Tag: Roderick Kearney

Florida OT Michael Tarquin entering transfer portal

Another Gator has hit the transfer portal, and now Florida might have some serious depth issues on the offensive line.

The Florida Gators will need to add some more depth to the offensive line after losing another player to the transfer portal. Offensive tackle [autotag]Michael Tarquin[/autotag] announced his decision to enter the portal on Thursday despite being a contender for a starting spot next season.

Tarquin began the year as the Gators’ starting right tackle but suffered an injury against Kentucky in Week 2 that kept him out for four games. Austin Barber emerged as an effective replacement, but Tarquin ended up playing in Florida’s final six games at his usual spot once healthy.

Some have called this the first true surprise of the transfer cycle for Florida. Tarquin was a presumed starter for next year’s club with left tackle [autotag]Richard Gouraige[/autotag] headed to the pros. Even if the staff favors Barber, shifting him over to the left side would allow Florida to play two experienced tackles on the offensive line. Now, [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] has to do some portal work of his own to replace three-fifths of the starting unit ([autotag]O’Cyrus Torrence[/autotag] is headed to the NFL as well).

Napier said that the team was looking to add more players through the transfer portal during his early signing day press conference, and the Gators have been linked to Rhode Island transfer tackle [autotag]Ajani Cornelius[/autotag].

In-house options to take over Tarquin’s spot include Louisiana transfer [autotag]Kamryn Waites[/autotag], freshman [autotag]David Conner[/autotag] and incoming freshmen [autotag]Knijeah Harris[/autotag], [autotag]Roderick Kearney[/autotag] and [autotag]Tony Livingston[/autotag].

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Florida makes ESPN’s 2023 recruiting class rankings top 10

The Florida Gators are in the top 10 of ESPN’s national 2023 recruiting rankings. They are the fifth-highest SEC program.

The Florida Gators 2023 recruiting class comes in at No. 9 in ESPN’s 2023 recruiting rankings after early signing day wrapped up on Wednesday.

The Gators had been hovering around the top ten of the recruiting rankings since July when a surge of commitments created a buzz around the Florida program and first-year head coach Billy Napier. This is a stark contrast from the end of June when Napier penned an open letter to the Gator Nation essentially pleading for patience and trust in the process.

Napier was a fantastic recruiter at Louisiana, having the No. 1 recruiting class in the Sun Belt in all four seasons at the helm. But he didn’t do this alone. The addition of top-tier assistants such as assistant head coach and defense/cornerbacks coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag], co-defensive coordinator, defensive line coach [autotag]Sean Spencer[/autotag], and many more, have had a massive impact on the recruiting trail. Raymond is considered one of the best, if not the best, defensive backs developers in the nation.

Here is what ESPN’s Craig Haubert had to say about the Gators’ No. 9 ranking:

Billy Napier has taken advantage of in-state talent with several Sunshine State pickups, assembling a strong secondary from that pool. The Gators have added several ESPN 300 DBs, including CBs [autotag]Dijon Johnson[/autotag], [autotag]Ja’Keem Jackson[/autotag] and CB [autotag]Sharif Denson[/autotag], who has good feet and brings a tough, scrappy demeanor. [autotag]Aaron Gates[/autotag], who stayed on even after committing to the previous staff, projects to defensive back and can be a versatile player with his quickness and ball skills. [autotag]Eugene Wilson III[/autotag], listed as an athlete, projects to WR and is a player who tests very well, which will translate to his play on the field. Adding more potential firepower to their passing attack is [autotag]Aidan Mizell[/autotag], a lengthy target with big-play speed. Rashada hails from California but became a big in-state flip from Miami. With a smooth release and good arm strength, the newest Gator is one of the top QBs in the class. [autotag]Knijeah Harris[/autotag] is a nice addition to the trenches, as he has been a multiyear starter at IMG Academy and should come in ready to compete for playing time. They also flipped ESPN 300 OG [autotag]Roderick Kearney[/autotag], a powerful and flexible big man who could work his way into the two-deep quickly, from Florida State. It is hard to win the SEC without being strong along the defensive front, and Collins leads a talented group of defensive linemen.

The players Haubert named are considered to be the elite of this Florida class.

The smaller class was strategic for Napier, as he needs scholarships available to be active in the transfer portal. Prioritizing quality over quantity was a point of emphasis Napier made in his opening press conference and subsequent open letter to the fan base.

The official national signing day is scheduled for Feb. 1, 2023, with a portion of the 2023 class deciding to enroll early and participate in spring practices.

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Here’s what Billy Napier said after early national signing day

Here’s what Billy Napier had to say about each player that signed with Florida during the early signing period.

Florida got 20 commits to sign during the 2023 early signing period, and [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] had a lot to say about the class following all the action.

Napier spoke to the press Wednesday afternoon/evening after an hour-long delay that allowed quarterback [autotag]Jaden Rashada[/autotag]’s name to be added to the list of signees. Florida’s head coach spoke in-depth about each player in the class and Gators Wire has compiled a list of everything that he said.

Coach Napier also tackled general questions about recruiting in-state, the role NIL plays, adding more players through the transfer portal and which member of the class of 2023 will early enroll.

The TL;DR is that Napier’s team feels very confident about each player that was added to the program on Wednesday, and there was a strong emphasis on what kind of home each player came from. Napier firmly believes that being raised by a quality family helps create quality student-athletes.

Here’s a full transcript of everything Napier said on Wednesday.

Tracking Florida’s 2023 early signing period activity

Florida is set to sign most of its 2023 recruiting class on the first day of the early signing period and Gators Wire is keeping track of it all.

The calendar might still read 2022, but the reality is that many of the top recruits in the class of 2023 are signing early and Dec. 21 marks the start of the early signing period. Florida is expected to bring in a strong class in Billy Napier’s first full cycle as head coach, but nothing is ever set in stone until the pen hits the paper.

The February signing date could bring in more names, but the core of the class is signing early and Gators Wire is keeping track of every move the team makes. There usually are some surprises, and Florida is in the hunt for several uncommitted targets set to make their decisions through Friday when the period comes to a close.

Each of Florida’s commitments below is listed in order of expected ceremony start time. As players sign their national letters of intent, the list will update to reflect Florida’s most recent additions.

Florida might be the favorite to land this 2023 offensive lineman

Billy Napier has his eyes on an offensive lineman from the state of Louisiana and the experts like the Gators’ chances.

With the early signing period approaching, Florida has been busy on the recruiting trail, and it appears that the Gators’ efforts are paying off with De La Salle (New Orleans, Louisiana) offensive tackle [autotag]Caden Jones[/autotag].

247Sports’ director of recruiting, Steve Wiltfong, submitted a crystal ball for Jones in favor of UF Wednesday morning with a confidence level of six out of 10. Jones is still considering Houston, Texas, Texas A&M and Florida State, but Wiltfong feels that Florida has done enough to be considered the favorite in this race.

Jones stands at an enormous 6-foot-8-inches and 305 pounds and fills a position of need for the Gators. Florida flipped four-star guard [autotag]Roderick Kearney[/autotag] from FSU in October and has both [autotag]Knijeah Harris[/autotag] and [autotag]Bryce Lovett[/autotag] under commitment, but there’s still a need for a couple more linemen. Five-star tackle [autotag]Samson Okunlola[/autotag] is the other name that keeps being connected with Florida, but Jones is a more reasonable target that could wind up being a developmental piece.

The expectation is for Jones to commit during the All-American Bowl on Jan. 7, so Florida has a bit of time to work on him.

The 247Sports composite ranks Jones at No. 425 overall and No. 33 among offensive tackles in the class of 2023.

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Florida commits reassure fans that they are locked in

Florida’s class of 2023 is locked in and letting the fans know it. This class could be a gamechanger in Gainesville.

Sometimes, it’s good to set the record straight, and that’s just what Florida defensive line commit [autotag]TJ Searcy[/autotag] did on Wednesday when he took to Twitter to shut down his recruitment.

Searcy committed to the University of Florida on July 4, but he’s still listened to other programs over the past four months. That’s all changing, though. Searcy “completely shut down” his recruitment and is locking in his commitment to the Gators a month out from the early signing period.

The announcement comes at an important time in the Gators’ 2023 recruiting cycle. While a top-10 class seems like a given, Florida still has to get all 22 commits to put pen to paper. Verbal commitments are just that, verbal. A letter of intent locks things in, but Searcy’s announcement is about as close as you can get to a guarantee until that time comes.

Searcy wasn’t the only Gators commit shutting down rumors of him being a flip candidate. [autotag]Aidan Mizell[/autotag], the highest-ranked receiver in Florida’s 2023 class, also took to Twitter to reassure the fans that he is locked in with the Orange and Blue.

Offensive lineman [autotag]Roderick Kearney[/autotag], a former FSU commit who flipped to UF in October, also took to social media to confirm his decision as final.

Perhaps more will do the same, but it’s not necessary. Billy Napier has emphasized culture since he took over at Florida, and it seems like the first-year coach is finally making some headway with the current team. Bringing in hand-picked kids that match his style should only speed up that process, and we’re already seeing some high-character moves from a group of high schoolers.

The future is bright, and Florida fans should be excited about this incoming class.

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Florida flips 4-star recruit Roderick Kearney from Florida State

Florida scored a big recruiting win over their rivals at Florida State on Monday evening. 

Florida scored a big recruiting win over rival Florida State on Monday evening.

Four-star offensive lineman Roderick Kearney had previously committed to the Seminoles, but he’s changed his mind and announced he’ll go to the Swamp instead.

Kearney (6-foot-4, 300 pounds) is one of the best OL prospects in the class of 2023. He ranks No. 4 among all interior offensive linemen, No. 28 in the state and No. 123 nationally, per 247Sports.

The Gators are getting a mauler in the trenches with impressive power and an aggressive streak. As a Junior, he was credited with 56 pancake blocks last season in 10 games for Orange Park (Fla.).

Kearney joining the club brings Florida’s total number of recruits for the 2023 cycle to 22 and gives the Gators some breathing room in the recruiting rankings. While they are still at No. 8 behind LSU, there’s now more space between them and ninth-ranked Clemson. Meanwhile, Florida State dropped to No. 19.

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Florida completes flip of this 4-star FSU OL commit

Billy Napier and Co. have successfully flipped four-star offensive lineman Roderick Kearney from the Florida State Seminoles.

The Gators continued to dominate the state of Florida on the recruiting trail Monday. Four-star offensive lineman [autotag]Roderick Kearney[/autotag] took to Twitter to announce a flip in his commitment from FSU to Florida, bringing the class of 2023 to 22 commits.

It doesn’t take a college football expert to understand the significance of beating out a rival program for an in-state blue chipper, but Kearney should be the highest-ranked offensive lineman signed by Florida since 2018 ([autotag]Richard Gouraige[/autotag] was ranked in the top 100). For a school and fanbase looking for signs of a swift turnaround, nothing could be more promising than a win in the trenches. The previous regime struggled to recruit offensive linemen, and [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]’s crew is looking to change that narrative.

Landing Kearney is a good start. He’s an aggressive interior lineman that’s constantly working on the little things to get where he wants to be. His strength is against the run right now, but he’s looking to grow and become a better all-around player by the time he’s in Gainesville.

Kearney picked FSU over UF shortly after visiting the Swamp, but the Gators’ persistence paid off in the end. Kearney’s commitment secures Florida’s spot at No. 8 in 247Sports’ team rankings for now. Clemson was breathing down UF’s neck, and now there’s about a 2.5-point gap between the two programs. Passing LSU would take a major signing or two, though.

The 247Sports composite ranks Kearney at No. 123 overall in the class of 2023 and No. 4 among interior offensive linemen. On3 is even more bullish on him, ranking him at No. 66 overall in the class.

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Gators predicted to flip this 4-star FSU offensive line commit

The Florida Gators are looking to add a blue-chip offensive lineman to the class of 2023 and it could come at the expense of in-state rival FSU.

When four-star interior offensive lineman [autotag]Roderick Kearney[/autotag] committed to the Florida State Seminoles over the summer, UF was viewed as the runner-up. Two months later, it appears the Gators are well positioned to flip the in-state recruit after hosting him on an unofficial visit.

On Tuesday, On3’s Chad Simmons reported that Kearney’s pledge to the ‘Noles was “shaky,” and Corey Bender of Gators Online followed with a flip prediction in favor of UF. Georgia is the other team that kept in touch with Kearney enough to warrant consideration, and he could open his recruitment  back up to the two SEC teams in the near future.

Florida seems to have the leg up in the race, though. The Gators expect to host Kearney for the second-straight week on Saturday when they take on the Kentucky Wildcats. He took to Twitter after those reports came out to ask fans to let him enjoy his recruitment, adding the hashtag “stillanole.”

Even with Kearney’s reassurance to the FSU faithful, Florida at least appears in play for him. Recruiting doesn’t truly end until the papers are signed, so expect Florida to pursue him until they are officially out of the race. The 2023 class could use another offensive lineman or two, and he’d be a big addition to the group.

The On3 consensus ranks Kearney No. 128 overall in the class and No. 8 among interior offensive linemen. On3’s individual rankings are even more bullish on him, ranking Kearney No. 61 overall and No. 5 in his position group.

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Florida’s linebackers coach to visit this 2023 FSU commit on Friday

Napier and crew are getting an early start on what will be a big recruiting weekend for Florida.

Florida football’s season-opening matchup against the Utah Utes carries a great deal more importance than the action on the sideline as a cohort of top recruits from around the nation plan on attending the first game of the Billy Napier era. The Gators have an opportunity to woo some of the best the prep ranks have to offer come game time and the staff has wasted no time getting a head start on the weekend.

Not all of the Gators’ targets will be in attendance, however. Four-star offensive lineman [autotag]Roderick Kearney[/autotag], a Florida State Seminoles commit in the 2023 recruiting class from Orange Park, Florida, will get a visit from the Gators’ inside linebackers coach [autotag]Jay Bateman[/autotag] on Friday night during his high school game, according to Swamp247.

The 6-foot-4-inch, 300-pound lineman has made several trips to Gainesville including an official visit back in June from which he came away with positive words for the program.

“I had a great time,” Kearney said according to Swamp247. “I learned a lot about the new coaching staff and all the other coaches they have off the field. They were all great and I had a really good time. I got to see the new facility they are building, I got to hang out with some players at the school, and just meet a lot of the O-linemen.”

The Seminoles ended up prevailing in his recruitment, receiving his verbal commitment not long after his stop in the Swamp. However, there is still room to rescind the decision and the Gators are working hard to flip him to the Orange and Blue. The Garnet and Gold, nonetheless, still hold a firm grip on the young athlete’s future.

Kearney is ranked No. 121 overall and No. 4 at his position in his class nationally according to the 247Sports composite, while the On3 consensus has him at Nos. 128 and 8, respectively. On3’s recruiting prediction machine still holds a 38.9% chance of FSU sealing the deal while UF trials in second at 28.4%.

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