaron Gates is the only other projected defensive back in the class so far, and Florida is still going after top-ranked cornerback [autotag]Cormani McClain[/autotag] as well.

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4-star defensive back works out with Florida, sets top 3 schools

The Gators made the cut for this blue-chip defensive line recruit.

Florida football has played host to a handful of recruits this week for its 7-on-7 camp which has already begun to bear fruit. One of the bigger names that came away impressed was four-star defensive back [autotag]Sharif Denson[/autotag] out of Jacksonville (Florida) Bartram Trail, who got a refresher visit to the Swamp on Wednesday.

The 5-foot-11.5-inch, 170-pound cornerback has been to campus plenty of times prior, but it had been a while since his last stop in Gainesville. Denson got a chance to meet with [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and some of the staff after his team was defeated in the quarterfinals of the camp’s tournament, including co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach [autotag]Patrick Toney[/autotag].

“It is always good to be around coach PT (Patrick Toney), that’s my guy for real,” Denson told Gators Online and others. “He had a little presentation in there after we toured the building. We went to the meeting room and he had put together some clips that I had and just some things that he thought I could get better at just to give me a little snapshot of what he could do for me.”

Florida’s cornerbacks coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag] has also been working on developing a relationship with the talented defender.

“He’s texting me all the time. We’re cool. We definitely still need to build our relationship more, like me and coach Toney are closer. Coach Raymond is definitely a good coach and a guy that is showing interest in me.”

His most recent visit also gave him his first gander at the new facilities in addition to the personnel.

“I haven’t been to the new facility yet, so that was my first time doing that,” the rising high school senior told Swamp247. “It wasn’t even close to ready the last time I was here, they were only like laying down the floors then. Seeing all the stuff being built looks good and they moved fast. It’s always good coming back. I am just getting more familiar with the place, more familiar with the area, and the building. So it’s always good.”

Subsequently, the Gators made the cut for his top three schools, which also includes the Texas A&M Aggies and Miami Hurricanes. “Florida is definitely near the top,” Denison offered when asked where the Gators stand among the finalists. “It’s just the constant love from the whole staff.” However, he does not plan on making a decision on his commitment until the fall, declining to set a firm date.

Denson is currently ranked No. 206 overall and No. 24 nationally at his position according to the 247Sports composite, while the On3 consensus has him at Nos. 196 and 23, respectively. Florida currently holds his lone crystal ball projection from 247Sports while also having the upper hand in On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine with an 87.7% chance of landing him.

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Gators make strong impression on this top-100 DL during official visit

It’s almost decision time for Keldric Faulk and he’s got the Gators surprisingly high on his last after an official visit.

It was a busy weekend at the University of Florida as several of the nation’s top recruits stopped by campus to officially visit with Billy Napier and the Gators. One of the premier talents in town was four-star edge rusher [autotag]Keldric Faulk[/autotag] out of Highlight Home, Alabama.

After making his first trip to the Swamp in March, Faulk was able to bring his family with him on the official visit to give them a taste of his potential future home. Things went well, according to 247Sports’ Blake Alderman, who caught up with Faulk after the visit.

During the trip, he was able to meet with coaches and get a better sense of where he would fit in Florida’s scheme. Defensive coordinators [autotag]Patrick Toney[/autotag] and [autotag]Sean Spencer[/autotag] have taken the lead on this one along with outside linebackers coach Mike Peterson, and the feeling is that Faulk has the right stuff to play in the JACK linebacker spot for UF. Being the potential successor to [autotag]Brenton Cox[/autotag] is an enticing offer and it’s a role that Faulk feels comfortable in.

As things begin to wind down in Faulk’s recruitment, Florida is sitting perhaps surprisingly high on his list.

“My interest in Florida, man it’s pretty high,” Faulk said. “I really didn’t think I would have them that high on my radar to be honest. Me going back and just seeing all they have to offer and giving them that chance really showed me that I could really play here. I can see myself playing here. Now it’s all a matter of taking my last official visit to Florida State next weekend.”

FSU is the fourth school Faulk will make an official to in the month of June. Before heading to Gainesville, he made stops by Auburn and Clemson. Those four programs make up his final four and will be the ones in consideration in the days leading up to his decision. Faulk wants to be done by the first or second week of July but nothing is certain at this point.

The 247Sports composite ranks Faulk at No. 84 overall in the class of 2023 and at No. 9 among defensive linemen.

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Top-5 safety plans Florida official visit with decision date looming

Florida was the only team in Joenel Aguero’s top four that didn’t have an official visit planned with him when the list dropped on Monday. That’s now been corrected.

On Monday, four-star [autotag]Joenel Aguero[/autotag] named Florida to his top four ahead of a planned July 23 commitment date. The Gators were the only program left in the race with a scheduled official visit, but that’s now changed, according to Gators Online.

The St. John’s Prep (Danvers, Massachusetts) recruit had a planned unofficial visit for June 18 on his itinerary, but it makes more sense for him to turn that visit into an official one. Although he’s booked for the next three weekends, Aguero has found a three-day gap in his schedule to fit the Gators in. He’ll be in town even earlier expected from June 14-16, similar to the Tuesday to Thursday visit [autotag]Jaden Rashada[/autotag] is wrapping up with the Gators right now.

“I am visiting Georgia this weekend,” Aguero told On3. “Then I am visiting Florida June 14-16. Ohio State is next June 17-19 and then I will go to Miami June 24-26.”

That gives the former IMG Academy prospect a little under a month to mull things over and figure out where the best landing spot is for him. The On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine favors Georgia considerably at 92.9 percent. Ohio State is second with 2.3 percent and Florida is third at 2.0 percent. A good visit could change those numbers, and Aguero has expressed a desire to reunite with [autotag]Kamari Wilson[/autotag]. He’s also high on the coaching staff, defensive coordinator and safeties coach [autotag]Patrick Toney[/autotag] in particular.

The On3 consensus ranks Aguero No. 40 overall in the class of 2023 and as the No. 5 safety in the country. The 247Sports composite has him a bit higher at No. 34 overall and No. 2 at his position.

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This 4-star defensive lineman sets summer official visit to Florida

Four-star defensive lineman Keldric Faulk plans to take an official visit to the Swamp in June.

Four-star edge rusher [autotag]Keldric Faulk[/autotag] told Gators Online that he plans to take an official visit to Florida on June 17. The 247Sports composite ranks 111th overall prospect nationally and the 14th best defensive lineman. Faulk hails from Highland Home, Alabama.

Faulk most recently visited the Gators back on March 19, which helped them land this official visit. On that trip, he said he enjoyed getting to know Florida’s co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach [autotag]Patrick Toney[/autotag] and co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach [autotag]Sean Spencer[/autotag] as well as its position coaches.

Besides the Orange and Blue, Faulk plans to take official visits next month to Clemson on June 3, Auburn on June 10 and Florida State on June 24.

The Gators’ coaching has been cooking with gas on the recruiting trail as of late. They have over 24 prospects expected to take their official visit to the Swamp in June. Four prospects have also teamed up with Florida while also being a favorite for a handful of others.

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