10 key Florida recruiting battles to watch this spring

With 52 players from the Sunshine State in the On300 and a majority of the players still uncommitted, Florida is clearly home to some of the most intense recruiting battles in the country. On3 breaks down the most important recruiting battles in the Sunshine State and gets the latest from the experts on where things stand in their recruitment.

Five-Star Plus+ CB Cormani McClain

Lakeland (Fla.) Lake Gibson
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 3
NIL Valuation: $56K
On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine: Alabama 42.2%, Florida 30.9%, Miami 14.5%, Georgia 8.3%
The Skinny: “Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Ohio State are the schools I hear the most about. You can’t count Miami out. He was just at Florida. The Gators could be the favorite at this stage.” — On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons on Five-Star Plus+ Cormani McClain

5-star EDGE Keon Keeley

Tampa (Fla.) Berkley Prep
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 7
NIL Valuation: $23K
On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine: Notre Dame 61%, Florida 29.2%, Alabama 9.3%, Ohio State <1%
The Skinny: “The five-star prospect remains all in with Notre Dame. However, he is going to take several visits prior to finalizing his recruitment. Florida likely has the best shot at flipping Keeley. But it’s certainly not going to be easy.” — Corey Bender of On3’s GatorsOnline on Keon Keeley

4-star WR Jalen Brown

Miami Gulliver Prep
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 23
NIL Valuation: $21K
On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine: Miami 49.2%, Florida State 26.5%, Florida 10.7%, Michigan 5.5%, Auburn 1.9%, Notre Dame 1.9%
The Skinny: “A dark horse in this race is Florida State. He has visited Tallahassee numerous times and was back over the weekend. Of course, Florida and Miami are in this, but he is looking abroad. Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Notre Dame and Texas A&M are some of the schools to keep an eye on.” — Simmons on Jalen Brown

4-star RB Richard Young

Lehigh Acres (Fla.) Lehigh Senior
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 24
NIL Valuation: $38K
On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine:
Alabama 45.7%, Ohio State 35.9%, Georgia 14.6%, Florida 1.8%
The Skinny: “Alabama and Ohio State look to be the two schools at the top as we enter the spring. He was at Florida last weekend, Georgia is in the mix and many others are on his list. But this could come down to the Crimson Tide and the Buckeyes if things stay the same.” — Simmons on Richard Young

4-star WR Brandon Inniss

Miami Gardens (Fla.) American Heritage
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 28
NIL Valuation: $47K
On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine: USC 69.8%, Ohio State 10.4%, Miami 9.4%, Florida 3.4%, Alabama 2.4%
The Skinny: “USC and Ohio State are the two to watch right now. Alabama, Georgia, Miami and others are still under consideration, but the Trojans and Buckeyes are 1A and 1B in the middle of March.” — Simmons on Brandon Inniss

4-star EDGE Malik Bryant

Orlando (Fla.) Jones
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 33
NIL Valuation: $41K
On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine: Alabama 29.4%, Miami 29.4%, Florida 10.3%
The Skinny: “Upcoming visits will likely play a major role ahead of Bryant’s July commitment date. Florida is the school to monitor, especially with the Gators surging for Payton Kirkland and Derrick LeBlanc. Yet, he has only visited with the new staff once and that was several months ago. Getting Bryant back on campus is the major key, while the likes of Georgia, Alabama and Miami are right there at the top as well.” — Bender on Malik Bryant

4-star LB Troy Bowles

Tampa (Fla.) Jesuit
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 49
NIL Valuation: $25K
On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine: Ohio State 58.8%, Georgia 36.4%, Rutgers 1.5%, Oklahoma <1%
The Skinny: “Georgia has been quietly considered the favorite for a couple of months, and he was back in Athens last week. There is some buzz around Alabama recently, too, after a visit to Tuscaloosa. Ohio State is still considered a contender and others are involved. But Georgia might be the school others are chasing.” — Simmons on Troy Bowles

4-star EDGE Damon Wilson

Venice (Fla.) High
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 56
NIL Valuation: $15.2K
On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine: Alabama 46.8%, Florida State 2.1%, Georgia Tech 2.1%, Miami 2.1%, Clemson 2.1%, Michigan 2.1%, USC 2.1%, Ohio State 2.1%
The Skinny: “This one seems to be wide open. There is some buzz around Alabama, the school his teammate Elliot Washington is committed to, but all options are on the table. Clemson, Florida, Georgia, Miami and others are still being considered.” — Simmons on Damon Wilson

4-star RB Cedric Baxter Jr.

Orlando (Fla.) Edgewater
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 57
NIL Valuation: $27K
On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine: Florida 43.4%, Texas 14.6%, USC 10.1%, Alabama 6.9%, Georgia Tech 5.6%, Florida State 2.9%, Miami 2.9%
The Skinny: “Keep an eye on the Gators for On3’s No. 1 running back. He previously told Gerry Hamilton that January’s trip to Gainesville was his best visit yet. Furthermore, the Gators rolled out the red carpet once again this past weekend. A flurry of high-profile schools are in the mix here. But UF is starting to trend in Baxter’s recruitment.” — Bender on Cedric Baxter Jr.

4-star WR Hykeem Williams

Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) Stranahan
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 33
NIL Valuation: $18.4K
On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine: Miami 46.9%, Florida State 19%, Rutgers 9.6%, Alabama 3.4%
The Skinny: “Miami is the local school. After the coaching change, the Hurricanes have become the favorite. He was at Pittsburgh recently and he is going to look at schools like Florida State, Georgia and USC among others, but Mario Cristobal’s program is in a good spot.” — Simmons on Hykeem Williams