Ten recruits I’m eager to watch this spring
The spring contact period is underway. And between April 15 and May 25 the Florida Gators will have a combined 140 recruiting in-person opportunities split among the staff to evaluate prospects both on the field and off. The Gators are expected to start going on the road this week and that means Florida coaches will visit every key target and watch a whole lot of practices in the coming days and week. As evaluations are done, the recruiting board no doubt will begin to change. Some prospects will rise. Others will fall.
In a nutshell, it’s a hugely important period for the staff.
Meanwhile, Gators Online also plans to hit several practices across the Southeast. Here are 10 recruits I’m excited to watch in person.
–Ziyare Addison, Riverview (Fla.) Sumner, 4-star:
WHY: Of all the offensive linemen on the Florida board I’ve met, Addison might be the most impressive physically. He’s not the tallest (6-foot-4). He’s not even the widest (290-ish). But he’s just incredibly well put together and doesn’t seem to have an ounce of bad weight. If you asked me to make a physical comparison for Addison it would be to the Pouncey twins. I saw him play in person for a half last season and he made things look effortless. I’m interested to see how much he’s developed since then.
411: Addison visited Florida on April 11 and again April 13 and the Gators appear to have made significant progress. His Florida OV is May 31. FSU, Oregon and Penn State also are getting OVs. (Also could play guard)
–Floyd Boucard, Miami (Fla.) Central, 3-star:
WHY: Boucard is a native of Canada who spent time in Alabama before landing in south Florida. Not much was known about him by people in my industry until he stood out in a big way at a camp earlier this year. Then, the offers started pouring in. Boucard has an NFL frame and he’s at a school where he will face good competition. How polished is he? This spring will be a good chance to find out. Florida apparently is really high on him.
411: Gators are a major factor and will get an OV. Miami, Oklahoma and Penn State are three others to track. Visited Florida twice this spring.
–Brandon Brown, Melbourne (Fla.) Eau Gallie, 4-star: TEXAS COMMIT
WHY: Brown is listed at 6-foot-2, 275 pounds but he honestly doesn’t appear to be that big. Yet Brown nonetheless is a target of several major programs, including the Gators. The reason: He’s physical, fast, has active hands and possesses a great motor. On film, he at times is dominant. I’ve interviewed him a bunch but have only seen him compete once — and briefly. That was at a Florida camp last summer.
411: The Florida legacy will make Gators OV on May 31. Tennessee, Texas and USC also will get officials. Florida has ramped up its recruitment of Brown in recent months.
–Jarquez Carter, Newberry (Fla.), 3-star:
WHY: Carter has become one of the most sought-after recruits in the state. But I haven’t yet seen him compete at a camp or in a game in person. Like Brown, he isn’t the biggest defensive lineman you’ll see, but his productivity has been eye-opening (68 total tackles, 29 tackles for loss, 9 sacks and 16 QB hurries in 2023). By the way, Carter might not be 6-5, but he is wide and thick. I really like him as a prospect and he seems to have a great head on his shoulders.
411: Gators didn’t offer until earlier this year but seem to have made progress. Visited UF multiple times this spring and has OV set for May 31. Additional officials will go to Miami, Ohio State, Penn State and UCF. Fall commitment likely.
–Tavaris Dice, Fairburn (Ga.) Langston Hughes, 4-star: AUBURN COMMIT.
WHY: Dice is one of Florida’s top offensive line prospects and he plays at one of the best programs in Georgia. He’s listed at 6-foot-4, 295 pounds. It seems most project him at tackle. I want to see his strength and movement up close. And, of course, I want to see his ankles. Talk to any good offensive line evaluator and they’ll tell you that’s often the first thing they look at. Thin ankles usually translates to more mobility. That’s the theory at least.
411: The Gators continue to heavily recruit Dice, who has an OV to Gainesville set for June 14. The Tigers don’t want that visit to happen.
–Antwann Hill, Warner Robins (Ga.) Houston County, 4-star:
WHY: Hill’s coach thinks the Florida target is the best high school quarterback in the country. He also raves about his football IQ. Meanwhile, some people in my business have said he’s a tad raw and his throwing must improve. So basically, I want to watch Hill up close for myself. Is he an up-side and developmental QB (which is okay by the way) or someone who can play early in college? One practice obviously won’t tell me this. And besides, I’m not exactly Andy Reid. I’m guess I’m just curious to see what he looks like in practice.
411: Florida is the On3 RPM favorite and he will officially visit the Gators on May 31. Duke and Memphis also will get OVs. Tigers are trending up.
-(ATH/WR) CJ Ingram, Hawthorne (Fla.), 3-star:
WHY: Ingram, son of Florida tight end great Cornelius Ingram, has quarterbacked Hawthorne to back-to-back state titles. But the Gators mostly have recruited him at receiver. At 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, he could be that big target the Florida program needs. This is a player whose offer list should grow this spring as more colleges make their way over to Hawthorne.
411: Florida is a heavy favorite to land the legacy recruit and the Gators are recruiting him perhaps harder than anyone. Louisville likes Ingram at QB. He wants to play football and basketball in college. OV to Florida likely will come in late June.
–Tramell Jones, Jacksonville (Fla.) Mandarin, 3-star: FSU COMMIT.
WHY: With Florida still involved with Jones, it’s probably smart for me to stop by for a practice. When I watched Jones play in person last year it came on a field that had been soaked by rain all day. Basically, it was mud. And thus, there was no chance for Jones to get good footing. And for a QB, that is everything. While Jones was effective that night, his full arm talents weren’t on display. When I saw him at a camp this spring, he looked great.
411: Has visited the Gators twice this month, most recently April 17. Speaks often with Gators coach Billy Napier.
–Kaylib Singleton, Fleming Island (Fla.), 3-star:
WHY: Singleton has a 3-star rating but 4-star measurables, stats and track numbers. He’s listed at 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds so you have to like his frame and length. And, he’s running the 100-meters in less than 10.6 seconds.
411: Gators OV scheduled for May 31. Florida is the team to beat, but LSU recently offered.
–Dallas Wilson, Tampa Bay Tech (Fla.), 5-star: OREGON COMMIT.
WHY: Wilson is the No. 22 overall recruit and No. 4 receiver in the country. He has a great frame (6-foot-3, 190 pounds) and runs well for a player his size. In fact, I watched him run the 100-meters just a couple weeks ago. He’s emerged as a big Gators target. The bonus of attending a Tampa Bay Tech practice is that I’ll also get to see 2025 receiver Santonyo Isaac (a UCF commit), 2026 quarterback Logan Rogers and 2026 offensive lineman Canon Pickett.
411: Will officially visit the Ducks (June 21), along with Florida (June 14), FSU and Miami. Some think the ‘Canes are the biggest threat to flip him.
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