Recruiting storylines surrounding the Florida Gators’ Orange and Blue Game

When the Gators head into the Swamp for Thursday’s Orange and Blue Game, a plethora of targets across several recruiting classes will be in attendance. Highlighting that list is five-star prospect and No. 1-ranked EDGE, Colin Simmons.

There are certain prospects trending up for Florida, while others are keeping close tabs on the program and using Thursday to evaluate their interest. The latter can be said for the aforementioned Simmons. Either way though, a massive opportunity is at hand for the Orange and Blue; there is no denying that.

With that said, here are several recruiting storylines we are following ahead of Thursday’s festivities.

Will the Gators seal the deal with Xavier Filsaime?

The elite safety out of the Lone Star State has not hinted at making an early decision; however, I definitely like where the Gators stand right now. I recently submitted an On3 Recruiting Prediction pick as well.

Over the past few weeks, sources have told me to keep an eye on Thursday regarding Filsaime. That message has been consistent. Georgia, LSU, Oregon and USC are additional schools in the mix, but I have been hearing more chatter about the Gators and Bulldogs, especially the Gators.

Whether Filsaime pulls himself off the market or not, tomorrow is an opportunity for the Gators to make even more noise in his recruitment. The RPM currently favors UF with odds of 94.5 percent, and although that is an eye-opening percentage, the buzz in Gainesville is for real.

We will be monitoring Filsaime very closely while he is in Gainesville tomorrow.

Is Florida a true contender for Colin Simmons?

When the five-star prospect arrives at the Swamp tomorrow, it will mark his second visit with Billy Napier’s staff. His initial experience on campus was last summer, as he camped and then received a scholarship offer.

However, the Gators have been viewed as a long shot for a number of months. Simmons is very high on the SEC and the Gators made a strong first impression, but schools such as LSU, Georgia and Alabama have been generating much more buzz. Will the Gators be able to change that this week?

The important part is when Collins arrives on campus. If it’s closer to game time, he will not be able to have much face time with the staff. Maybe they could make up for that once the scoreboard reads all zeroes, but that could have a large effect on where the Gators finish long term. I say that because a boatload of programs are fighting to receive an official visit, so UF will have to earn one. Nothing is guaranteed there.

There is no doubt the Gators have made up some ground as of late; however, will they transform into a top contender after Thursday? There are not many better than Simmons, so this is a big-time opportunity for Napier’s staff. They need to knock it out of the park in hopes of securing an official visit.

Who else will be monitoring closely on Thursday?

There are plenty of names on the expected visitors list who I could see making a decision. We already touched on Xavier Filsaime, so who else is on our radar?

Hometown product Kendall Jackson recently put out his top-six schools, and although he is not talking about an early decision, this is the type of visit and environment that could push a prospect through the finish line. The four-star defensive lineman will always be on the radar for events like this.

Another defensive lineman who is very high on the Gators is Jalen Wiggins, a top-40 prospect overall out of Tallahassee. He is a member of the 2025 class, so it’s early for him, but the Gators have the momentum early on. Georgia, Penn State, Mississippi State and Arkansas are other notable offers on the table.

With UF already making such a strong impression, Wiggins could take a step back and find no reason to wait any longer. I’m favoring the Gators early on.

The last prospect I will touch on is 2024 in-state cornerback Kevin Levy. He was supposed visit two times before, but both trips were ultimately canceled. Now, he will be in attendance for tomorrow’s game instead.

Florida, which is Levy’s lifelong favorite school, offered after the three-star prospect visited in January. Another major appeal is the presence of Corey Raymond. Levy is well aware of the defensive back coach’s resume and knows a big-time opportunity is on the table for him.

I view Levy’s recruitment as a Florida-FSU battle, but the Gators could pull ahead with a strong visit or even net a verbal commitment. Mutual interest is high.

Are the Gators considering taking three running backs?

Florida arguably has the top running back duo in the 2024 class with Chauncey Bowens and Kahnen Daniels.

Bowens committed last fall and continues to say the right things despite being pursued by several national powers. As for Daniels, he just committed a few days ago and reeled in additional offers from Alabama, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Oregon and Auburn among others.

But as you can see on the visitors list, another highly regarded running back is attending tomorrow’s spring game. That prospect is Stacy Gage, a former teammate of Dijon Johnson who now attends St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale.

In recent months, I was told the Gators were planning to sign multiple running backs this cycle. That proved to be true once Daniels committed, but adding three tailbacks? I’m eager to speak with Gage tomorrow to gather his thoughts and see what the message was from Jabbar Juluke and company.

All in all, this is a good problem to have if you are Florida. You already have a top-five class and multiple blue-chip running backs in the fold, and now another 2024 four-star running back is still interested and traveling up to Gainesville. Let’s see where it goes.

Stay tuned to Gators Online.

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