Gators get On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine pick for 2025 WR

After calling out Florida as his top team last week, On3’s feeling pretty bullish on the Gators’ chances with this rising recruit.

The 2024 recruiting cycle is currently in full gear but that does not mean that the media is ignoring the classes down the road. On Saturday morning, On3’s Corey Bender submitted an On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine pick for Florida football in favor of 2025 four-star wide receiver [autotag]Hardley Gilmore[/autotag] out of Pahokee (Florida) with a confidence level of 65%.

The 6-foot-1-inch, 165-pound pass-catcher told On3 on Thursday that, “Right now, Florida is No. 1” — that bullish take on the Orange and Blue likely played into Bender’s decision. It also helps that the rising high school junior has already gotten in some reps with four-star quarterback Austin Simmons, a fellow 2025 class member who has already committed to UF — among others.

“Me and Austin Simmons have a good bond. I have a good bond with another Florida Gators commit as well in Chauncey Bowens. I played with him my ninth-grade year,” the Gilmore said.

“That makes a big deal. I’m close with Chauncey and I’m also close with Will Norman and Knijeah Harris who are on the team now, so that bond with all of them is great. They are recruiting me hard to Florida.”

Gilmore is ranked No. 106 overall and No. 18 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking has him at Nos. 112 and 18, respectively. On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine has the Orange and Blue with a 97.0% chance of signing him.

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Florida named new leader for blue-chip safety by On3

The Gators are getting closer and closer to locking up one of the top athletes in the recruiting class of 2024.

When McKinney (Texas) safety [autotag]Xavier Filsaime[/autotag] announced his top five of Florida, Georgia, LSU, Oregon and USC, it was the Bulldogs that were considered the leaders in the race for one of the nation’s top defensive back recruits. Now, Florida can lay claim to that title, at least according to the new numbers posted by the On3 recruiting prediction machine.

The Gators now boast 85.9% odds to land the Lone Star State native, with Georgia in a distant second place at 3.5 percent. Corey Bender of Gators Online submitted an expert prediction in favor of Florida for Filsaime, which is why the numbers are so skewed.

“It was the visit on March 10, however, that cemented Florida as a real contender,” Bender wrote.

Filsaime got to meet with UF’s new defensive coordinator, Austin Armstrong, and the duo really hit it off. There may have been some questions about Armstrong’s youth when he was announced as Billy Napier’s new defensive play caller, but he’s at least hit the ground running in the recruiting department

Filsaime seems like Florida’s to lose at this point, but those who follow recruiting closely know that nothing is guaranteed until a letter of intent is signed. And even then, it doesn’t always work out.

Nabbing a five-star recruit, by 247Sports’ measure, would be massive for Florida. He’s ranked No. 44 overall on the 247Sports composite and is No. 3 among safeties in the class.

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Gators earn an On3 commitment prediction for this 4-star RB

Florida could be on the verge of adding another elite, in-state running back to its recruiting class of 2023.

Four-star running back [autotag]Mark Fletcher[/autotag], who plays prep ball at American Heritage High School in Plantation, Florida, could be the next recruit in the class of 2023 to commit to the Florida Gators.

Corey Bender of On3’s Gators Online submitted a recruiting prediction for Fletcher in favor of Florida Monday morning. Bender is only at a confidence level of 65%, but he remains confident that Florida is the best-positioned team to land the recent Ohio State decommit.

The other major player in this race is Miami. The Hurricanes hold a hometown advantage of sorts with UM being just an hour away from Heritage, but Florida seems to be the hotter team right now in this recruitment.

Fletcher is supposed to be on campus Dec. 9 for an official visit with the Gators, but most are expecting him to return to Miami as well for another visit. His last trip to the Swamp was when Florida took down South Carolina, and that’s the visit that turned UF into a legitimate contender for his services. A blow away official visit could see the deal with the early signing period quickly approaching.

Florida already has one four-star running back under commitment in the class of 2023, [autotag]Treyaun Webb[/autotag]. He has been vocal about bringing Fletcher as a second back, and Billy Napier’s offense seems to thrive with more than one rusher.

Fletcher is ranked No. 263 overall on the On3 consensus and No. 16 among running backs in the class of 2023. The On3 recruiting prediction machine now favors Florida over Miami to land Fletcher, giving the Gators a 32.4% shot (Ohio State leads with 59.8% of the predictions based on his previous commitment).

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Florida picks up another prediction for elite QB ahead of commitment date

Florida is the favorite to land four-star quarterback DJ Lagway on Dec. 7, according to the On3 recruiting prediction machine.

Four-star quarterback [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag] will announce his college decision on Wednesday, Dec. 7, and the Florida Gators are the overwhelming favorites to land him, according to the On3 recruiting prediction machine.

UF currently has 72.3% odds to land him following a recent prediction submitted by On3 National Recruiting Analyst Sam Spiegelman. In July, Spiegelman picked the Gators to land Lagway but only with 50% confidence. That confidence level is now up to 65%, which isn’t too big of a jump but is still significant.

LSU, Texas A&M and USC still seem to be in the fold, but On3’s RPM doesn’t give any of those programs better than an 8.1% chance to land Lagway. He also holds offers from Alabama, Clemson, Georgia and Oklahoma, but they are below the 2% threshold.

“I’m going for Florida with Lagway,” Spiegelman said on On3’s YouTube channel. “I think throughout the fall, Florida and Clemson have been the two teams steadily recruiting DJ Lagway. I think that’s been a theme since before Sept. 1 and will only continue afterward.”

Florida is making Lagway feel like a priority and the similarities between him and current Florida quarterback [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] are hard to miss. There’s a feeling that Lagway would thrive under Billy Napier, and it may be the reason he feels comfortable committing earlier than expected.

The On3 composite currently ranks Lagway at No. 21 overall and No. 3 among quarterbacks. Although he’s listed as a four-star talent, he could easily gain that fifth star during his senior year. The 247Sports composite does have Lagway listed as a five-star already, but he’s a bit lower ranked at No. 24 overall and No. 4 at his position.

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Florida lands recruiting prediction from On3 for this 4-star CB

How good are Florida’s chances to land this in-state, legacy, four-star cornerback? Good enough for the experts to submit official predictions for the Orange and Blue.

As the 2023 recruiting cycle continues, Florida’s chances of landing top-end recruits become clearer and clearer by the day. The folks at On3’s Gators Online are confident enough at this point that Florida will land four-star [autotag]Sharif Denson[/autotag] that they have submitted a prediction to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM).

Corey Bender said that the pick was submitted with 60% confidence, and the RPM gives the Gators an 87.6% chance to sign the legacy recruit from Bartram Trail in Jacksonville, Florida. Both his parents graduated from UF and the Gators offered him during his freshman year. That was under [autotag]Dan Mullen[/autotag]’s staff, but Napier and Co. have kept the relationship going strong.

Denson named Florida one of his top five schools on May 9 as well as Florida State, Ohio State, South Carolina and Texas A&M. He’s set to return to Gainesville for the third time this year on June 24 and has been to College Station (TAMU) as many times too.

Official visits aren’t scheduled just yet, but they may come over the summer and one would expect his top five to get them.

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While being a legacy recruit does help things, Florida’s new coaching staff is the better draw for Denson and one of the main reasons experts feel he’ll commit to UF.

“Coach Toney and [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag] are top-tier coaches and will develop me to be an NFL DB. Also, Florida has been my dream school growing up,” Denson said.

The On3 Consensus ranks Denson as the No. 182 overall recruit in the class of 2023 and the No. 19 cornerback in the cycle. Florida also holds a crystal ball prediction from Swamp247 from back in January.

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Gators earn a pair of recruiting predictions over the weekend

Florida’s 2023 recruiting class still only features two commitments, but that could change soon.

Corey Bender of Gators Online submitted a pair of On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine picks in favor of Florida on Friday. Four-star offensive lineman [autotag]Knijeah Harris[/autotag] and four-star defensive lineman [autotag]Will Norman[/autotag] are the two names he expects to end up with the Gators when all is said done.

Both recruits are rated four stars on the On3 consensus and come out of IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Harris has been linked with Florida recently, picking up a handful of crystal ball predictions from the 247Sports staff as well. He’ll decide on May 7 and has already named the Gators as one of the five finalists in his recruitment. Bender said that a source close to Harris told him that it would be a “real shocker” if the 6-foot-3-inch, 327-pounder ended up elsewhere.

With that in mind, Bender logged his prediction with a 75% confidence level, the highest of the three picks cast in favor of UF. The RPM has Harris at a 95.5% chance to land in Gainesville. He’s the No. 384 overall recruit on the On3 Consensus and the No. 27 interior offensive lineman.

Norman is the higher-ranked recruit of the two at No. 123 overall and No. 17 among defensive linemen, but Bender’s confidence level is only at 50% with him. Florida has been aggressive in recruiting the in-state blue-chipper and are sitting on top of things along with LSU and Texas A&M. Norman’s opinion of Florida has become more favorable with every visit, and Billy Napier and Co. are only ramping things up as the summer approaches.

Norman could decide over the summer or as early as May, and Bender believes that the Gators have done enough to get the call if things ended today. There is, however, a game-changing offer out there that could affect the climate of Norman’s recruitment. If Dabo Swinney and Clemson come knocking, Florida could face some serious competition.

If the Gators can nab both of these guys over the summer, the recruiting class will look a lot stronger than it does right now. Napier needs a big haul in 2023, and these could be some of the first dominoes to fall in his plan.

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Orange and Blue game visit has Nation’s top CB trending toward Florida

It’s not a perfect science, but Gator Nation will be happy to see which program is trending on On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine for Cormani McClain.

Five-star prospect [autotag]Cormani McClain[/autotag], the nation’s top cornerback recruit, might be at the top of every Florida fan’s wishlist when it comes to the class of 2023, and the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM) has the Gators on top of his recruitment after a visit to the Swamp for the Orange and Blue game last Thursday.

The Gators sit with a 50.4% chance to land the recruit, according to prediction data compiled by On3. Alabama is the other major player with 41.9% and Georgia is holding on to a 2.4% chance. Florida State, Ohio State and USC are all under 1% at this point.

McClain has been to Florida plenty of times in the past, but this last trip put Florida over the top on the RPM. He’s identified UF and ‘Bama as the two most aggressive players in his recruitment, and his growing relationship with [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]’s staff could make the difference.

“It was great hanging out and seeing the new view (of the program),” McClain said to Gators Online. “It’s a great coaching staff; shoutout to the coaching staff. It was a great game for sure. Florida, it’s just home; it’s just home. You have to have love for Florida.”

Defensive backs coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag] has developed an especially strong relationship with McClain. Raymond has a reputation for getting his man and has already proven it at Florida with the [autotag]Kamari Wilson[/autotag] signing. McClain plans to take officials over the summer and decide as early as June.

He’s the No. 3 overall prospect on the On3 Consensus and the top-ranked corner according to every major service in the college football recruiting game. Florida now has the presumed lead but will need to keep up the pace.

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