Florida’s assistant running backs coach takes job downstate with Hurricanes

Florida’s assistant running backs coach just took a job with the ‘Canes doing pretty much what he did for the Gators.

Billy Napier lost another member of his army of staffers on Tuesday with the departure of assistant running backs coach [autotag]Benedick Hyppolite[/autotag], who took a job with the Miami Hurricanes as an offensive analyst working specifically with the running back corps — much like he did in Gainesville last season.

Hyppolite’s burgeoning coaching career has already had three stops on the collegiate circuit, starting as the offensive coordinator at Florida Memorial University — and HBCU in South Florida — in 2019 before joining the Hurricanes’ staff as a graduate assistant in 2020. He then got his big break with the Gators under Napier last season assisting with Florida’s successful running backs room before moving back south for a similar role in Miami.

Last season, UF’s rushing attack was among the top in the nation for most of the season thanks in large part to his efforts off the field. Transfer [autotag]Montrell Johnson[/autotag] and true freshman [autotag]Trevor Etienne[/autotag] combined for 1,560 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns, building the foundation of what should be a terrorizing ground attack for the Gators in years to come.

The departing analyst was no slouch on the recruiting trail either, shouldering a load in wooing four-star running backs [autotag]Treyaun Webb[/autotag] and [autotag]Chauncey Bowens[/autotag], while also stepping out of the backfield to assist in the recruitment of four-star wide receiver [autotag]Andy Jean[/autotag].

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Florida impresses No. 1 running back in class of 2024 during Junior Day

Florida is doing its best to get five-star running back and Gainesville native Jerrick Gibson back on board.

Before Billy Napier arrived at Florida, five-star IMG Academy running back [autotag]Jerrick Gibson[/autotag] was the shining pearl of the Gators’ 2024 recruiting class. After [autotag]Dan Mullen[/autotag] was axed, Gibson mulled things over and backed off that pledge, but he’s still giving the Gators a shot to earn back his commitment.

Gibson was in Gainesville Saturday for Florida’s final Junior Day of the January 2023 contact period. The entire month of February is a dead period for recruiting, so this visit served as the final word until spring trips begin in March. It was only his second time seeing the new facilities, and Gibson got a much better look than he did when he saw UF host USF in September, according to Gators Online.

“This was my second time visiting the new facility, so today was a surprise,” Gibson said. “The first time I didn’t see everything, but today I got to see everything and get around the facility. It amazed me how much stuff they have at the facility.”

He spent time with running backs coach [autotag]Jabbar Juluke[/autotag] and Napier going over what his role might be with the Gators. Juluke coached three players to 500-yard seasons or better in 2022, so Gibson doesn’t see himself struggling to find playing time.

[autotag]Montrell Johnson Jr[/autotag]. could be in the NFL by the time Gibson gets on a college campus, [autotag]Trevor Etienne[/autotag] will be one year away from becoming draft-eligible and [autotag]Treyaun Webb[/autotag] is the only scholarship back in the most recent class. A triumvirate of Etienne, Gibson and Webb might be elite, and quarterback [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag] will be on campus too.

Florida has plenty of catching up to do, but there is the hometown element weighing on Gibson. Before he wound up at IMG Academy, Gibson was playing for Gainesville High.

“It’s home,” Gibson said. “It’s always been home, so that’s one of the things they got up on everybody.”

In addition to UF, Georgia, Miami, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas are among the programs pushing hardest for Gibson. He’s hoping to take official visits over the summer, and one of those schools isn’t getting one. Florida has to figure out a way to make sure it’s not the odd man left out.

Gibson is ranked No. 11 overall and No. 1 among running backs on the On3 consensus. He broke the top 10 on the 247Sports composite, claiming the final spot with a .9941 rating.

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Former Tulane running back transferring to Florida

Florida’s running backs room just got a little bit larger with the addition of former Tulane back Cameron Carroll.

After five years with the Tulane Green Wave, running back [autotag]Cameron Carroll[/autotag] is transferring to the University of Florida.

The veteran back replaces a pair of outgoing rushers in the portal, [autotag]Nay’Quan Wright[/autotag] (USF) and [autotag]Lorenzo Lingard[/autotag] (Akron). Of course, [autotag]Montrell Johnson Jr[/autotag]. and [autotag]Trevor Etienne[/autotag] will return as Florida’s primary backs, and the Gators also added [autotag]Treyaun Webb[/autotag] in the most recent recruiting class.

Snaps won’t come easy to Carroll, but he should be able to work his way into the offense, especially as Webb takes time to find his footing in the college game. He is the eighth player to transfer to Florida this offseason and brings the scholarship total up to 81.

Carroll missed most of 2021 after undergoing foot surgery following the first game of the season. He rushed for a team-high 741 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2020 but took a step back in 2021 with 546 yards and three scores. Last year, the Gators used a steady mix of running backs, though, so Carroll will get plenty of reps over the spring and summer as Napier figures out the rotation.

Out of high school, Carroll was an underrated prospect. He was a two-star prospect by 247Sports’ measure and ranked No. 138 at his position. He’s already achieved more than most expected at the college level, and spending one year in the SEC could get the right eyes on him before a potential run at the NFL. He’ll have one year of eligibility remaining while at Florida.

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Where Florida’s 2023 recruiting class finished in final On3 rankings

Half of Florida’s 2023 recruiting class wound up in the On3 top 300 after the final update was released on Tuesday.

The Florida Gators already signed the bulk of its 2023 recruiting class, and the haul is looking even better than expected after On3 provided its last update to its independent rankings, the On300.

Ten of Florida’s signees cracked the top 300 and five players made it into the top 100.

Again, this is On3’s independent rankings, which is used to reach the more commonly cited On3 consensus or 247Sports composite rankings. Those are aggregate scores that use different formulas depending on the site and are used more often because they help eliminate any one service’s individual bias.

Several of Florida’s signees participated in All-Star games and boosted their stock with good performances against some of the top players in the class. The two most notable were cornerback [autotag]Ja’Keem Jackson[/autotag] and defensive lineman [autotag]Kelby Collins[/autotag], who each moved up over 50 spots to break into the top 50.

Here’s a look at where each Florida signee from the class of 2023 finished in the On300 rankings.

Florida’s 2023 recruiting class is loaded with early enrolees

With early signing day in the books, we now have a better idea of which members of Florida’s recruiting class of 2023 will early enroll.

Florida head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] went over a lot in his post-early signing day press conference, but one of the major points discussed was just how many of the 20 signees will enroll early. According to Napier, the bulk of the class should arrive in the spring.

Of Florida’s 20 signees, Napier expects 18 to be in Gainesville for spring practices. Rather than listing each name that plans to early enroll, it’s easier to list those who won’t: wide receiver [autotag]Eugene Wilson III[/autotag] and defensive lineman [autotag]Gavin Hill[/autotag].

Adding 18 players to the roster a few months early could be huge for Billy Napier and Co. The Gators are replacing a ton of talent after many draft departures, dismissals and transfers. Getting the new Napier-recruited talent on campus early means more time to teach them the playbook, system, etc. More practice time means a better shot at finding early snaps, too.

“The other thing that’s going to help is you’re going to have 20 players that start in January,” said Napier during his early signing day presser, “and I think that translates to more reps and more teaching and more opportunity to get orientated to the university and just life in general in college. But I do think that there will be a number of this group (that compete for early playing time). They’re going to have to earn it.”

It can’t be overstated how important it was for Florida to bring in a group of recruits that were willing to enroll early, and Napier did an exceptional job making sure everything went according to plan.

In case you’re looking for a full list of early enrollees, here’s a list of the players that should be coming to Gainesville in the spring:

  • 5-star quarterback [autotag]Jaden Rashada[/autotag]
  • 4-star running back [autotag]Treyaun Webb[/autotag]
  • 4-star receiver [autotag]Aidan Mizell[/autotag]
  • 4-star receiver [autotag]Andy Jean[/autotag]
  • 4-star offensive lineman [autotag]Roderick Kearney[/autotag]
  • 3-star offensive lineman [autotag]Knijeah Harris[/autotag]
  • 3-star offensive tackle [autotag]Bryce Lovett[/autotag]
  • 4-star defensive lineman [autotag]Kelby Collins[/autotag]
  • 4-star defensive lineman [autotag]Kamran James[/autotag]
  • 4-star defensive lineman [autotag]TJ Searcy[/autotag]
  • 4-star defensive linemen [autotag]Will Norman[/autotag]
  • 4-star linebacker [autotag]Jaden Robinson[/autotag]
  • 4-star cornerback [autotag]Ja’Keem Jackson[/autotag]
  • 4-star cornerback [autotag]Sharif Denson[/autotag]
  • 4-star safety [autotag]Dijon Johnson[/autotag]
  • 4-star safety [autotag]Jordan Castell[/autotag]
  • 4-star safety [autotag]Bryce Thornton[/autotag]
  • 4-star athlete [autotag]Aaron Gates[/autotag]

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Gators crack On3 consensus’ top 10 teams in 2023 recruiting class rankings

Here’s where On3’s consensus has the Gators’ 2023 recruiting class ranked after early signing day.

College football’s early signing period has begun and the Florida Gators have been hard at work securing the top prep prospects in the nation for a spot in the Swamp next season. After former head coach [autotag]Dan Mullen[/autotag]’s tenure, in which recruiting took a back seat to the action on the field, first-year skipper [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and his crew have put in the extra effort to restore pride to the Orange and Blue.

Now that the first day of the early signing day is now in the rearview mirror, it is time to take a look at what some of the major publications think about the Gators’ latest brood. According to the On3 consensus, Florida cracked the top 10 in its recruiting rankings slipping into the final spot.

Here is what On3’s recruiting desk writer Drew Schott had to offer on Napier’s results thus far.

Top Commit: Gardendale (Alabama) defensive lineman [autotag]Kelby Collins[/autotag], No. 59 in On3 Consensus

Summary: Billy Napier and his staff sparked one of the top storylines of the 2023 cycle by flipping four-star quarterback [autotag]Jaden Rashada[/autotag] from Miami on Nov. 10. Rashada gives the Gators a top-100 signal-caller to pair with a talented offensive class. Florida has signatures from four-star wide receivers [autotag]Aidan Mizell[/autotag] and [autotag]Eugene Wilson III[/autotag], as well as four-star running back [autotag]Treyaun Webb[/autotag]. The Gators also have a strong defensive back group with four-star cornerback [autotag]Dijon Johnson[/autotag], four-star cornerback [autotag]Ja’Keem Jackson[/autotag] and four-star safety [autotag]Jordan Castell[/autotag]. Recruiting the Sunshine State is a priority for Napier, but he has also landed pledges from out-of-state, including Collins. However, four-star EDGE [autotag]Isaiah Nixon[/autotag] flipped to UCF on national signing day.

The Southeastern Conference has a total of four teams in the top 10, led by the Alabama Crimson Tide and Georgia Bulldogs at Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, followed by the LSU Tigers (No. 7) in addition to Florida. The Gators currently have 18 four-star and two three-star players committed in this recruiting cycle, making them the second-highest-ranking team without a five-star signee behind the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who ranks at No. 8.

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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’s 4-star RB commit to get in-home visit from coaching staff

The coaching staff is set to hit the road to shore up this 2023 blue-chip recruit.

The calendar has turned over to December, which means the recruiting hot stove is about to be sizzling hot once again with the end of the no-contact period set to close. With the 2022 regular season now in the rearview mirror for Billy Napier and Florida football, a great deal of attention will be turned toward ensuring that the program maintains its top-10 ranking — or even possibly improving it.

One of the prep prospects on the coaching staff’s docket is committed four-star running back [autotag]Treyaun Webb[/autotag] out of Jacksonville (Florida) Trinity Christian Academy, who told Gators Online recently that he is set to host running backs coach [autotag]Jabbar Juluke[/autotag] along with another member of the staff at his home on Saturday.

The 5-foot-11-inch, 188-pound high school senior has a connection to the Orange and Blue through his cousin Dee Webb, who played defensive back in the Swamp from 2003 to 2005 and was taken in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL draft. Despite the blood link, the younger Webb insists he chose Florida over the likes of the South Carolina Gamecocks, Penn State Nittany Lions and Baylor Bears because of what it has to offer off the field as well.

“I chose Florida because of the education and the opportunities after football. I’ve felt a connection with the staff from the beginning and they truly care,” he previously told On3.

The in-state blue-chip recruit put up some big numbers during his final high school season in 2022, amassing 1,117 yards at 7.6 yards per carry along with 20 touchdowns. He made his first mark on the scene during the seventh grade when the Miami Hurricanes offered him a scholarship.

Webb, who is currently the only running back commit in the Gators’ 2023 recruiting class, is ranked No. 235 overall and No. 12 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 consensus has him at Nos. 248 and 15, respectively.

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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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