Two Florida coaches in top 15 of 247Sports’ recruiter rankings

Florida’s coaching staff has been on a roll lately, and much of it is thanks to two men in particular. 247Sports has them in their top 15.

When [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] assembled his staff at the University of Florida, he said that he wanted to prioritize recruiting. Twenty commitments into the class of 2023 and one class of 2024 four-star verbally pledge to the Orange and Blue, it’s safe to say that Napier was successful, and the numbers back it up.

Co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach [autotag]Sean Spencer[/autotag] is ranked No. 7 on the 247Sports 2023 football recruiter rankings, and [autotag]Keary Colbert[/autotag] is ranked No. 11, which is good for the second-highest placement of any wide receivers coach on the list.

Spencer has been the primary recruiter on five of Florida’s commitments and has played a secondary role in the recruitment of two others. He’s directly responsible for the additions of No. 70 [autotag]Kelby Collins[/autotag], No. 145 [autotag]Will Norman[/autotag], No. 205 [autotag]Isaiah Nixon[/autotag], No. 218 [autotag]Kamran James[/autotag] and four-star [autotag]Gavin Hill[/autotag]. Despite the battery of four-stars committed to Florida thanks to Spencer, he ranks fourth among defensive line recruiters in the country. Clemson‘s Nick Eason, Notre Dame‘s Al Washington and Alabama‘s Freddie Roach are all ranked above Spencer in ascending order.

Still, it’s clear that coach Chaos’ stint in the NFL paid off, and he’s once again at the top of the recruiting game. Florida has the potential to bring in the strongest defensive line classes in the upcoming cycle, assuming all commitments put pen to paper during one of the signing periods.

Colbert has been the primary on five recruits as well, all of whom will play receiver for UF. No. 78 [autotag]Aidan Mizell[/autotag] leads the group and should be paired with No. 142 [autotag]Eugene Wilson III[/autotag] to do some damage. Four-stars [autotag]Andy Jean[/autotag] and [autotag]Creed Whittemore[/autotag] round out the blue-chip names in the class and three-star [autotag]Tyree Patterson[/autotag] adds some depth to the class. And there’s potential to add more receivers to the group.

The only other receivers coach ranked higher by 247Sports is Ohio State‘s Brian Hartline, who has brought in four recruits that average a 96.48 grade. The next receivers coach on the list is Texas’ Brennan Marion at No. 20 and three commits under his belt.

Florida’s other co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach [autotag]Patrick Toney[/autotag] is ranked No. 31 and the only other Gator inside the top 100. Cornerbacks coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag] should be next to break that threshold if he can add one of his high-profile targets. Currently ranked No. 101, adding either four-star [autotag]Dijon Johnson[/autotag] or five-star [autotag]Cormani McClain[/autotag] should do the trick for Raymond.

Outside linebackers coach [autotag]Mike Peterson[/autotag] is ranked No. 111, offensive coordinator and offense line coach [autotag]Rob Sale[/autotag] is ranked No. 188, inside linebacker coach [autotag]Jay Bateman[/autotag] is No. 190, tight ends coach [autotag]William Peagler[/autotag] is No. 240 and running backs coach [autotag]Jabbar Juluke[/autotag] rounds out the group at No. 338 on the list. Assistant offensive line coach [autotag]Darnell Stapleton[/autotag] received secondary credits for four commitments and ranks No. 259 as well.

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2024 top-100 recruit enjoys first participating in Friday Night Lights

Getting a chance to work hands-on with the Florida coaching staff could help the Gators’ chances at landing 4-star defensive back Jaylen Lawrence.

The Florida Gators coaching staff got a chance to work with plenty of the top recruits in the class of 2024 at the team’s Friday Night Lights camp, and one of the more prominent names to stop by the Swamp was four-star safety [autotag]Jaylen Heyward[/autotag].

The Gators offered Heyward a scholarship following his first unofficial visit to the school in March, but a big part of his decision will be which coaching staff he believes can develop him the best and prepare him for a hopeful NFL career. Heyward received the coaching he desired on Friday, according to his interview with 247Sports, and it almost had him staying in town an extra day.

“They (Florida) showed me a good time,” Heyward said. “I wanted to stay for the cookout but I had to go to FSU the next day. A big part of my visit there was camping at Friday Night Lights. It was good to see what Coach PT ([autotag]Patrick Toney[/autotag]) and Coach (Corey) Raymond had to show me in just the little bit of time I had with them.”

Toney has been Heyward’s main contact at UF but defensive analyst [autotag]Jamar Chaney[/autotag] and tight ends coach [autotag]William Peagler[/autotag] are also helping recruit him. Those efforts are paying off, and Billy Napier‘s obvious mission to keep the best in the state of Florida at home sits well with Heyward.

“I love the way they are recruiting me. I feel like the last staff didn’t do a good job recruiting in-state, but the way Coach Napier is recruiting everything now, he wants to make sure everyone stays home at Florida. I think he’s doing an amazing job with that and I like it. He’s trying to bring the culture back to The Swamp.”

Heyward cut his list down to 12 schools back in June and a few are beginning to separate themselves from the pack. Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Miami, Ohio State, Oregon, Tennessee and UCF have done well so far, but he says the real test will be who reaches out on September 1 when coaches can contact him. He hopes to make his decision by next summer.

Heyward is ranked No. 44 in the class of 2024 on the 247Sports composite and is No. 5 among safeties in the class. He’s being recruited as a defensive back and worked on the outside more during FNL, so he could become a cornerback for UF if he chooses to commit.

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Top-10 2024 tight end prospect gets offer from Gators

Napier and Co. are getting ahead of the recruiting game by offering this top-10 tight end recruit in the 2024 class.

Florida football’s recruiting team got a huge boost recently after [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and his staff roped in three blue-chip prospects over the course of a 24-hour period. The surge sent the Gators back into the top 25 of both 247Sports’ and On3’s recruiting rankings, landing at Nos. 20 and 14, respectively, while giving the fan base a breath of relief after a tough stretch the week prior.

But the efforts do not end with the upcoming class. The new coaching regime’s long-term plans require long-term actions, which means laying the groundwork for the future as well. Among those receiving attention from Florida is four-star tight end [autotag]Michael Smith[/autotag] out of Savannah (Georgia) Calvary Day School, who received an offer from tight ends coach [autotag]William Peagler[/autotag] during a visit to his high school on Friday.

The 6-foot-4-inch, 225-pound rising junior has only recently begun his courtship with the Orange and Blue, telling Gators Online, “They’ve been expressing their interest since the spring.” Smith added, “I really got to know coach Peagler during their spring game. He has always been updating and letting me know everything that was going on.”

The good news for the Gators is that he already possesses a predilection for the university.

“My dad has always been a Gators fan, so that’s like a family thing,” Smith admitted. “It’s worth mentioning that Percy Harvin was my favorite player, so it’s always been a cool tie-in with Florida.”

Florida also made news recently when it scheduled the top cornerback in the 2024 recruiting cycle, Desmond Ricks, for an unofficial visit at the end of July for the big cookout event. Though nothing has been set in stone as of yet, the Peach State standout could very well join the mix that weekend as well.

Smith is currently ranked No. 127 overall and No. 4 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite, while the On3 consensus has him at Nos. 177 and 6, respectively. The Gators hold a huge early lead in his recruiting according to On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine with a 56.4% chance of landing him, with the rest of his suitors all coming in at under 5%.

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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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Highly-sought tight end recruit gets visit from Gators coach

Gators TE coach William Peagler drops by this recruit’s school on Tuesday.

Florida football’s recruiting efforts continue to roll along in the month of May as members of the coaching staff have hit the road to make visits to their most highly-sought prep prospects. Among those getting a visit this week is 3-star tight end [autotag]Reid Mikeska[/autotag] out of Cypress (Texas) Bridgeland, who has the pleasure of hosting tight ends coach [autotag]William Peagler[/autotag] at his school on Tuesday.

Previously committed to the Clemson Tigers, albeit only for a month, the 6-foot-5.5-inch, 233-pounder made an unofficial visit to the Oklahoma Sooners this past weekend and has a date set with Miami Hurricanes for an OV this coming weekend. The Gators get their chance to woo the Lone Star tight end on the weekend of June 17.

Mikeska has some encouraging things to say about Peagler, according to 247Sports.

“(Peagler) came out by their practice and I have been talking to him all the time. We kind of fell off a bit when I committed to Clemson, but he started talking again. We still have a good relationship. I was the first tight end he came to see when he was out on the road and he’s going to come see me again next week. It means a lot that he did that even though I was committed.”

While Florida remains a major player in his recruitment, Oklahoma currently holds the crystal ball for the coveted recruit, who currently ranks as the nation’s No. 486 overall prospect and No. 26 at his position in the 2023 recruiting class, according to the 247Sports Composite.

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This coveted tight end recruit sets his official visit to Florida

Florida is set to host three-star tight end Reid Mikeska on an official visit after he de-committed from the Clemson Tigers.

Three-star tight end [autotag]Reid Mikeska[/autotag] backed off his commitment to Clemson on Thursday night and wasted little time setting up an official visit to Florida. Swamp247 reported that he’ll take one to the Swamp from June 17 through the 19. Mikeska also said that he’ll unofficially visit Oklahoma before his trip to Florida and Miami after his official.

Head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and tight ends coach [autotag]William Peagler[/autotag] are aiming to sign one tight end this cycle after all the injuries the program suffered at the position this spring.

Peagler didn’t stop recruiting Mikeska while he was committed to the Tigers. He went out to Texas to see him during the spring evaluation period last week and plans to stop by next week. He said Florida’s decision to still recruit him while he gave his pledge to another school meant a lot to him.

Mikeska hails from Cypress, Texas, and is ranked as the 484th best player overall and the 26th best at his position, according to the 247Sports composite.

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Florida checking in on these 3 Texas-based tight end targets

Florida sent tight ends coach William Peagler to Texas to check in on three tight ends targets this week.

Florida football quickly scrambled and put together a board of potential tight end prospects after a couple of its players suffered injuries during spring practice. The injuries left the Gators with only one healthy scholarship player in [autotag]Keon Zipperer[/autotag].

Head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and tight ends coach [autotag]William Peagler[/autotag] are targeting three from the state of Texas: three-star Clemson commit [autotag]Reid Mikeska[/autotag], four-star Stanford commit [autotag]Jaden Platt[/autotag] and three-star [autotag]Lafayette Kaiuway[/autotag]. Peagler flew out to Texas to visit the trio, according to Swamp247.

So far this cycle, Florida has only hosted Mikeska out of the three. The Gators got him to the Swamp on April 2 where he got to check out spring practices under Napier. However, he committed to the Tigers on April 13. Peagler stopped by Mikeska’s practice on Wednesday.

Peagler is set to visit Platt and Kaiuway on Thursday.

The Gators running backs coach [autotag]Jabbar Juluke[/autotag] extended an offer to Platt back toward the end of March. He has still been communicating with Peagler despite his commitment to the Cardinals. Platt hasn’t visited the Swamp but expressed his interest in doing so after he received the offer. He said his commitment to Stanford is solid but hasn’t shut down his recruitment yet.

Peagler will also visit Kaiuway in Arlington, Texas. Florida also extended an offer to him late in March. He hasn’t visited Florida, either but wants to see Peagler and Napier in Gainesville.

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Florida one of many competing for official visit from this in-state 4-star ATH

A top five for 4-star ATH Robert Stafford is coming soon and the Gators want to be on the list.

As spring practices kicked off around the state on Monday, Florida tight ends coach [autotag]William Peagler[/autotag] stopped by Eau Gallie High to see four-star athlete [autotag]Robert Stafford[/autotag] in action, according to a report from 247Sports. The Gators are hoping to work their way into Stafford’s recruitment with a list of his top five schools set to come after his spring game on May 12.

So far, Arkansas is the only sure bet to make the list. Stafford has an official visit locked in on June 24 and has been in contact with the program since he was a sophomore. Georgia, Miami and Oregon are a few of the other teams in the mix to get him on campus over the summer.

Florida’s competition is strong, but head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] has brought back some state pride in his short time recruiting for the Gators. Some of the best names in the state are interested in the program, and that includes Stafford.

“It wasn’t really one of my dream schools growing up,” Stafford said of Florida. “But if you from Florida, you kind of got to like them. So, I’m just happy that they are recruiting me… Coach Napier is a cool dude. When I was there, he told me that I can play whatever position he wants. They just want me on the team.”

Stafford is No. 199 on the 247Sports composite and the No. 15 athlete in the class of 2023. Most expect him to be a cornerback at the next level, but Napier obviously sees how versatile the 5-foot-11-inch, 171-pounder is.

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Florida football staff hits the road to evaluate recruiting targets

UF’s coaching staff is back on the road evaluating prospects as spring football kicks off in Florida.

Spring football has begun in the state of Florida and that means various Gators coaches are back on the road to see some of the top recruits on UF’s board in action.

[autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] has done well to get several of the state’s top prospects on campus over the spring, and now he gets another chance to have his people evaluate those players. Napier has stressed the importance of his evaluation process from day one as the Gators’ head coach. Diagnosing the problem and finding the right tools to fix it is what he does best and it’s through a meticulous process.

Spring practices gave Napier and Co. a chance to see exactly what they had to work with, and it’s no secret that Florida lacks depth in various spots on the depth chart. Some of that will be addressed in the transfer portal but the long-term issues will need strong and focused recruiting to repair.

Here’s where some of the Florida football coaches are this Monday, according to 247Sports.

2023 TE recruit an intriguing prospect for Florida’s depleted corps

This 2023 recruit could help the Gators rebuild its tight end room back to glory.

The tight end position for Florida has quickly become a contentious topic as injuries have decimated a corps that not long ago was among the best in the business. A potential career-ending injury sustained by redshirt freshman [autotag]Gage Wilcox[/autotag] in spring practice combined with redshirt freshman tight end Nick Elksnis and sophomore tight end Jonathan Odom also joining him in the trainer’s room has the Gators teetering perilously near the edge at a position that has become increasingly important in the modern game.

Long gone are the days of [autotag]Kyle Pitts[/autotag], who now hauls in passes for the Atlanta Falcons, while 2021 starter [autotag]Kemore Gamble[/autotag] entered the transfer portal and headed down the turnpike to join the UCF Knights for the 2022 campaign. While the Gators did sign three tight ends in the 2023 class, it behooves the program to ensure a long-term pipeline of talent at the position.

One of Florida’s options when it comes to cultivating the next crop of student-athletes is three-star tight end [autotag]Reid Mikeska[/autotag] out of Cypress (Texas) Bridgeland, who has been reported to have high opinions of the Orange and Blue under new head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] after a visit to campus on April 2.

“It was my first time in Gainesville and I really enjoyed it,” he told Swamp247. “Had a lot of fun. They’re definitely a school very high up on my list.”

Mikeska’s primary point of contact has been tight ends coach [autotag]William Peagler[/autotag], who was the one who extended an offer to him recently. The 6-foot-5.5-inch, 233-pound prep had some encouraging words to say about him.

“I’m a real big fan of coach Peagler,” Mikeska said. “He was kind of with us the whole day. He’s a really smart coach. I definitely think he’s a coach that can develop me.”

The Lone Star State prospect ranks No. 436 overall and No. 24 at tight end nationally according to the 247Sports Composite, while the On3 Consensus ranks him at No. 533 and No. 26, respectively. Neither publication has a lead school in his recruitment but On3 has nine programs — including Florida — listed at 8.1% in its predictions.

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