All-American high school safety has Gators among top 6 teams

See what the 4-star safety prospect had to say about the Florida Gators football program.

The Florida Gators football program has a chance to land a four-star recruit.

Mainland (Daytona Beach) safety [autotag]Zavier Mincey[/autotag] revealed his top six football programs to 247Sports as the 2024 recruiting cycle nears its conclusion. In no particular order, the prospect listed the likes of Alabama, Miami, Florida State and Florida.

Mincey thinks it’s ideal to have UF so close to his home base of Daytona Beach, and even has a teammate who’s already committed to the Orange and Blue.

“It’s close to home. Not too far, but far enough away,” Mincey said. “My teammate LJ McCray is going there, so I have (UF) in the running.”

The four-star had minimal things to mention about Florida, but shared a lot more interest in the Miami Hurricanes football program.

“I got a great feeling with them. It’s a great place to be,” Mincey said. “I could definitely see myself playing there. That was really important. The coaching staff is a lot of great people.”

Mincey is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 71 recruit in the nation and is highly respected as a safety, ranking at No. 6.

The Sunshine State product is projected to commit to the Alabama Crimson Tide according to 247Sports.

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Four-star in-state defensive back sets plans to visit Florida

A four-star defensive back from Daytona Beach, Florida set up his next visit to the University of Florida.

The Florida Gators have hosted a plethora of high school recruits this season. Ranging from the classes of 2024 to 2026, head coach Billy Napier has been aggressively building his future with the Florida football program.

There were 26 visiting recruits at The Swamp when the Gators hosted the Tennessee Volunteers in Week 3. Florida pulled off the upset and left a lasting impression on a few prospects, including Mainland High School (Daytona Beach) defensive back [autotag]Zavier Mincey[/autotag].

Mincey really liked what he saw out of Napier and Co. and is planning to visit the UF campus again this season.

“I am going to be at Florida for the Arkansas game, the blackout game,” Mincey told Swamp247. “Trying to do Florida State vs. Miami too, but working on it still.”

Florida will line up against the Arkansas Razorbacks on Nov. 4. Both the fans and players will be wearing all-black.

The Class of 2024 recruit is No. 79 in the nation according to 247Sports and is No. 5 at the safety position. The crystal ball predictions have Mincey committing to the Gators. Mincey will announce his commitment on Jan. 6, 2024.

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Florida recruiting target set to announce commitment at All-American Bowl

One of Florida’s top recruiting targets from the class of 2024, safety Zay Mincey, will announce his commitment during the All-American Bowl.

One of Florida’s top defensive targets from the recruiting class of 2024 knows when he’ll make his college decision.

On Tuesday, Mainland (Daytona Beach, Florida) safety Zay Mincey announced on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he was committing to playing the All-American Bowl game and would announce his future college during the game.

Only 100 high school players earn the right to wear the All-American Bowl jersey each year. The game is entering its 24th season and will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock on Jan. 6 at 1 p.m. EST.

Florida is considered a heavy favorite to land Mincey, boasting a 65.5% chance to land him, according to the On3 recruiting prediction machine. Miami is the biggest threat to UF right now, but the Hurricanes only hold 27.9% odds to earn Mincey’s commitment.

Mincey is a consensus four-star recruit, ranked highest by On3 at No. 29 overall in the class of 2024. The On3 industry ranking, which uses a weighted average from all four major recruiting services, lists him at No. 71 overall, No. 4 among safeties in the class and No. 12 among recruits from the state of Florida.

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Blue-chip defensive back recruit joins myriad of prospects for Vols game

The list continues to grow as this in-state defender sets his sights on the Gators-Vols game.

Florida football will open its 2023 Southeastern Conference schedule at home inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium against the Tennessee Volunteers. On that Saturday, the program will also be hosting a plethora of prep prospects who will be getting a gander at the Gators in live action.

Among those scheduled for a gameday visit is four-star safety Zavier Mincey out of Daytona Beach (Florida) Mainland in the 2025 cycle, according to Swamp247’s Blake Alderman. The 6-foot-3-inch, 180-pound defensive back has already watched the Florida State Seminoles roll over the LSU Tigers last weekend and is also expected to be in attendance for the Miami Hurricanes’ home game against the Texas A&M Aggies this coming Saturday.

Florida, along with FSU, Miami and the Alabama Crimson Tide represent the high school senior’s four top schools, per his announcement last month.

As far as the Orange and Blue is concerned, the presence of defensive backs coach Corey Raymond appears the be the biggest draw for the blue-chip safety.

“They got Coach Raymond. He was at LSU and proved himself. He’s coached a lot of great DBs. Florida in general is on the rise right now. They got a top class right now, so it’s really up there.”

Not only is Raymond the main focus of the young recruit, but he has also become the primary point of contact for the in-state target.

“We talk all the time. He will hit me up every day with a motivational quote. He talks with me otherwise like every day or every other day to ask how I am doing, and just making sure I am good. He’s big on being a technician. He’s always trying to help me get better. He shows me drills. Like even at their 7-on-7 I went to this summer, he was showing me ways to do things and get better.”

Mincey is ranked No. 89 overall and No. 6 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking has him at Nos. 81 and 4, respectively.

Florida currently holds a crystal ball prediction from 247Sports while On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine also favors the Gators with a 65.5% chance of signing him; Miami (27.9%) and FSU (2.8%) follow behind on the RPM.

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Florida football makes top 4 schools for 4-star 2024 defensive back

Florida made the top four for this blue-chip in-state DB target.

While the start of the 2023 college football season lurks just around the corner, Florida football’s recruiting efforts continue unabated as Billy  Napier and Co. continue to rebuild a once-proud program in the Swamp.

On Friday, four-star defensive back [autotag]Zavier Mincey[/autotag] out of Daytona Beach (Florida) Mainland announced his top four preferred collegiate destinations according to 247Sports’ Blake Alderman, including UF. The 6-foot-3-inch, 180-pound high school senior also selected the Florida State Seminoles, Miami Hurricanes and Alabama Crimson Tide.

As far as the Orange and Blue is concerned, the presence of defensive backs coach Corey Raymond appears the be the biggest draw for the coveted defender.

“They got Coach Raymond. He was at LSU and proved himself. He’s coached a lot of great DB’s. Florida in general is on the rise right now. They got a top class right now, so it’s really up there.”

Not only is Raymond the main focus of the young recruit, but he has also become the primary point of contact for the in-state target.

“We talk all the time. He will hit me up every day with a motivational quote. He talks with me otherwise like every day or every other day to ask how I am doing, and just making sure I am good. He’s big on being a technician. He’s always trying to help me get better. He shows me drills. Like even at their 7-on-7 I went to this summer, he was showing me ways to do things and get better.”

Mincey is ranked No. 124 overall and No. 11 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking has him at Nos. 81 and 4, respectively.

Florida currently holds a crystal ball prediction from 247Sports while On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine also favors the Gators with a 66.1% chance of signing him; Miami (27.3%) and FSU (2.8%) follow behind on the RPM.

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Gators make top 10 for this 4-star defensive back

One of Florida’s top in-state targets is narrowing his list down to 10 schools, but the Gators are still near the top of that list.

After collecting over two-and-a-half dozen offers from Division I colleges, Mainland (Daytona Beach) defensive back [autotag]Zavier Mincey[/autotag] has narrowed things down to a top 10.

In addition to the University of Florida, Mincey is now looking at Alabama, Colorado, Florida State, Miami, Ole Miss, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas A&M and UCF. Mincey broke down each finalist with Chris Boyle of The Daytona Beach News-Journal.

“I love the idea of playing close to home. I think about all the greats and the legacy Florida has,” Mincey said. “The coaches always show me love and make it known that I am a top priority. I plan on taking my first official visit to Florida the second weekend of June.”

As mentioned above, Florida is set to host Mincey on an official visit soon. He is scheduled to arrive in Gainesville the weekend of June 9 with several other priority targets.

Mincey is a four-star recruit by 247Sports, ESPN and On3’s measures, but Rivals.com thinks he’s a three-star talent. Go figure. The On3 industry ranking, which uses a weighted average of all four services, has him ranked No. 140 overall and No. 10 among safeties in the class of 2024.

On3’s independent rankings are the highest of any on him at No. 64 nationally and No. 4 among safeties.

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Top-100 DB locks in official visit date with Florida

Florida is battling with other in-state programs for four-star defensive back Zavier Mincey, and a June filled with official visits will be a critical month in his recruitment.

One name from the 2024 recruiting cycle that keeps getting linked with the Florida Gators is four-star Mainland (Daytona Beach) defensive back Zavier Mincey, and 247Sports is reporting that he’ll be in town once again for an official visit beginning June 9.

Mincey has visited a few programs, including Florida State, NC State, UCF and USF, but it’s Florida that leads the way significantly with four logged visits and one more to come. The official visit should be the most luxurious stay Mincey has had in Gainesville, but he’s already pegged as a Gator by the On3 recruiting prediction machine.

UF currently holds 93.2% odds to land Mincey, according to the On3 RPM, and no other program has higher than a 1.2% chance behind the Gators.

That could change, though. In addition to Mincey’s Florida trip, Florida State and Miami are likely destinations during June. No dates are locked in just yet, but the weekend of June 16 looks good for the Seminoles and June 23 works for Miami.

Mincey is a four-star recruit by 247Sports, ESPN and On3’s measures, but Rivals.com thinks he’s a three-star talent. Go figure. The On3 industry ranking, which uses a weighted average of all four services, has him ranked No. 140 overall and No. 11 among safeties in the class of 2024.

On3’s independent rankings are the highest of any on him at No. 64 nationally and No. 4 among safeties.

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This 4-star in-state safety pondering Florida official visit this summer

No date has been set yet but Florida is far ahead of the pack for this blue-chip in-state defensive back.

One of Billy Napier’s top priorities when he took over Florida’s football program was to take advantage of the Sunshine State’s abundance of talent through recruiting in an effort to restore glory to the Orange and Blue.

One of many in-state prospects on the Gators’ radar is four-star safety Zavier Mincey out of Daytona Beach (Florida) Mainland, who is currently wrapping up his high school spring camp. The 6-foot-3-inch, 190-pound defensive back is quite bullish on Florida, but despite his early intentions to state within the state’s boundaries, he is also considering his options beyond the borders as well.

“I’m not opposed to going out of state,” he told Swamp247, “but I just feel like whatever fits, fits. If it is an in-state school, it is, but if it’s not, then alright.”

Gators coaches Austin Armstrong, Russ Callaway and Corey Raymond have had eyes on Mincey in recent weeks, and while unable to communicate with the high school junior directly on their trip out to the coast, Raymond had a brief chat with the coveted safety.

“He was just giving me pointers and stuff, asking me about defense,” Mincey said. “I asked if the defense is the same with the new DC and stuff, so we were just talking.”

He currently does not have any official visits scheduled but plans on setting his dates for this summer. It is unclear if Florida will make the cut, but at this point, it seems extremely likely it will. The Florida State Seminoles — who have discussed a date with Micney but remain to be determined — are also trying to get their hat on the tables as well.

Mincey is ranked No. 131 overall and No. 11 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking has him at Nos. 139 and 11, respectively. On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine has the Gators far in front for his commitment with a 92.9% chance of signing him.

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Florida hosting a ton of blue-chip talent in final January recruiting weekend

The Gators are hosting one final recruiting weekend before the February dead period goes into effect.

The college football recruiting dead period begins on Monday and lasts all the way through February, so Florida is closing out January by hosting a ton of blue-chip recruits on Saturday for the final Junior Day of the month.

Several prospects have confirmed their plans to attend the event, and it’s safe to say that this is the biggest recruiting weekend of the month for the program. To make that even more clear, five-star quarterback [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag] will be in town to help recruit for his future school.

Perhaps the biggest name in town not under commitment will be five-star running back [autotag]Jerrick Gibson[/autotag], who is ranked No. 11 overall in the class of 2024 on the On3 consensus and No. 10 on the 247Sports composite. Florida is an attractive landing spot for any running back with Billy Napier at the helm, and landing the top back in the class would be huge for the Gators.

On defense, linebacker/edge rusher [autotag]Adarius Hayes[/autotag] might be the top name set to visit at No. 55 overall on the On3 consensus. Lagway will be in his ear this weekend, and Hayes is already sweet on Florida. He won’t be the only top-100 defender in town, though. Florida State defensive back commit [autotag]Jordan Pride[/autotag] (No. 80) and undecided edge rusher [autotag]KingJoseph Edwards[/autotag] (No. 37) are also planning on visiting the Swamp this weekend.

A slew of four-star recruits from the class of 2024 will be in town as well. Linebacker [autotag]Qua Birdsong[/autotag] (No. 157), offensive tackle [autotag]Blake Frazier[/autotag] (No. 273), athlete [autotag]Lawayne McCoy[/autotag] (No. 298) and safety [autotag]Zavier Mincey[/autotag] (No. 333) are slated to stop by. Offensive tackle [autotag]Barry Walker[/autotag] (No. 383), defensive linemen [autotag]Dimitry Nicolas[/autotag] (No. 355) and [autotag]LJ McCray[/autotag] (No. 401) and offensive tackle [autotag]Nyier Daniels[/autotag] (No. 541) round out the three-stars on the On3 consensus visiting, and more could join as the day goes on.

Interior offensive lineman [autotag]Santana Alo-Tupuola[/autotag] and safety [autotag]Semaj Jackson[/autotag] are three-star recruits by 247Sports’ individual measure but have no On3 consensus ranking yet. Jackson is ranked No. 679 overall on the 247Sports composite.

Finally, from the class of 2025, quarterback Tramel Jones, wide receiver Koby Howard (Sunday), defensive lineman Myron Charles, edge rushers [autotag]Jared Smith[/autotag] and [autotag]Dylon Worthen[/autotag] and safety [autotag]Ethan Prichard[/autotag] are expected in town.

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