Tag: unofficial visit

Florida football to host top-100 OL on first recruiting visit

Billy Napier is looking at one of the top offensive linemen recruits out of Louisiana as he tries to put together the class of 2023.

After Florida missed out on four-star offensive tackle [autotag]Payton Kirkland[/autotag] on July 23, Billy Napier and his recruiting staff shifted to another blue-chip target on the offensive line, four-star tackle [autotag]Zalance Heard[/autotag] out of Neville High in Monroe, Louisiana.

Of course, Napier’s ties to the state of Louisiana are well known. He just left ULL after four years at the helm for the Ragin’ Cajuns, and local prep players are bound to have a favorable opinion of him. Mix in the fact that Napier has brought some of his former staffers along with him, and Florida is more than a reasonable threat to poach a kid out of the Bayou State.

Heard is the perfect candidate for Florida to go after. So far, LSU, Texas and Nebraska are viewed as the major players in the race for his services. Blake Alderman of 247Sports confirmed that Heard will make his way to Florida on Wednesday, July 27, for his first-ever trip to the Swamp. FSU will also get him this week, so he’s clearly opening the door for the Florida teams to join the fray.

On3’s recruiting prediction machine has the Tigers as 97.7% favorites to land Heard when all is said and done. A decision is expected ahead of his senior year, so Napier and Co. will have to move fast to pull it off.

Heard is ranked at No. 13 overall by On3’s individual rankings and is a five-star recruit according to the service. The On3 consensus, which weights all four major services’ individual rankings evenly, has him at No. 52 overall and No. 5 among offensive tackles. The 247Sports composite has him at No. 60 nationally and No. 7 at his position.

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This 4-star DL is looking into a return a visit to the Swamp

Florida is hoping to get four-star defensive lineman Xzavier McLeod back in town for the recruiting cookout this weekend. It would be his second trip to the Swamp.

Another blue-chip recruit is considering attending Florida’s recruiting cookout on Saturday, the day after the Gators host the annual Friday Night Lights camp. Four-star defensive lineman [autotag]Xzavier McLeod[/autotag] told Gators Online that he “might be” in attendance this weekend for his second visit to the Swamp.

The last time he was in town was at the beginning of April, a few weeks after he picked up a scholarship offer, and the returns seemed to be in Florida’s favor.

“Florida is one of the best visits, but it was professional,” McLeod said to On3’s Jeremy Johnson following the trip. “I understood where I stand and how I can impact the program, where I can play. It’s good to be informed on these things because you’re not trying to feel unwelcome in a school’s atmosphere or environment. I try to feel as comfortable and be myself as much as I can.”

Florida impressed McLeod enough to warrant a spot in his top six that came out in late June. Florida has some catching up to do, though. He’s already taken official visits to LSU and Michigan, and Georgia has hosted him six times only to be bested by South Carolina’s absurd total of nine visits.

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If Napier’s staff can impress him once again over the weekend, there’s a chance McLeod uses one of his three remaining official visits on Florida. It’s safe to assume that the Bulldogs and Gamecocks will each get one based on the number of trips he’s already made to each school, so the Gators are really competing for that last spot.

McLeod is ranked No. 197 overall on the On3 consensus and No. 26 among defensive linemen in the class of 2023. South Carolina is a 75.8% favorite right now to land the in-state recruit.

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A pair of 5-star recruits will be at Florida’s July cookout

Florida’s recruiting cookout at the end of July is shaping up to be a high-profile event.

It’s never too late to get into the race when it comes to recruiting. Florida will host a pair of five-star teammates, edge rusher [autotag]Qua Russaw[/autotag] and defensive lineman [autotag]James Smith[/autotag], among several other elite recruits during the July 30 cookout, according to Gators Online.

It will be both recruits’ first visit to the Swamp after defensive line coach [autotag]Sean Spencer[/autotag] made contact on a visit during the spring evaluation period. Both players named a top 11 on Mother’s Day, May 8, that featured UF, and Smith says there’s a “70-75% chance” that the duo ends up with the same program.

Florida is still relatively new to them, but Russaw said that the Gators’ reputation of putting edge players in the league kept them in the race for now.

“I’m excited. They have been wanting me to get down and I have to get down there. I’m ready to see it,” Russaw said of Florida. “The coaches have been contacting me hard. I’m trying to just get on the same level and get down there.”

Russaw is the No. 23 overall player on the On3 consensus and the No. 3 edge rusher in the class of 2023. Right now, Georgia and Alabama are the favorites to land him, per the On3 recruiting prediction machine, with Auburn and Texas A&M holding on to some hope.

Smith is the No. 6 overall player in the country in and the top-ranked defensive lineman on the On3 consensus. ‘Bama and Georgia are the two main players once again.

Both players have taken official visits to Auburn and Georgia so far. One would expect them to hit Alabama and two other schools over the fall. Florida has a lot of work to do to earn one of those OVs, but a successful introduction to the staff could go a long way at the end of the month.

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Things ‘really good’ between Florida and this 4-star DL, next visit planned

Napier and Co. are pushing hard for this four-star DL. He plans to return to the Swamp in late July for the cookout to check things out one more time before making a decision.

The University of Florida was one of four stops made by four-star edge rusher [autotag]TJ Searcy[/autotag] in the month of June as the Upson-Lee (Thomaston, Georgia) recruit took all but one of his official visits.

That fifth visit might not come as Searcy is preparing to make a decision in the coming weeks, according to a report from 247Sports. Clemson, South Carolina and Tennessee are the other teams in consideration. The Gators and Volunteers are the two teams pursuing him most aggressively

“Florida, things are really good with them,” Searcy said. “I keep in touch with them a few times a week at least.”

Billy Napier and outside linebacker coach [autotag]Mike Peterson[/autotag] are his main points of contact with the team and both are pushing hard for him to land with the Orange and Blue. During his June 10 official visit, Searcy got a chance to see where he’d fit in with the team, and he left town with the impression that he could end up in a similar role to [autotag]Brenton Cox Jr[/autotag].

Searcy plans to return to the Swamp one more time in late July for the team cookout. Getting back around the staff and some of the other recruits will give him another look at the program before deciding. There’s no set date, but he wants to get things over with by the end of summer.

“I am probably going to try and make my decision sometime in the summer,” he said. “I don’t really have no date, but sometime in the summer.”

The 247Sports composite ranks Searcy at No. 153 overall in the class of 2023 and No. 20 among defensive linemen. The On3 consensus has him in the same spot in its national rankings, but it’s worth noting that On3’s individual rankings have him at No. 49 overall.

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Gators land in top 5 for this 2024 ATH following visit

The Gators hosted a trio of unofficial visitors out of the class of 2024 on Friday, and at least one of them is high on Florida.

Florida hosted a trio of recruits from the class of 2024 out of Buford, Georgia, on Friday. Four-star athlete [autotag]KingJoseph Edwards[/autotag] was one of those visitors and he left town with an offer from the Orange and Blue, according to Swamp247.

That was enough to put Florida in Edwards’ top five, but there’s still well over a year until he can put pen to paper. He plays on both sides of the ball for Buford, and head coach Billy Napier is willing to let the 6-foot-5-inch recruit pick between tight end and defensive end.

“They (the Florida Gators) are in my top 5,” Edwards said. “I’ll be back in the season for a game. Coach said I can come to any home game I want to.”

Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Oklahoma and Texas are among his other top schools right now. The Bulldogs are the only team considered “warm” by 247Sports and have a pair of crystal balls cast in their favor as well.

This was Edwards’ first time at Florida with a coach in place. The last time he was in town, [autotag]Dan Mullen[/autotag] had already been let go and a lame-duck staff was in place. Napier’s family-oriented style of recruiting should have been a complete change from what he saw in 2021.

The class of 2023 is still the top priority right now, but the class of 2024 is starting to get more and more attention from the Gators. Edwards and his two five-star teammates that were in town, [autotag]Eddrick Houston[/autotag] and [autotag]KJ Bolden[/autotag], will be among the top out-of-state names to keep an eye on.

The 247Sports composite ranks Edwards No. 42 overall in the class of 2024 and No. 7 among athletes.

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Florida leading for this 4-star DL following recent visit

The Gators are well-positioned to land this four-star defensive lineman following a second visit to the Swamp.

A week ago, Florida made four-star defensive lineman [autotag]Zavion Hardy[/autotag]’s top three along with Liberty and South Carolina. Hardy returned to Gainesville over the weekend for his second visit to UF’s campus, and he left with the Gators as the outright leader in his recruitment, according to Gators Online.

He spent most of the visit with the defensive line coach and co-defensive coordinator [autotag]Sean Spencer[/autotag] and spent some time with head coach Billy Napier. The staff’s genuine approach to recruiting is refreshing to him and it’s one of the reasons Florida is the first school on his list to lock down an official visit date.

He’ll return on October 15 for the Gators’ date with LSU to get a better feel of the gameday atmosphere in the Swamp. That should put UF over the top as he’s already pretty high on the SEC powerhouse.

“Florida, they’re No. 1,” Hardy said to GO. “…It’s just the Florida tradition. I would like playing in the Swamp and stuff like that.”

Liberty and South Carolina aren’t the fiercest schools Florida is competing with for recruits this cycle, but they are likely offering the chance to play early on. Losing the lead at this point could be viewed as a bad sign for Napier and Co. unless there are other linemen coming in ranked higher than Hardy.

That’s easier said than done, though. Hardy sits just outside of the top 100 on the On3 consensus ranked No. 155 overall and No. 14 among those in his position group.

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Florida set to host this Georgia 4-star DL on return visit

The Gators made Zavion Hardy’s top three on Monday, and Florida will now host the four-star recruit on a second unofficial visit over the weekend.

The Florida Gators have been trying to lock down a date to get Tatnall Square Academy (Macon, Georgia) four-star defensive lineman [autotag]Zavion Hardy[/autotag] back on campus, and 247Sports is reporting that Billy Napier and Co. will get their chance on June 18.

After picking up a scholarship offer in March on his last visit to the Swamp, Hardy will return over the weekend to one of his top schools. Liberty and South Carolina are the two other programs he announced in his top three on June 13. Auburn and Michigan State offered him in late March and Ole Miss hosted him on an unofficial visit, but they didn’t make the most recent cut.

Florida’s defensive line coach [autotag]Sean Spencer[/autotag] was the one who extended the offer to Hardy and has the rising senior interested in Florida thanks to his NFL experience. A Leonard Williams comparison may have Hardy believing that Spencer is the one who can get him best prepared for the next level.

Spending more time with the coaching staff should help shore up Florida’s position with Hardy and an official visit would be the next step. That could come in the fall, but the focus is on his trip this weekend. Several key targets in the class will also be in town, so he’ll get a feel for some of his potential future teammates as well.

Hardy is ranked No. 112 overall on the 247Sports composite and is No. 16 among defensive linemen.

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Florida ‘on top’ for this 2024 legacy LB recruit after visit

It’s still early, but growing up with a Gator great for a dad seems to have had some influence on 4-star 2024 LB Myles Graham.

Four-star linebacker [autotag]Myles Graham[/autotag] is one of Florida’s priority targets out of the class of 2024. We knew that he left his most recent visit to the University of Florida holding the Gators in high regard, but Gators Online‘s most recent report sheds a bit more light on where exactly the Orange and Blue stand with the No. 3 linebacker in his class, according to the On3 consensus.

Graham placed the Gators around the top three but didn’t explicitly state any other schools or a list. That’s smart for someone who has well over a year to make a decision and is still working his way through preliminary unofficial visits. This was Graham’s second visit to the Swamp, and he got a little bit of time with coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and some other members of the staff.

“He (Napier) thinks I’m one of the best 24s in my class,” Graham said. “Coach just loves the way I play. He wants me to get back on campus really soon. I’ll probably get back down in the next two weeks.”

Keeping Graham close to campus should help Florida work from the top-three range to the very top of the pack. He’s been watching the Gators since he was a little kid, so that might not be too difficult of a jump to make over the summer. [autotag]Earnest Graham[/autotag], Myles’ father, played running back for the Gators and instilled a love for the team in his son when he was just a kid.

“They definitely sit on top, you know, top-three range,” he said. “I’ve always loved Florida ever since I was a kid, so definitely on top.”

There’s no doubt that Napier will lean on that relationship moving ahead to fend off the likes of Alabama, Georgia, Notre Dame and Ohio State among others. The On3 Consensus ranks Graham the No. 3 linebacker in the class of 2024 and the No. 32 overall rising junior.

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Top TE in class of 2024 leaves Florida visit impressed with Napier, coaches

Landen Thomas will be one of the bigger names Florida pursues in the class of 2024, and things are going well early on.

Another one of Florida’s top targets in the class of 2024 visited campus recently.

[autotag]Landen Thomas[/autotag], a rising junior out of Colquitt County High School in Moultrie, Georgia, is the No. 1-ranked tight end on 247Sports’ individual rankings and No. 2 at the position on the 247Sports composite. He was in Gainesville Tuesday, according to 247Sports.

Thomas saw the campus and academic buildings with his family before heading over to the football facilities. The highlight of his second trip to the Swamp was meeting with coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] in person and spending time with tight ends coach [autotag]William Peagler[/autotag].

“We had a good conversation,” Thomas said of his meeting with Napier. “We didn’t really talk about recruiting that much, but he told me I am a special talent and he thinks he can do big things with me at Florida. I spent like almost the whole day with Coach Peagler.”

Thomas also said that Peagler earned some favor after cracking jokes and proving himself as a “real cool coach who likes to have fun.” Florida isn’t looking to add a ton of names at tight end in the 2023 class, which sets Thomas up nicely without too much competition in the year ahead of him.

He’s in no rush to make a decision, though. At this point, all Thomas knows is that Florida, Georgia and Michigan have stood out so far and are his unofficial leaders for now. Things should start to hit up for him as the class of 2023 gets sorted and more programs get more aggressive in recruiting the next group of kids.

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Report: Peach State cornerback plans 3rd trip to the Swamp

Cornerbacks coach Corey Raymond has his eyes on this three-star recruit out of Georgia and is getting him on campus again Tuesday.

Florida’s cornerbacks coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag] has an eye for talent and three-star cornerback [autotag]RJ Johnson[/autotag] is one of the names on his list. Johnson visited last year for the Florida-Alabama game and returned to meet the new staff in March of 2022. He’ll make his third visit to the Swamp Tuesday, June 14, according to Gators Online. It’s another unofficial visit with plans to take an official one down the road.

“I’m loving everything about Gainesville,” Johnson said. “I love the coaches. I’m getting great vibes from there and building great relationships with all of the coaching staff and even some of the players.”

Johnson will play his senior year at Eagle’s Landing Christian in McDonough, Georgia this year and has yet to pick up an offer from the Bulldogs. Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State and Ole Miss are interested, though. Rutgers is the current leader on the On3 recruiting prediction machine with 53.2%, but Florida is in second with 23.9% and could surge with at least two more visits in the works.

The relationship with Raymond could be crucial in his decision. Johnson says that the two are a good match because of their laid-back personalities. They met for the first time in person back in March but have been speaking since Raymond was with LSU. He’ll get to revisit that relationship and get to know some of the other coaches and players better on these two trips.

The On3 consensus ranks Johnson at No. 76 among cornerbacks in the class of 2023 and at No. 813 overall. Stars do carry some weight in this industry, but so does the interest of Raymond who has a fairly strong track record of producing quality defensive backs.

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