What each Gators offensive commit can do to boost his ranking

The Florida Gators have 12 commitments in the 2025 recruiting class, and the group is evenly split. There are six 4-stars and six 3-stars in the boat according to the On3 Industry Rankings. Some of them will rise in the coming months. Others will fall. Today, I offer my thoughts to how each Florida offensive commit can boost his ranking. These are just my thoughts and not necessarily reflective of the On3 ranking team.

*Vernell Brown III, WR, Orlando (Fla.) Jones
On3 Industry Ranking/Rating: No. 33 overall, No. 6 receiver/95.33
On3 Ranking/Rating: No. 38 overall, No. 6 receiver/94
How he can move up: Show increased speed and separation. At his size (5-foot-10.5, 173 pounds), one way to get everyone’s attention is to continually improve your speed, ball get-off and elusiveness in the open field. In my opinion, Brown is elite in this class — and to me, he already is fast. In fact, he clocked a 4.51-second 40-yard dash at an Under Armour Camp in February, which tied for first among all prospects. That’s really solid, and few players run their best times in February. My guess is, Brown is faster than that now and will show it this fall. Since he’s already so highly ranked, it won’t be easy to move up. The competition toward the top is stiff. It’s not just about what you do; it’s also about what they do. But I think Brown can do it. Every little thing, every improvement will help. And few people are going to outwork him from what I’ve seen.

*Joshua Moore, WR, Pembroke Pines (Fla.) West Broward
On3 Industry Ranking/Rating: No. 176 overall, No. 18 receiver/91.74
On3 Ranking/Rating: No. 57 overall, No. 9 receiver/94
How he can move up: Ball get-off and yards after the catch. Moore has a great frame (6-4, 205), solid hands and can reach throws most can’t get to. And for his size, he moves well. But his coach told us recently that Moore is working to be better off the ball, particularly in press coverage. If he improves there, that will make him even more effective. Meanwhile, given his size he’s probably not going to outrun too many fast defensive backs in the SEC. But he can use that body to fight for extra yards at the end of every catch.

Both Florida Gators RB commits can boost their stock with more big plays

*Waltez Clark, WR, Tampa (Fla.) Plant
On3 Industry Ranking/Rating: No. 277 overall, No. 19 running back/90.11
On3 Ranking/Rating: No. UR overall, No. 34 running back/89
How he can move up: Stay healthy, get more carries and make the most of them. Last season, Clark rushed for 476 yards and had 358 receiving yards despite missing some action with an ankle injury (and using up energy at linebacker). So for starters, he’ll need to be healthy in 2024. He carried the ball only 77 times last year and averaged 6.2 yards per rush. But he never really took over a game at that position (since he split time at receiver) and had a long rush of 35 yards. So the numbers weren’t eye-opening. And to be honest, there just wasn’t a lot on film. Now for the bright side: If he can show more in 2024, given his speed (10.7 seconds in the 100 meters) and big-play potential, a move up is very possible. In fact, my gut says it’ll happen.

*Tae’shaun Gelsey, TE/ATH, Jacksonville (Fla.) Riverside
On3 Industry Ranking/Rating: No. 394 overall, No. 23 tight end/88.93
On3 Ranking/Rating: No. 263 overall, No. 19 tight end/89
How he can move up: Break more tackles. This was a tough one. Here’s why: Gelsey, who is listed at 6-4, 220, plays receiver at Riverside. If the Florida Gators were recruiting him at that position, I’d say improved speed would help with his ranking. But Florida likes him mainly at tight end, and he’s plenty fast enough for that position. Most of his highlights probably won’t involve blocking so that could be difficult to gauge. So to me, I think one way Gelsey can get the attention of prospect rankers is to continue running solid routes and showcase what he can do after the catch. Any improvements in those areas could help — even though On3 already views him as a 4-star.

*Micah Jones, TE, Madison Central (Miss.)
On3 Industry Ranking/Rating: No. 581 overall, No. 31 tight end/87.68
On3 Ranking/Rating: No. UR overall, No. 34 tight end/89
How he can move up: Sharper routes, run with more authority, improved quickness. I liked Jones a lot and actually think he’s one of the more underrated Florida commits. He has the frame and he’s really physical as an in-line blocker. In the passing game, though, I’d like to see shorter steps with some bursts and wiggle. He sometimes runs with a longer stride. If he polishes up that part of his game, he’s going to be a really good college player.

*Chad Gasper, RB, Fulshear (Texas) Katy Jordan
On3 Industry Ranking/Rating: No. 612 overall, No. 49 running back/87.53
On3 Ranking/Rating: No. UR overall, No. 79 running back/89
How he can move up: Produce longer runs, be more elusive. For what it’s worth, I’m told the Florida Gators coaching staff thinks Gasper is a true sleeper. So remember that. On the other hand, his stats don’t overwhelm you. In his defense, he plays in a passing offense. That said, 4.9 yards per carry in high school won’t get you a high ranking. Are the holes there for him to run through? Not always with his team. But that’s sort of life in high school football. It’s just kinf of the luck of the draw. Still, for him to have a shot at moving up, he’s going to need to produce more long runs (his career best in high school is 55 yards), break more tackles and outrun more defenders. If he can put that on film, he can open some eyes this fall. As for his frame, there are no concerns there.

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