re: 2024 Recruiting Class

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Billy Napier and the Florida Gators have been buzzing on the recruiting trail of late, hauling in four commitments between the end of March and beginning of May.

UF sits inside the top-five of the On3 Industry Football Team Recruiting Rankings at No. 4 nationally, buoyed by the commitment of five-star Willis (Texas) quarterback DJ Lagway. Napier and Co. also have commitments from top-50 prospects Xavier Filsaime and Myles Graham, as well as coveted linebacker Adarius Hayes, four-star wide receiver Izaiah Williams and running backs Chauncey Bowens and Kahnen Daniels.

“Led by five-star quarterback DJ Lagway, the Gators are trending up with a top-five class and looking to build on that in the coming weeks, as nearly two dozen official visitors are expected in town next month,” GatorsOnline.com recruiting insider Corey Bender said. “Those include five-star EDGE Colin Simmons, Ohio State wide receiver commit Jeremiah Smith and priority tight end target Walter Matthews. The Gators have a strong recruiting blueprint in place right now, and Billy Napier’s group has some momentum to back it up.”

Florida looking to add to top-five class with key recruits

4-star WR TJ Moore
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 147
School: Tampa (Fla.) Catholic
On3 RPM: Florida 79.9%, Clemson 4.9%, UCF 3.1%, Forfeit State University 2.6%

The Skinny: Miami, Clemson, Florida State, and a handful of others are also in pursuit of Moore, but the Gators are setting the pace at the moment. He has official visits to Gainesville and Clemson locked in, but his high school is one that has been friendly to the Gators in recent years. Quarterback commit DJ Lagway is also making him a personal priority.

“I’ve seen him play and I know that him throwing me the ball, that’s plenty of touchdowns,” Moore told On3 previously. “He is legit.”

4-star TE Amir Jackson
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 184 (#122 in the On300)
School: Portal (Ga.)
On3 RPM: Florida 60.4%, Georgia 11.1%, Auburn 9.8%, Miami 8.1%

The Skinny: Jackson is a star on both sides of the ball for Portal High, nabbing 22 catches for 428 yards and four touchdowns in 2022 and notching 71 tackles, two forced fumbles and an interception at safety. The Gators, along with Georgia and others, like him as a tight end with major size and athleticism. He visited each of the four schools above in the months of April and March and has already locked in an official visit to Florida next month.

4-star DL Nasir Johnson
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 267
School: Dublin (Ga.)
On3 RPM: Florida 66.1%, Georgia 15.5%, Forfeit State University 13.3%

The Skinny: The 6-foot-4, 300-pound Johnson has become a priority target for defensive line coach Sean Spencer, and the Gators had him back on campus in April. An official visit is already locked in for June, and GatorsOnline’s Corey Bender believes UF has the edge right now.

“Florida could very well be the leader right now, while the likes of Georgia, Florida State, Miami, Kentucky and Missouri are in pursuit as well,” he wrote on Wednesday. “I’ve been hearing more UF and Forfeit State University buzz than anything though.”

4-star safety Zay Mincey
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 139 (#64 in the On300)
School: Daytona Beach (Fla.) Mainland
On3 RPM: Florida 92.9%, UCF 1.3%, USF 1.1%

The Skinny: Mincey has been on campus at UF four times in the past year, more than any other program pursuing him. Alabama, Tennessee, Notre Dame, Florida State, LSU and Michigan are also in pursuit, according to Bender but the Gators have ace defensive backs coach Corey Raymond and a lot of momentum right now.

3-star DL Kendall Jackson
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 500
School: Gainesville (Fla.) F. W. Buchholz
On3 RPM: Florida 95.5%, Kentucky 1.8%, Miami 1.2%

The Skinny: Florida will get the first crack at an official visit with Jackson when he comes to campus June 2. A Gainesville product, he’s been a target of Napier’s for more than a year now, has been trending that way for some time, according to Bender.

“You definitely cannot overlook Kentucky or any other program on Jackson’s list; however, the Gators have been trending heavily for nearly a year and I could see Jackson shutting down his recruitment in order to focus on his senior year,” he said.”

The On3 Industry Ranking tabs Jackson as a three-star, but On3 is a bit higher on him than others services, slotting him as a four-star in the latest rankings update.

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The state of Florida is loaded (as usual) this recruiting cycle and the numbers don’t lie. There are five 5-stars in the class in the On3 Industry ratings —and an astounding 51 more 4-stars. Where do the Florida Gators stand with these players? Here’s a quick look at the top 20 prospects in the Sunshine State per the On 3 Industry …

No. 1: Jeremiah Smith, WR, Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna Prep: Committed to Ohio State. Smith says he won’t be easily flipped, but Florida, Georgia and Penn State have secured official visits. He”ll be in Gainesville on June 2. This weekend, he’s in Athens, Ga. Earlier this week, Smith told Gators Online the Gators “have a legit chance.” He might not shut things down until signing day so this could drag out awhile. Smith will attend On3’s NIL event later this month with his parents. Five-star Gators quarterback DJ Lagway also is going.

No.2: Ellis Robinson IV, CB, Bradenton IMG Academy: Committed to Georgia. Miami will get an official.

No. 3: David Stone, DL, Bradenton IMG Academy: The Sooners are favored to land the Oklahoma native but Stone has visited the Gators multiple times. “There’s just something about the Gators,” he said. “I don’t know what it is. Ever since my first visit, I fell in love with the place.” Florida and Miami are two of the schools recruiting him hardest. Look for Stone to officially visit the Gators in June — probably June 2. Florida is in a better spot than it was a month or two ago.

No. 4: Charles Lester III, CB, Sarasota (Fla.) Riverview: Lester has a top three of Alabama, Florida State and Georgia. They’ll get officials, along with Colorado.

The Gators are heavily involved with many of the top recruits in Florida

No. 5: Joshisa Trader, WR, Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna Prep: Florida is a top contender. Miami is the On3 RPM favorite but Trader said this week Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Miami and Ohio State all will get officials. “They’re always gonna have a good receiver corp coming in,” Trader said of the Gators. “They’ve got a good quarterback. A good passing offense. I’ve been to a couple games and they showed out and showed me what Florida could do.” He’s still in the process of scheduling his officials.

No. 6: Jerrick Gibson, RB, Bradenton IMG Academy: Gibson has a top five of Florida, Georgia, Miami, Tennessee and Texas. Many view the Longhorns as the favorite for the country’s No. 1 running back. Florida has two backs committed but continues to heavily recruit Gibson, a Gainesville native.

No. 7: Ernest Willor, DL, Bradenton IMG Academy: Penn State is the On3 RPM favorite. We haven’t heard Florida mentioned as being a factor.

No. 8: TJ Capers, LB, Miami Columbus: Committed to Louisville.

No. 9: Jaylen Heyward, S, Rockledge: Committed to Georgia. Has officials set to Georgia and Miami. The ‘Canes appear to be working hardest to flip him. But according to Heyward, he still communicates with the Gators, who he last visited in March. Florida has been by his school this spring.

No. 10: Jordan Seaton, OT, Bradenton IMG Academy: Florida is trending up for the No. 5 tackle in the country and we expect him to officially visit the Gators — probably in June. Alabama also will get an official and we believe he is high on the Tide’s board, too. Seaton has made two recent visits to Gainesville and seems to have come away impressed each time. Seaton very well might be the top offensive tackle on the Florida board.

Seven of the top 20 in the state are committed

No. 11: Adarius Hayes, LB, Largo: Committed to Florida. He’ll officially visit the Gators on June 2.

No. 12: Jonathan Daniels, OT, Pensacola Pine Forest: Florida State is trending. It appears as though Florida has prioritized other tackles a little more at the moment.

No. 13: Jamari Howard, CB, Westland Hialeah: Recent Michigan State de-commitment. Will officially visit Florida on June 2. Some view the Gators as the favorite; others think it could be Florida State. Regardless, those probably are the two schools to watch at the moment. To our knowledge, he hasn’t yet locked in an FSU official but we’ve heard it potentially could come later in the year.

No. 14: Zaquan Patterson, S, Chaminade-Madonna Prep: Gators aren’t involved. Auburn, Miami, Michigan and Ohio State are four to watch. Some think it will come down to the Tigers and ‘Canes.

Many of these recruits will officially visit the Florida Gators

No. 15: LJ McCray, DL, Daytona Beach (Fla.) Mainland: Florida, Florida State and Georgia are the three schools we hear the most about. And he’s likely to officially visit each — though to our knowledge no dates have been set. The On3 RPM favors Florida over FSU but there apparently is optimism and maybe a little confidence at both of those programs.

No. 16: Booker Pickett, Edge, Tampa Wharton: Florida doesn’t appear to be a factor and it’s unclear where his recruitment is headed. Miami is the On3 RPM favorite.

No. 17: Jordan Pride, S, Blountstown: Committed to Texas A&M earlier this month. De-committed from Florida State in April. Recently had ACL surgery.

No. 18: Jonathan Echols, TE, Bradenton IMG Academy: Committed to Tennessee. Echols appear to be among Florida’s top tight ends on the board and he will officially visit the Gators in June. If anyone is capable of flipping him from the Vols, it might be Florida. “I always liked Florida growing up. I have family ties down there and it’s a pretty good program,” Echols told Gators Online.

No. 19: T.A. Cunningham, DL, Miami Central: Cunningham recently moved to south Florida from California. Previously, he transferred from Georgia to California. It appears Miami and Penn State are two programs to watch.

No. 20: Jason Zandamela, OL/C, Clearwater Academy International: Claims a Florida offer, but contact hasn’t been that consistent. FSU is trending.

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