Recruiting Insider: Florida Gators intel from Future 50

BRADENTON, FL. — Gators Online is currently at IMG Academy for the talent-loaded Future 50 Media Day. And as expected, over a dozen Florida targets are present for the festivities.

Jump inside below for the latest Gators intel from the recruiting trail.

No. 1 WR Ryan Williams – Alabama commit

Although Florida is his most recent offer, the five-star prospect says Billy Napier’s staff has been recruiting him dating back to their time at Louisiana.

On top of that, Williams says he is planning to visit the Gators for the first time. That will be for the Grill at the Ville cookout, which will feature numerous All-American targets.

Flipping Williams away from the in-state Crimson Tide is going to be awfully difficult, but Williams is impressed with the Gators’ ability to manufacture NFL talent and their history altogether.

The All-American is going to enjoy the recruiting process and take visits, but his heart is in Tuscaloosa.

Four-star LB Tarvos Alford

Florida and Ohio State are the top two for the priority linebacker target. He said with a smile that the staff is trying to get him to commit as well.

Honestly, it would be a major shocker if Florida was not the choice right now. I submitted a pick several months ago. The relationships are very strong in Gainesville and there is a whole lot of familiarity with campus too. This is the lifelong favorite school and the one generating the most buzz by a long shot.

Also, Alford should be at the BBQ on July 29. We will be monitoring him closely that day.

From a physical standpoint, this was one of the more impressive prospects at today’s media day.

Four-star safety Hylton Stubbs

Florida is the school the Orange Park (Fla.) Mandarin standout has the best relationship with. Defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong and inside linebackers coach Jay Bateman are among those making a strong push right now.

If all goes as planned, Stubbs will be returning to Gainesville on July 29 for the Grill at the Ville Cookout. That will mark his fifth trip to Gainesville this year alone. I recently said that Florida is the hottest team in his recruitment and that adds up to what he said moments ago.

In addition to Florida, Stubbs also has high interest in Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee; however, I’m giving the edge to Florida right now.

Four-star QB Ryan Montgomery

Out of all the coaches recruiting him, the Buckeye State native said Florida’s Ryan O’Hara is the best relationship he has right now. He also mentioned that Florida is the school he has done the most Zoom calls with. That is definitely noteworthy.

Montgomery, whose brother plays for Ohio State, made his way to Gainesville at the start of summer and landed an offer while on campus. I asked about the situation regarding Austin Simmons and how Florida is now without a 2025 quarterback, but Montgomery said he was informed of that move during his visit. He knew a spot would be open at quarterback in Gainesville.

Additional schools in the mix include Michigan, Georgia, Ohio State and Miami. Florida could very well be the darkhorse here. Also, moments ago, I connected with a source who confirmed that Montgomery is definitely high on the board for UF.

Top-five offensive tackle Solomon Thomas

The Gators have some catching up to do with the Duval County star.

When asked about their standing with the Jacksonville native, he mentioned top five or top eight. One interesting note is that Thomas keeps up with Billy Napier more than Rob Sale or Darnell Stapleton. That should show you how much of a priority he is after landing a camp offer last year.

Once Sept. 1 hits, Thomas said the Gators told him they will be reaching out right at midnight. These relationships in Gainesville are a work in progress; however, UF is the school trending heavily in the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine early on.

No. 1 RB Harlem Berry

This is one of the more interesting interviews in terms of what we learned from the Louisiana native.

Berry, the No. 1-ranked running back in the country, visited Florida last year and says his uncle is running backs coach Jabbar Juluke. That is the latest school to pull the trigger with an offer as well.

He also said Florida has the leg up on a lot of schools because of that connection and understandably so. I’m not sure what took the Gators so long to offer, but this is something to monitor over the long haul. The next step is to secure another visit in order for Berry to learn more about UF as a whole.

All in all, having a very familiar face on campus definitely does not hurt UF’s chances going forward.

Four-star QB Akili Smith Jr.

Back in April, the elite quarterback out of San Diego made the trek down to Gainesville for a visit and landed a scholarship offer shortly thereafter.

Now, the All-American signal caller has a top three of Florida, Oregon and Michigan.

This is a Ducks legacy, so there is no doubt it’s going to be a difficult pull, but Ryan O’Hara and company are prioritizing him from afar. You could tell that Smith’s interest in the Gators is real and genuine.

So, now that Austin Simmons is no longer in the class, the Gators are turning up with the heat with Smith and others like Montgomery. There is no reason to panic in terms of Florida quarterback recruiting for the 2025 cycle, as plenty of high-profile names have legitimate interest in the program.

Four-star TE Ethan Barbour

Right now, Florida is somewhat on the outside looking in for the top-five tight end. That is due to William Peagler’s departure for the Arizona Cardinals. That relationship was a big reason why Florida was previously on the short list, so now that he is gone, Barbour has simply hit the reset button with UF.

However, Russ Callaway made contact two days ago and invited him to campus on July 29. Attending that event is a strong possibility, as Barbour attended last year’s Grill at the Ville event as well.

Barbour visited the Gators four times in 2022; now, the next plan of action is getting him back on campus to meet Callaway and refreshen his thoughts on the Gators.

Florida has more than enough time to regain some of its previous momentum.

Four-star WR Naeshaun Montgomery

If all goes as planned, Montgomery will be returning to the Swamp on July 29 for the Grill at the Ville cookout. He first visited earlier this year and landed a scholarship just prior to wrapping up the visit.

Interesting note: Montgomery grew up in Rhode Island and just moved down this time last year, so I wouldn’t say the Florida schools have any advantage. He definitely has a strong liking for Billy Napier and his vision though. That first visit made an impression and now he is planning to return.

Georgia, LSU, Miami and Penn State are some schools to keep an eye on as well, but this recruitment is still fairly fluid.

Four-star LB Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng

Not only is Florida on the rise with the DMV product, but he also logged a surprise unofficial visit on Thursday. Now, it’s one of the top schools on his list.

Florida is telling Owusu-Boatengthat he can play early, while his strong relationship with inside linebackers coach Jay Bateman is a strong appeal as well. He is telling the 2025 prospect that he’s one of the top priorities at linebacker.

Highlighting his time on Thursday was watching the team go through workouts and getting familiar with each of their coaching styles. The Gators are on the rise here but need to secure another visit or two before considering them as a potential finalist.

Miami, according to On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine, is trending with odds approaching 40 percent.

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