Tag: recruiting profile

Recruiting profile on 5-Star DL Williams Nwaneri out of Lee’s Summit

A look at 5-Star defensive lineman Williams Nwaneri, who the Sooners will be hosting on March 5.

Williams Nwaneri is one of the best prospects in the 2024 recruiting class. A five-star player in the 247Sports composite and On3 consensus, Nwaneri is the No. 3 player in the cycle.

Hailing from Lee’s Summit, Mo. (the same hometown as 2023 OL Cayden Green), Nwaneri has seen an incredible rise in the last year. He entered the 247Sports composite as the No. 157 prospect back in April of 2022. With a stellar junior year, he’s become a target for all of the heavy hitters in college football.

In addition to his Oklahoma offer, he holds 30 Power Five offers, including Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Michigan State, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Penn State and USC.

Nwaneri is a mismatch as an interior rusher. His quickness, agility, and speed make him incredibly difficult to block. On the rare occasion when the offensive line does stymie his initial rush, he continues to work to the ball to make the play.

He’s a little light at the moment to play on the interior at the collegiate level but would be fantastic as an edge player in three or four-man alignments. However, with another year of growth and then working in a collegiate strength and conditioning program, Nwaneri could be a terror on the inside.

Has verified size, length and testing data that is impressive for a player of his build and age. Rare change of direction and agility numbers at his size. Was a good young prospect as a freshman and sophomore but showed big developmental strides on the field as a junior. Quickness off the ball and foot speed in pursuit were improved and those qualities of his are at a high national level. Used his hands better and when combined with his physical gifts, makes him very tough to block. Does not let offensive linemen get clean punches off on him and is able to turn himself and get skinny to help with that. Can shade inside or play on the EDGE and is going to be able to project to any defensive scheme. Based on his size, strongside end or 3-4 defensive end are where we project him although he is rare enough athlete that he can be edge pass-rusher at his size. If the development we saw between sophomore and junior year continues, he is an elite national prospect who will be an impact college player and early draft choice. – Allen Trieu, National Recruiting Analyst for 247Sports

Williams Nwaneri’s Recruiting Profile

Projections

  • No predictions for Williams Nwaneri at this time

Film

Hudl

2023 Recruiting Profile: Will 4-star S Jordan Castell commit to UF after moving decision date?

The Gators are looking to add four-star safety Jordan Castell to the class of 2023 on Saturday, July 30. He previously named Florida, Alabama and Tennessee to his top 3.

Florida missed out on consensus top-5 safety [autotag]Joenel Aguero[/autotag] on July 23 to Georgia but the Gators still have a chance to nab another four-star safety in West Orange’s [autotag]Jordan Castell[/autotag] before the month closes out.

Castell visited Florida and Tennessee in June and quickly moved up his commitment date to July 30. He named a top three of the Gators, Volunteers and Alabama Crimson Tide but hasn’t been to Tuscaloosa since the end of January.

That has many in Gator Nation believing that Castell will be picking up an orange and blue hat on Saturday, and the experts agree. On3’s recruiting prediction machine has UF as the 96.2% favorite less than a week out and 247Sports has six crystal balls logged in favor of the Gators. That’s about as sure as it gets, but we did just see four-star offensive tackle [autotag]Payton Kirkland[/autotag] pick Texas, a school he never visited, over Florida last weekend.

Nothing is official until the decision is in, but Florida seems to be in an ideal spot to add another name to the class of 2023 this week.

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.

2023 Recruiting Profile: 4-star WR Eugene Wilson III deciding between UF and TAMU

The Gators could add another receiver to the class of 2023 if four-star Eugene Wilson picks UF over Texas A&M.

Wide receiver was a position of need for [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and the Florida Gators coming into the 2023 recruiting cycle. Adding [autotag]Ricky Pearsall[/autotag] through the transfer portal and earning commitments from [autotag]Tyree Patterson [/autotag]and [autotag]Creed Whittemore[/autotag] might be enough to fill the holes in Florida’s depth chart, but there’s another pass catcher that Napier and Co. are looking to add: four-star Gaither High receiver [autotag]Eugene Wilson III[/autotag].

A Tampa-area product, Wilson is among the uncommitted receivers left at the top of Florida’s board and things look good for the orange and blue. He’s called UF his dream school in the past and quickly picked up recruiting predictions from both 247Sports and On3 after visiting campus in early March.

He’s since returned to Gainesville on three more occasions, including what’s looking like the final official visit of his recruitment (June 17). Texas A&M is the other school left in the race, and there’s some confidence that it’s a toss-up between the two programs, but Florida is considered the favorite here.

While he doesn’t have a specific date in mind for when he’ll announce his commitment, Wilson says a decision is close. Here is a deeper look at one of Florida’s top offensive targets:

2023 Recruiting Profile: 4-star Will Norman would shore up Florida’s DL

The Gators are well-positioned to land a commitment from four-star IMG Academy defensive lineman Will Norman, who hopes to decide before his senior season starts.

It’s no secret that [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] is looking to bring IMG Academy’s best to Gainesville, and he’s managed to do it a few times already in his short time as Florida’s head coach. Five-star safety [autotag]Kamari Wilson[/autotag] headlined the transition class and will be a true freshman this season, and four-star [autotag]Knijeah Harris[/autotag] is committed to the Gators’ recruiting class of 2023.

Now, a third Ascender is close to joining the mix, four-star defensive lineman [autotag]Will Norman[/autotag]. Experts from 247Sports and On3 have predicted that he’ll land at Florida, and he outright said that UF was in his top two following a June official visit (the only one he took over the summer break).

Penn State has a crystal ball logged in their favor by a Florida State insider, but that came months before the others and it seems like Norman is Florida’s to lose at this point. Although the other team in his top two is unknown, it’s likely one of his previous top five and the Nittany Lions fit the bill.

Landing Norman would be huge for Florida considering Gervon Dexter could be headed to the NFL draft after this season. Adding depth to the trenches has been a priority for Bill Napier since arriving at Florida, and a commitment would shore things up for the future on the defensive line.

Norman’s plan is to make a decision before his senior season begins, and it appears he’s still on track with that timeline.

2023 Recruiting Profile: Is Treyaun Webb Florida’s running back of the future?

Florida didn’t crack his top 11 at one point, but Billy Napier has Florida firmly in the race for four-star Jacksonville running back Treyaun Webb.

The recruiting process started for four-star running back [autotag]Treyaun Webb[/autotag] when he was in seventh grade. Miami extended him an offer and put him on the map for years to come. After backing off commitments from both Georgia and Oklahoma, Webb is taking his time to settle on a school, and Florida is making it hard for him to say no.

After [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] took over, Florida began prioritizing the Jacksonville area recruit. A relationship quickly blossomed and Florida’s been the outright leader in his recruitment for some time. There’s no such thing as a sure bet in college football, especially when it comes to recruiting, but Webb appears to be Florida’s running back of the future to lose. He’s ranked highly by most prep scouting services and has been crystal balled by several experts to Florida.

Webb intends to announce his decision on June 30 and has canceled his trip to Tennessee, leaving just Penn State and South Carolina on his itinerary before the announcement.

2023 Recruiting Profile: Will 5-star OL Francis Mauigoa stay in Florida?

Five-star offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa keeps coming back to Florida and Billy Napier’s staff keeps impressing him. Could the blue-chip recruit wind up a Gator?

Florida’s new head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] broke the IMG Academy curse almost immediately after taking over at UF by landing five-star safety [autotag]Kamari Wilson[/autotag] out of the Bradenton powerhouse. He’s added four-star interior offensive lineman [autotag]Knijeah Harris[/autotag], but one of the biggest targets Florida has out of IMG is five-star [autotag]Francis Mauigoa[/autotag].

At worse, he’s a top-25 prospect and his ceiling is being the best offensive lineman to come out of the class. It’ll take a lot of work to get there, but Mauigoa plans on making it to the NFL so he can return home to American Samoa and share his success.

Mauigoa has kept a steady line of communication with the Gators over the last year or so. Offensive line coaches [autotag]Rob Sale[/autotag] and [autotag]Darnell Stapleton[/autotag] have taken the lead and the rest of the staff has gotten to know him as well after several visits to the Swamp.

His most recent trip on June 14, which was one of his five official visits, was the best one yet. He’s developing relationships with players and coaches alike and Florida seems well-positioned to stay near the top of his recruitment down the stretch.

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

2023 Recruiting Profile: CB Cormani McClain is Florida’s top defensive target

Cormani McClain will be the crown jewel for whatever school he signs with, and Florida is making a strong push for him.

Cornerback [autotag]Cormani McClain[/autotag] is regarded as the best cornerback in the class of 2023 by every major recruiting service out there. He’s ranked within the top five by everyone and is considered the best defensive recruit available in the current cycle.

He used a combination of speed, length, instincts and ball skills to total 19 interceptions over the last two seasons. Well on his way to being a Day 1 NFL draft prospect, McClain is looking to make an impact on a program early before heading to the pros. He’s also looking for a coach that can teach him a thing or two before he heads to the highest level of play.

That’s where Florida comes in. Billy Napier brought in cornerbacks coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag] for a reason, and the former LSU assistant seems to be hitting it off famously with the nation’s top defensive back recruit. Even more, the Lakeland, Florida, cornerback named UF as one of his top two schools following a trip to the Swamp for the Gators’ spring game.

Now focusing on official visits, it seems Florida is reaching the finals stages of this decision, but McClain says he’ll wait until after his senior year to make the call.

Cormani McClain’s Recruiting Profile

Film

Four-star offensive line target lists LSU among final four teams

The Tigers are looking to pull Alpharetta offensive tackle Shamurad Uramov away from the in-state Georgia Bulldogs.

Recruiting the offensive line is the cornerstone of any SEC program’s success. Building a strong team in the trenches is absolutely key when you go up against college football’s best defensive fronts, and with offensive linemen opting to transfer less frequently than skill position players, finding quality high school prospects is the easiest way to do that.

LSU is trying to pick up the first offensive lineman in its 2023 recruiting class in Alpharetta, Georgia, prospect [autotag]Shamurad Umarov[/autotag], a 6-foot-6, 315-pound offensive tackle.

Umarov recently released his final four, which included LSU in addition to Georgia, Tennessee and Michigan State. He will take official visits to each school during the month of June, including Baton Rouge on June 17.

The Tigers will look to add him to the class, which currently features just four players and ranks 19th nationally.

Film

LSU Wire breaks down his profile.