Florida DL Justus Boone expected to enter NCAA transfer portal

Florida defensive lineman Justus Boone is expected to enter the NCAA transfer portal when it opens, according to a report from On3’s Pete Nakos.

Boone is a redshirt junior who has seen other players move past him in the rotation as the Gators defense has come to life in the second half of the season.

The 6-foot-4, 266-pound defender appeared in the team’s first 11 games of the season, recording 10 tackles, 2.0 tackles for a loss, 0.5 sacks and a pass breakup. His impact was fairly limited.

In the meantime, Florida’s defensive line really started to get after it, starting in the last three games of the regular season. The unit has logged 18 sacks in those three games, making life incredibly difficult on opposing quarterbacks. Boone was mostly absent during that stretch.

Prior to enrolling at Florida, Justus Boone was ranked as a four-star prospect and the No. 183 overall recruit in the 2021 class. He was ranked as the No. 18 EDGE defender and the No. 2 overall player from the state of South Carolina, hailing from Sumter (SC) Sumter.

Justus Boone, Andy Jean expected to enter transfer portal

In addition to Justus Boone, Florida receiver Andy Jean is also expected to enter the NCAA transfer portal.

As a true freshman in 2023, Jean posted six receptions for 97 total yards.

Jean dealt with an upper-body injury in the preseason and missed most of the season, seeing action at wide receiver on the road at Mississippi State. He played in four games as a true freshman, deciding to take the redshirt.

“Andy Jean is the other player that has a lower body injury that will probably take a little bit of time,” Florida head coach Billy Napier said in August.

Jean played high school football at Miami (FL) Northwestern, where he was a four-star recruit in the 2023 class, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. He was also rated as the No. 397 overall player and the No. 61 wide receiver for his cycle.

As a high school senior, Jean was one of the most highly recruited players in south Florida. He caught 19 passes for a team-leading 409 yards with three scores that season while averaging 58.4 yards per game. He recorded 40 catches for 733 yards and 8 touchdowns in his junior season.

Jean picked the Gators over Florida State as a high school recruit, signing with Florida on Early National Signing Day in 2022. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound wide receiver is the first Florida player to announce he plans to enter the transfer portal.

On3’s Pete Nakos also contributed to this report.