Rob Sale – Syndication Server

Florida making strong, early push for this in-state class of 2026 OL

Florida’s offensive line coaches are getting some early recruiting work in with Lakewood’s Chancellor Campbell and it’s paying off.

Lakewood High (St. Petersburg, Florida) offensive lineman [autotag]Chancellor Cambell[/autotag] is one of the rising juniors Florida’s recruiting team has focused on heavily this summer, and those efforts are paying, according to Swamp247.

Campbell visited The Swamp twice in March and then secured an offer in May to open the summer. Since then, the Gators have only further cemented themselves as the top team on his list.

He was in Gainesville most recently in June and will be back this weekend for the Grill in the ‘Ville event to close out the summer recruiting period. A return trip at the beginning of fall camp could also happen — frequent visits are one of the positives of recruiting in-state talent.

Kentucky, South Carolina, Syracuse, Toledo and UCF are the other teams that offered the 6-foot-8-inch, 285-pounder.

“Things have been going very well between me and the (Florida) coaches,” Campbell said. “I really appreciate how they teach and communicate with the offensive line. They seem to really know what they are talking about and are great coaches.”

Offensive line coaches [autotag]Rob Sale[/autotag] and [autotag]John Decoster[/autotag] have been Campbell’s main contacts at Florida. Although development seems to be a major recruiting point for Campbell, he’s also focused on receiving a good education.

Recruiting Summary

Cambell is unranked everywhere right now, but he might be one of the big risers in the next major updates from 247Sports and On3.

Florida is dominating the On3 recruiting prediction machine projections with 89.9% odds of landing Campbell, followed by UCF (2.5%), South Carolina (2.2%) and Kentucky (1.8%).

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Florida football sees two position changes ahead of 2024 season

Florida’s JUCO transfer will move up to the defensive line while a redshirt junior is moving back to an old position.

The start of the 2024 college football season is right around the corner and the Florida Gators are putting the final touches on its roster ahead of the grueling gridiron grind ahead.

During the offseason, [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and his army of coaches spent quite a bit of quality time with their players, working on maximizing the potential of every player on the team. As a result, a pair of those who were evaluated have migrated to different positions for the upcoming campaign, according to a report by Gators Online.

JUCO signee [autotag]Brien Taylor Jr[/autotag]., who arrived in Gainesville as a part of the 2024 class, played in the F spot during spring practice at the edge defender position with coach [autotag]Mike Peterson[/autotag] but has settled in with coach [autotag]Gerald Chatman[/autotag] on the defensive line.

The other making a move is redshirt junior [autotag]Kamryn Waites[/autotag], who has moved back to the position he played previously at right guard. He moved to offensive tackle last year, starting the final two games of the 2023 season at right tackle; co-offensive coordinator [autotag]Rob Sale[/autotag] moved him over to the left side this spring citing some mild weight loss.

However, Waites is now expected to compete with redshirt junior Damieon George for the starting job at right tackle in 2024.

Florida’s 2024 season opener

Florida and the Miami Hurricanes open their schedule on Aug. 31 in Gainesville, Florida. Kickoff time is slated for 3:30 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ABC Sports.

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Florida’s offensive line a key focus for ESPN heading into 2023

Florida’s offensive line was a major reason the team wasn’t a complete disaster in 2022, and now the Gators have to replace four starters in the trenches.

Florida’s offensive line was among the best in the SEC and college football a season ago. Unfortunately, the Gators are replacing four starters on the offensive line after losing a pair of seniors to the NFL draft and two more to Southern California via the transfer portal.

UF will have center [autotag]Kingsley Eguakun[/autotag] returning, but gone are left tackle [autotag]Richard Gouraige[/autotag], left guard [autotag]Ethan White[/autotag], right guard [autotag]O’Cyrus Torrence[/autotag] and right tackle [autotag]Michael Tarquin[/autotag]. Replacing those four is the top storyline of Florida’s spring, according to ESPN’s Chris Low and Hary Lyles Jr., who dove into each SEC program at the start of spring ball.

The Gators brought in three transfers on the offensive line over the offseason. Alabama‘s [autotag]Damieon George Jr[/autotag]. and former five-star Kentucky signee [autotag]Kiyaunta Goodwin[/autotag] should get a shot to play tackle for Florida along with a returning [autotag]Austin Barber[/autotag], and Baylor transfers [autotag]Micah Mazzccua[/autotag] should step immediately into one of the vacant starting guard spots.

While it is almost a complete turnover in the trenches, Florida fans should still feel confident, according to Low and Lyles.

“The Gator faithful should feel confident in the abilities of offensive coordinator [autotag]Rob Sale[/autotag] and offensive line coach [autotag]Darnell Stapleton[/autotag] to get this group together, given their track record with [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]’s great offensive lines at Louisiana, which produced multiple NFL draft picks,” the ESPN story read.

Low and Lyles also pointed a newcomer on the team to watch and chose to pick a player that will be behind the offensive line transfers mentioned above. Wisconsin transfer [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag] will be competing with [autotag]Jack Miller III[/autotag] for the starting quarterback job, and his experience in the Big Ten might give him the upper leg. Both he and the offensive line need to excel for Florida to have a bounce-back year.

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In-state offensive line prospect to visit Florida in March

A 2024 in-state offensive line prospect is planning another visit to The Swamp, given his close proximity to campus.

When [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] took over the Florida football program, he made sure to emphasize the importance of winning recruiting battles inside the state of Florida. Over 14 months later, Napier is staying true to his word.

[autotag]Jake Guarnera[/autotag], a 6-foot-4-inch, 280-pound offensive lineman from Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, recently told On3’s Donavon Keiser that he is planning to make another visit to The Swamp in March after the recruiting “dead period” expires. The three-star prospect cited how close he is to campus, as Ponte Vedra Beach is just a 90-minute drive from Gainesville.

In his latest visit to campus in January, Guarnera was able to spend more one-on-one time with the coaches, received an official campus tour, and made some connections with other Florida Gators prospects. Guarnera highlighted the one-on-one time with coaches, specifically mentioning a 45-minute film session spent with offensive line coach [autotag]Rob Sale[/autotag] where they broke down his high school film.

Despite the proximity to home, the Gators are competing with multiple programs for vying for Guarnera’s signature when the 2024 class puts pen to paper. Along with Florida, programs like Miami and Michigan are expected to receive a visit once the “dead period'” is lifted. Those programs join NC State, North Carolina, Ole Miss and Penn State as others involved in his recruitment.

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This 4-star offensive tackle sets his return visit date with Florida

Chalk up another big-time visitor next month!

The month of March is looking to be a big one for Florida football’s recruiting efforts as the program gets set to host a handful of prep prospects in Gainesville.

Among those who have announced their plans to head to Hogtown next month is four-star offensive tackle [autotag]Ethan Calloway[/autotag] out of Mooresville (North Carolina) Lake Norman in the 2024 class. The 6-foot-7-inch, 300-pound behemoth has made a stop in the Swamp before to watch the Gators trounce the South Carolina Gamecocks and is planning to make a multi-day visit with [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and Co. on March 9 and 10, he told Swamp247 recently.

The high school junior’s recruitment has been spearheaded by offensive coordinator/offensive line coach [autotag]Rob Sale[/autotag] and assistant offensive line coach [autotag]Darnell Stapleton[/autotag], who have put in time with Calloway since his mid-season visit. Speaking of which, the Orange and Blue made a great impression on him the first time around.

“The atmosphere was great before and after,” he told Gators Online previously. “The offensive line coaches spent a lot of time with me. I know they had a lot of recruits there, so that meant a lot. Great conversations with Coach Sale and Stapleton. I learned a lot about how they do things and what they are looking for.

“I go on these visits with no expectations. The fact that they had done so much homework on me and sought me out to talk and make an offer was unexpected. I knew the Gators were interested, but that changed the night for me. They are trending in the right direction as a team too.”

The coveted offensive lineman also has offers from the Auburn Tigers, Florida State Seminoles, LSU Tigers, North Carolina Tar Heels, Penn State Nittany Lions, Tennessee Volunteers and Wisconsin Badgers, among many others.

Calloway is ranked No. 191 overall and No. 9 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while On3 has him at Nos. 126 and 8, respectively, according to its independent rankings. On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine has the North Carolina State Wolfpack out front for his services with a 30.5% chance of landing him, while the Virginia Tech Hokies, Appalachian State Mountaineers and Penn State follow behind at 20.2%, 11.7% and 9.8%, respectively.

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2024 blue-chip OT sets return visit date with Florida

The list of March visits is starting to get long, including the addition of this top lineman.

The month of March is starting to look like a big one for Florida football’s recruiting efforts. While there is currently a “dead period” in effect during February, the Gators are still looking ahead to the future by continuing their due diligence in the coming classes.

Among those set to make their way to Gainesville next month after the quiet period expires is four-star offensive tackle [autotag]Fletcher Westphal[/autotag] out of Leesburg (Virginia) Tuscarora, who plans on returning to the Swamp for an unofficial visit from March 11 to 12, according to Swamp247’s Blake Alderman. The 6-foot-7.5-inch, 305-pound trench warrior has been on campus once before, when he witnessed the Gators’ shellacking of the South Carolina Gamecocks on Nov. 12.

Offensive coordinator/offensive line coach [autotag]Rob Sale[/autotag], as well as head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag], have led the efforts to bring the behemoth to Florida. His initial visit gave him some facetime with the two and he offered the following to Swamp247 afterward.

“Coach Sale, from all the things we have been talking about over the phone, he’s the same in person. He keeps it real. He tells you what he wants and you have to appreciate that. Some coaches will keep it soft. He is the one who is leading my recruitment and he’s always talking about how he wants to recruit me, my parents, and my coaches. I know he’s going to come and get me. He said he would be back up in the spring for spring ball.

“Coach Napier really wanted to get to know the family and get to know us better. He was asking things about ourselves, telling us what he’s been doing these past few years in his career. Just getting to know each other. I know they are preparing for more games to finish out the year and trying to finish out strong.”

Florida is not the only program in pursuit of the talented lineman, with competitors such as the Tennessee Volunteers, Oregon Ducks, Arkansas Razorbacks, Georgia Bulldogs, Clemson Tigers, Auburn Tigers and Michigan State Spartans also among those in the mix.

Westphal is ranked No. 156 overall and No. 7 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 consensus has him at Nos. 158 and 7, respectively. On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine has the Maryland Terrapins in the lead for the young man’s talents with a 13.3% chance of signing him while the Virginia Tech Hokies, Virginia Cavaliers and Penn State Nittany Lions trail behind at 11.6%, 7.5% and 6.3%, respectively.

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Florida coaches visit Louisiana 3-star OT commit

Florida coaches were out and about earlier in the week, and a trio of them checked in with offensive line commit Caden Jones Monday.

A trio of Florida coaches visited De La Salle three-star offensive tackle [autotag]Caden Jones[/autotag], the lone unsigned commit in the 2023recruiting class, on Monday, according to 247Sports.

Jones committed after the early signing period, so he has to wait until national signing day to officially join the class. That means he could flip if another program pressed hard enough, which explains why Florida sent three staff members out to him once the contact period opened up.

Offensive line coaches [autotag]Rob Sale[/autotag] and [autotag]Darnell Stapleton[/autotag] and running backs coach/area recruiter [autotag]Jabbar Juluke[/autotag] have taken point on this recruitment. Juluke’s ties to the state of Louisiana have come in hand plenty of times during the Billy Napier era at Florida, and Sale and Stapleton will be Jones’ position coaches once he gets on campus. Napier’s staff recruited Jones while ULL too, so Jones is quite familiar with the group.

They went out to visit Jones because he is unsure if he’ll be able to get back on campus before signing day with a loaded basketball schedule.

Jones will join fellow linemen [autotag]Roderick Kearney[/autotag], [autotag]Knijeah Harris [/autotag]and B[autotag]ryce Lovett[/autotag] in the class of 2023 and should help add some depth to a position room that just lost four starters.

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Florida football still in mix for this 5-star offensive tackle

Florida still has hopes of landing an elite offensive tackle in the 2023 cycle, but it’ll take a very strong push down the stretch to get the job done.

Back in June, five-star offensive tackle Samson Okunlola named the Florida Gators to his top nine. Since then, programs like Alabama, Miami and Michigan State have taken center stage in the elite Thayer Academy (Brockton, Massachusetts) recruit’s process, but that doesn’t mean the Gators are out of the race entirely.

The Gators are still actively pursuing Okunlola, according to a report from 247Sports. The team sent assistant offensive line coach [autotag]Darnell Stapleton[/autotag] and running backs coach [autotag]Jabbar Juluke[/autotag] to stop by his school during the bye week, and they pushed the idea of early playing time in the Swamp. Stapleton and offensive coordinator/offensive line coach [autotag]Rob Sale[/autotag] are his main contacts at UF and they’ve kept in touch with him over the past few months.

“Off the field, they are great dudes and I have been talking to them a lot over time,” Okunlola said of Sale and Stapleton. “They are just great dudes in general. They say I am a major priority for them and a top recruit for them. They said they love my skills. Playing early has always been a great goal of mine. I feel like I could have a chance to play as a freshman there.”

Okunlola has used three official visits so far, one to each of the programs named earlier. The Hurricanes are viewed as the leader right now in this race, but a late trip to Gainesville could change that. While nothing is scheduled right now, Okunlola has talked about taking a visit in November or December.

He’s one of the few remaining uncommitted five-star recruits in the class of 2023, so expect Florida to push hard for him down the stretch. 247Sports has Okunlola at No. 18 overall in its composite rankings and at No. 3 among offensive tackles.

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Florida football still in mix for this 5-star offensive tackle

Florida still has hopes of landing an elite offensive tackle in the 2023 cycle, but it’ll take a very strong push down the stretch to get the job done.

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Gators hosting 2024 in-state OL for another game day visit

Florida is getting this in-state offensive lineman back on campus for the South Carolina game on Nov. 12.

Florida has its eye on Ponte Vedra offensive lineman [autotag]Jake Guarnera[/autotag], a top-30 interior offensive lineman in the class of 2024, and he should return to Gainesville over the weekend of Nov. 11 for UF’s matchup with South Carolina, according to Gators Online.

Guarnera has been on campus a few times this year, but he most recently visited the Swamp for the team’s season opener against Utah. He enjoyed the game-day atmosphere and liked what he saw from Florida’s offensive line. Offensive coordinator and offensive line coach [autotag]Rob Sale[/autotag] is one of Guarnera’s primary contacts at the university, so there’s a good relationship developing there already, too.

If Guarnera can make it happen, he’d like to decide by July. That still leaves eight months for Florida to duke it out with the other Power Five programs interested in him, but two game-day visits are a nice start to build on. Florida State, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Penn State and Wake Forest are a few of the schools interested in him, but Florida’s biggest competition may be North Carolina State at the moment.

Guarnera is a three-star recruit, according to 247Sports, On3 and Rivals, but ESPN pegs him as a four-star talent. ESPN lists him as the No. 249 overall recruit in the class and at No. 10 among interior offensive linemen. The On3 consensus, which equally weights all four major services, slots him at No. 355 nationally and No. 26 in his position group.

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