On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine: Florida trending for multiple top targets

Billy Napier and the Florida Gators have been buzzing on the recruiting trail of late, hauling in four commitments between the end of March and beginning of May.

UF sits inside the top-five of the On3 Industry Football Team Recruiting Rankings at No. 4 nationally, buoyed by the commitment of five-star Willis (Texas) quarterback DJ Lagway. Napier and Co. also have commitments from top-50 prospects Xavier Filsaime and Myles Graham, as well as coveted linebacker Adarius Hayes, four-star wide receiver Izaiah Williams and running backs Chauncey Bowens and Kahnen Daniels.

“Led by five-star quarterback DJ Lagway, the Gators are trending up with a top-five class and looking to build on that in the coming weeks, as nearly two dozen official visitors are expected in town next month,” GatorsOnline.com recruiting insider Corey Bender said. “Those include five-star EDGE Colin Simmons, Ohio State wide receiver commit Jeremiah Smith and priority tight end target Walter Matthews. The Gators have a strong recruiting blueprint in place right now, and Billy Napier’s group has some momentum to back it up.”

Florida looking to add to top-five class with key recruits

4-star WR TJ Moore
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 147
School: Tampa (Fla.) Catholic
On3 RPM: Florida 79.9%, Clemson 4.9%, UCF 3.1%, Florida State 2.6%

The Skinny: Miami, Clemson, Florida State, and a handful of others are also in pursuit of Moore, but the Gators are setting the pace at the moment. He has official visits to Gainesville and Clemson locked in, but his high school is one that has been friendly to the Gators in recent years. Quarterback commit DJ Lagway is also making him a personal priority.

“I’ve seen him play and I know that him throwing me the ball, that’s plenty of touchdowns,” Moore told On3 previously. “He is legit.”

4-star TE Amir Jackson
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 184 (#122 in the On300)
School: Portal (Ga.)
On3 RPM: Florida 60.4%, Georgia 11.1%, Auburn 9.8%, Miami 8.1%

The Skinny: Jackson is a star on both sides of the ball for Portal High, nabbing 22 catches for 428 yards and four touchdowns in 2022 and notching 71 tackles, two forced fumbles and an interception at safety. The Gators, along with Georgia and others, like him as a tight end with major size and athleticism. He visited each of the four schools above in the months of April and March and has already locked in an official visit to Florida next month.

4-star DL Nasir Johnson
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 267
School: Dublin (Ga.)
On3 RPM: Florida 66.1%, Georgia 15.5%, Florida State 13.3%

The Skinny: The 6-foot-4, 300-pound Johnson has become a priority target for defensive line coach Sean Spencer, and the Gators had him back on campus in April. An official visit is already locked in for June, and GatorsOnline’s Corey Bender believes UF has the edge right now.

“Florida could very well be the leader right now, while the likes of Georgia, Florida State, Miami, Kentucky and Missouri are in pursuit as well,” he wrote on Wednesday. “I’ve been hearing more UF and FSU buzz than anything though.”

4-star safety Zay Mincey
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 139 (#64 in the On300)
School: Daytona Beach (Fla.) Mainland
On3 RPM: Florida 92.9%, UCF 1.3%, USF 1.1%

The Skinny: Mincey has been on campus at UF four times in the past year, more than any other program pursuing him. Alabama, Tennessee, Notre Dame, Florida State, LSU and Michigan are also in pursuit, according to Bender but the Gators have ace defensive backs coach Corey Raymond and a lot of momentum right now.

3-star DL Kendall Jackson
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 500
School: Gainesville (Fla.) F. W. Buchholz
On3 RPM: Florida 94.3%, Miami 2.6%, Kentucky 1.5%

The Skinny: Florida will get the first crack at an official visit with Jackson when he comes to campus June 2. A Gainesville product, he’s been a target of Napier’s for more than a year now, has been trending that way for some time, according to Bender.

“You definitely cannot overlook Kentucky or any other program on Jackson’s list; however, the Gators have been trending heavily for nearly a year and I could see Jackson shutting down his recruitment in order to focus on his senior year,” he said.”

The On3 Industry Ranking tabs Jackson as a three-star, but On3 is a bit higher on him than others services, slotting him as a four-star in the latest rankings update.