Florida is 'trending up' for 5-star DL David Stone

According to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine, Oklahoma has a commanding lead for Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy five-star defensive lineman David Stone at 80.6%. However, Florida is one school pushing very hard for the 6-foot-4, 278-pound recruit, Keith Niebuhr of Gators Online said on the On3 Roundtable.

Multiple schools are heavily involved in Stone’s recruitment, including Florida, Miami, Michigan State, Oklahoma and Texas A&M among others. The fact that the Gators are seriously contending for one of the best players in the country is a very positive development, according to Niebuhr.

“They’re trending up, I would say,” Niebuhr said. “He’s liked it there. He’s feeling the vibe. If you’re a Florida fan, this is what you want. The last few years, you have not seen Florida involved with too many five-stars. We love to go by the stars and that’s important, but it’s also who did you beat? The last few years, we haven’t seen Florida winning too many of those elite battles. Now, they’re starting to get more involved in those battles. That’s the first step. The next step would be to start winning them, at least that’s the hope and the expectation in Gainesville.”

Stone has already visited Florida four times, most recently on May 6. IMG Academy is less than a three-hour drive from the Gators’ campus.

“The competition’s stiff,” Niebuhr said. “You have a favorite in Oklahoma. But again, he keeps visiting. We think he’ll be back at least one more time, probably the first week in June. He has not released his official visit dates outside of, I believe, the Oklahoma one. But I think the expectation is that he’s going to be there June 2.”

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Stone: ‘There’s just something about the Gators’

Stone is the No. 10 overall prospect and No. 2 defensive lineman in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also the No. 3 player in Florida.

Landing Stone would be a massive win for Florida’s 2024 recruiting class, which ranks No. 4 in the 2024 On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings and No. 3 in the SEC. The Gators’ group is currently led by Willis (Texas) five-star quarterback DJ Lagway, the No. 23 overall prospect in the 2024 On300.

“I talk to them dang near every day,” Stone told Corey Bender of Gators Online about Florida. “I was just talking to them before the game, so Florida’s been a school I’ve been high on for a long time. There’s just something about the Gators; I don’t know what it is. Ever since my first visit, I fell in love with the place. The relationship at the time wasn’t there, but I still enjoyed it. Now that I’ve been around them and built a relationship with the staff, it’s like, man, I’m even more in love with the place.”