Florida Gators set to host another double-digit amount of official visitors
Another weekend, another big-time recruiting opportunity for the University of Florida, as 14 prospects will be arriving in Gainesville today.
The lone Gators commit in that group is linebacker Myles Graham. It will mark the second trip to Gainesville this year for the legacy prospect out of Atlanta (Ga.) Woodward Academy,
Graham, the son of former UF running back Earnest Graham, is an Under Armour All-American who is coveted by the nation’s best. His commitment remains very strong.
Another Peach State native who will be in town is 6-foot-7 tight end Walter Matthews. He is arguably the top target at the position along with Amir Jackson. This is a massive visit for both parties, as the top-100 prospect has the Gators and USC in his top two.
Florida needs a major makeover in the tight end room, and landing a prospect like Matthews would help turn the corner for the future. We will see if Russ Callaway can push the Gators into the driver’s seat this weekend.
Matthews, however, is not the only tight end expected in attendance this weekend.
Meet Eric Karner, a 6-foot-5, 220-pound pass catcher out of the Chicago area. He was offered roughly a month ago and then wasted little time setting a visit. Sean Spencer and Russ Callaway dropped by his school as well, so this recruitment is heating up fairly quickly.
In addition to UF, Karner is considering Alabama, Texas A&M, Michigan State and Iowa. He was previously teamed up with Purdue.
As Gators Online first reported, top-50 prospect Caleb Odom is officially visiting UF this weeknd as well.
The Georgia native is tabbed as one of the premier tight ends in the 2024 class; however, the Gators are courting him as a bigger wide receiver. It’s his second trip to Gainesville this year and third meeting with the Gators overall.
Following a recent trip to Tuscaloosa, Odom labeled Alabama his No. 1 school. Ole Miss, however, is the school trending in the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine. Both programs are sitting in a good spot.
Should Gators fans be on commitment watch?
Earlier this week, I labeled defensive back target Justin Denson as the official visitor most likely to commit before the end of the weekend. There is some real buzz there. Michigan State is likely UF’s top competition, but the Gators are out front right now.
Napier’s staff extended a scholarship offer on April 4 and then hosted him just three days later. He ended up spending multiple days on campus and then labeled the Gators the front runner shortly thereafter.
So, with Denson traveling back across country for his official visit and already having UF on top, it would not surprise me if he pulled himself off the market. He has already seen nearly everything from his previous multi-day visit.
According to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies, Denson is the 40th-ranked safety with On3. He has experience playing safety and cornerback and accumulated three interceptions and six pass deflections during the 2022 season.
Multiple wide receivers will be a priority this weekend
Among those who will be in town are Miami commit Chance Robinson and IMG Academy’s Jerrae Hawkins. Both targets are four-star prospects and clearly wanted in the Orange and Blue.
When speaking with Hawkins several weeks back, Florida was labeled a top-two school in his recruitment. Additional suitors include Penn State, Miami and West Virginia. The Hurricanes just played host last weekend and are starting to creep up his list, but keep an eye on Penn State. The Nittany Lions have received the most visits by a large margin, and West Virginia, that is the in-state school for Hawkins.
Florida and Penn State have been buzzing the most in recent months though. You definitely cannot count the Hurricanes, but I think Hawkins ends up in the Big Ten or SEC.
Robinson’s recruitment, however, is much more concrete.
The last time the Hurricanes commit made his way up to Gainesville was in March. And luckily for both parties, Billy Gonzales was already on campus working. Robinson called his time with him “amazing” and said he was really impressed by the assistant’s resume, especially from his several stints at UF.
There is no doubt Robinson is feeling the love from Florida. It’s been a group effort from the beginning, but now everything is clicking with Gonzales as well. They had a strong first meeting earlier this year and the Gators will be looking to build off that this weekend.
Official visit No. 1 for DB Zay Mincey
Right now, the Gators are trending heavily in the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine. Those odds are at 93.2 percent. That is because Florida has received the most visits from Mincey by a large margin, but I also submitted a prediction in early April. Confidence remains high roughly two months later.
All signs point to UF being the favorite right now, while Miami and FSU are in the picture as well. You have to win these important in-state battles if you are the Gators, especially when are already trending up and have received the most visits. This weekend could be a major step in that direction.
Mincey is a top target this cycle for secondary coach Corey Raymond.
Another defensive back who will be in town is fast-rising Tallahassee native Ashton Hampton.
On3 ranks the three-star prospect as an athlete, but Hampton is projected to play in the secondary.
The Gators, who are trending in the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine, Clemson, Arkansas, Florida State, Miami and Alabama are some of the top contenders for the in-state product.
The Gators will be represented in the trenches this weekend
Billy Napier’s staff has yet to land a commitment in the trenches on either side of the ball. So, it’s no surprise the Gators continue to host big bodies along the line.
Three offensive linemen are currently scheduled to be in town: Michael Uini, former South Carolina commit Mike Williams and Marcus Mascoll.
As for Uini, a native of the Lone Star State, the Gators extended a scholarship offer last August and are now communicating with him several times a week. That consistent effort is a major reason why UF is heavily in the mix for the All-American.
Alabama, Georgia, Clemson and Michigan are additional schools on his official visit schedule. Other than Florida and Georgia, Uini has visited each school once in the past. The Gators have some catching up to do here.
Florida, LSU and N.C. State are the finalists for Mascoll, a native of Atlanta. The Tigers are viewed as the heavy favorite, especially coming off last weekend’s official visit, but the Gators will have the opportunity to make a dent in his recruitment this weekend. The Wolfpack will get their shot next weekend.
Don’t expect Mike Williams to make another decision in the near future. The Baltimore native is fresh off de-committing from South Carolina and has five official visits scheduled for this month.
In addition to the Gators, the 6-foot-5, 310-pound Williams is heavily considering Maryland, Miami, Michigan State and Virginia Tech. Most of those schools have already received at least one visit, so the Gators will need to make a lasting impression in hopes of getting him on campus a second time.
Several defenders will be in Gainesville for the first time
Switching over defense, the Gators will be hosting a mixture of interior and EDGE prospects.
One of them is Michai Boireau. The 6-foot-5, 350-pound defensive lineman from Fairburn (Ga.) Creekside was awarded a scholarship offer on April 4 and then inserted the Gators into his top eight.
However, when speaking with Boireau last week, he said the Gators are actually in his top three right now. Sean Spencer has been showing more interest as of late and is expected to impress this weekend.
One of the prospects Gators fans are probably not familiar with is Jaylen Harvey.
The four-star EDGE out of Potomac, Maryland is constructing a strong relationship with Mike Peterson and eager to set foot in Gainesville this weekend. I’m told this is a trip he is very excited about.
Right now, Penn State is considered the overwhelming favorite. Those odds in the RPM are at 92.4 percent due to the 10 visits he has already taken and two predictions submitted by PSU insiders.
USC and Maryland are set to receive official visits this month as well.
Here is official visitor No. 14, and it’s definitely an interesting one. He is considered a 2023 prospect as well.
Quincy Ivory, a 6-foot-5, 255-pound EDGE from East Los Angeles College, will be in Gainesville despite not possessing a scholarship offer, at least yet.
Akron, Bowling Green, Fresno State and San Jose State are schools that have offered Ivory. This visit came out of the blue when Ivory when tweeted out a video announcing his scheduled official visit.
This is an intriguing prospect who boasts an impressive frame without holding much bad weight. There is a good chance Ivory lands his first Power Five offer this weekend.
Stay tuned to Gators Online.
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