Florida 'in the top-three range' for 4-star OT Jordan Seaton

Earlier this month, Washington D.C. native and Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy four-star offensive tackle Jordan Seaton kicked the next chapter of his recruitment into gear. The elite OT announced six official visit dates for the fall, including trips to Florida, LSU, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon and South Carolina.

Seaton is the No. 41 and No. 2 OT in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 6 player in Florida and is the 12th highest-ranked recruit that remains uncommitted.

There will be plenty of competition to try and land the 6-foot-5, 295-pounder. Billy Napier and the Gators are hoping to keep Seaton’s football career in the Sunshine State following his senior campaign at IMG.

Seaton’s visit to Gainesville is set for Sept. 16, the night of the Gators’ matchup against Tennessee. He took an unofficial visit in May. Offensive coordinator Rob Sale and offensive line coach Darnell Stapleton are leading UF’s recruitment of the blue-chip tackle.

“Coach Stapleton and Sale, they’re like a one-two punch,” Seaton told On3’s Chad Simmons. “It’s kind of amazing being able to have that system — one guy may be busy or have to do something, but you still got the other assistants there to help out. They’re hands-on, and that’s what you need. That’s really good.”

According to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM), it’s Ohio State that has the lead for Seaton, at 64.3%. Florida is next at 12.2%. On Thursday, Gators Online recruiting insider Corey Bender joined On3’s Inside Scoop recruiting show to breakdown where Florida stands with Seaton ahead of his big fall.

Seaton would be “signature piece” on the Florida OL

“I think if you’re anyone tracking his recruitment, you just have to say right now it’s a wait-and-see with him, because with over five official visits scheduled for the fall, anything can happen,” Bender said.

Florida’s made plenty of hay on the recruiting trail, touting the No. 3 class in the nation. McKinney (Texas) five-star safety Xavier Filsaime and Willis (Texas) five-star quarterback DJ Lagway highlight the class, while 14 four-star commits help make for an eye-popping pledge list.

There are four offensive tackles in UF’s class already, including Leesburg (Va.) Tuscarora four-star Fletcher Westphal and a trio of three-stars. Not only would Seaton be the highest-ranked commit at his position, but he would also check in as the third highest-ranked commit in the class overall. Bender sees Florida adding Seaton as “pretty important.”

“Florida has a pretty good offensive line class to begin with. Fletcher Westphal, he’s kind of the headliner as a blue-chip guy, but I feel like they could use another really signature piece along the offensive line,” Bender said.

Gators tapping into IMG Academy

While Seaton isn’t a native Floridian, he finds himself playing for the monstrous IMG Academy in Bradenton. Last cycle, the Gators added three-star interior offensive lineman Knijeah Harris from the program, while four-star wide receiver Jerrae Hawkins is a current pledge in the 2024 cycle.

Bender noted the uptick in Florida’s consistency with keeping tabs on the high school juggernaut since Napier arrived in Gainesville. Adding a player of Seaton’s caliber could do wonders in building a better pipeline for the Gators.

“When you look at Seaton’s rankings, he’s the No. 2-ranked offensive tackle, that alone speaks volumes. I think he’s a kid that could probably play inside as well, there’s some versatility,” Bender said. “It’s also another IMG kid, I feel like since Billy Napier got to Florida, he’s kind of really changed the picture when it comes to Florida’s involvement at IMG.”

Alabama squarely in the mix for Seaton

Alabama got ahead of the curve in Seaton’s recruitment and landed an official visit in June. He’s also planning a return in October, though it won’t be an OV like the rest during the fall. The Crimson Tide are very much in the mix and could be a main challenger for the Gators.

“I got the vibe that it was Alabama and Florida, just the way his face lit up about both programs. At the time, he talked about taking OVs to Florida and Alabama over the summer,” Bender said. “Alabama’s the only school that got him on campus, but I recently put him in Florida’s mock class about a month ago … I think Florida’s definitely in the top-three range for him, I think you have to give Alabama the edge right now, just because they got him on campus over the summer.”