Times have been tough for Florida football on the playing field but that has not slowed down Billy Napier and his army of staffers on the recruiting trail. Unlike his predecessor, the Gators’ new head coach has maintained full-court pressure on the top prep prospects in the nation despite the ongoing regular season of play.
Things have been up and down lately, with the addition of a pair of big-time defensive backs last week followed by the decommitment of a local wide receiver recruit after the rough loss to the LSU Tigers. Getting things back on a positive track, one of the top prospects at any position in the 2024 class is feeling very good about what has been happening in Gainesville.
Five-star cornerback [autotag]Desmond Ricks[/autotag] out of Bradenton (Florida) IMG Academy was in the crowd for Florida’s loss at the hands of LSU, and despite the defeat, the 6-foot-1-inch, 170-pound defensive back still came away from his visit with a very high opinion of Napier’s program.
“It was great,” the high school junior offered in regard to his game day experience. “Very loud atmosphere. I enjoyed it a lot.”
As far as what the program has to offer the top-ranked cornerback in his class, he again alluded to the environment as well as proximity to his current location.
“It’s not far from home and it’s a great atmosphere. I know a lot of people up here, so it would be a home away from home.”
The Gators are not the only school on his radar, however, with visits set for the Texas A&M Aggies and Georgia Bulldogs coming up. The Alabama Crimson Tide also appears to be strongly in play for the young student-athlete’s talents.
Ricks is ranked No. 2 overall and No. 1 at his position nationally according to both the 247Sports composite and On3 consensus. He currently has one crystal ball prediction in favor of the Florida State Seminoles per 247Sports while On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine has ‘Bama out front with a 53.1% chance of landing the highly-sough cornerback. The North Carolina Tar Heels are second with a 15.7% shot and the Gators are third at 6.8%.
[mm-video type=video id=01gdg7ccwbygb54f235p playlist_id=01eqbz250mdknqvm5z player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gdg7ccwbygb54f235p/01gdg7ccwbygb54f235p-1332c38c31d7d7e03c700e36287f38ba.jpg]
[lawrence-related id=94216,94208,94043,94039]
[listicle id=94206]
[listicle id=94200]
[listicle id=94190]
[listicle id=94159]
[listicle id=94165]
Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
Let us know your thoughts and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today!