Florida Gators Recruiting: 2025 commit breakdown

Despite a slow push to the finish line last cycle, Florida managed to still finish with a top-10 recruiting class in the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. Billy Napier and the Gators have turned the page and are now hunting to build another elite pledge list for the 2025 class.

With the Early Signing Period around seven months out, UF is still chasing that goal, as its 2025 class currently checks in at No. 19 in the nation — which is good for No. 10 in the SEC, as of May 5.

Just five prospects are committed to the Gators thus far. Two are blue-chip (four or five-star) recruits and all but one hail from The Sunshine State or Georgia.

Florida Class Breakdown

Four of the five commits have joined the fold in 2024. Headlining the quartet is Tallahassee (Fla.) James Rickards four-star defensive lineman Jalen Wiggins. The lone top-100 prospect in the class thus far, Wiggins is also a top-10 player at his position and one of the best in his home state.

Wiggins’ commitment came just one day after Atlanta Woodward three-star wide receiver Josiah Abdullah, who chose the Gators while also holding offers from the likes of Tennessee, Alabama, LSU, Texas and more.

Tampa Plant four-star running back Waltez Clark is the longest-running commit in the fold for Napier and Co. He opted to pledge in September and is just outside the top 250 in the On3 Industry Ranking overall. On May 10, the Gators added a second RB to the mix in the form of Fulshear (Texas) Katy Jordan three-star Chad Gasper. He became the second commitment for UF this month, following Havana (Fla.) Gadsden County three-star DL Jeramiah McCloud, a former Mississippi State pledge who chose the Gators on May 2.

Top Florida Offensive Commit: RB Waltez Clark

The 6-foot-0.5, 190-pound Clark chose the Gators while holding a plethora of other offers from the likes of Ohio State, USC, Penn State, Oregon and others. The No. 260 prospect overall in the cycle, Clark is also the No. 18 tailback and No. 40 player in Florida.

Clark committed after watching the Gators defeat Tennessee at The Swamp last season. He remains solid in his pledge and recently updated his commitment status with Gators Online in April.

“I feel good about it. Still heavy. Still strong,” he said. “They just embrace me. They push me in a different type of way. And I just love this place.”

Top Florida Defensive Commit: DL Jalen Wiggins

Wiggins provided a major boost to the Gators upon committing, as he’s poised to serve as a centerpiece pledge for the entirety of the 2025 cycle. The No. 92 overall recruit, Wiggins is also the No. 7 defensive lineman in the nation.

On3’s Chad Simmons caught up with Wiggins earlier this year, as he updated his recruitment and commitment status:

“I love how they put a lot of attention on me,” Wiggins told On3 about the Gators. “They make sure I’m taken care of and they make sure they check up on me. Seeing their (20)24 class, it’s a building process. Looking at how they’ve been able to build off of that is one thing that stands out to me. Coming off of seeing everything that’s happened in the past two years and still being able to build a class that is so strong is crazy to me.”