Fast-rising 2024 WR Debron Gatling picks up offer from Florida

Alpharetta (Ga.) Milton sophomore wide receiver Debron Gatling has been a dynamic weapon for one of the top high school teams in the country. Gatling put up five catches, 105-yards and three touchdowns last week against Life Christian Academy.

College programs have known about Gatling for a while. He had offers from Georgia Tech, Michigan, Oregon, Ole Miss, Florida State, Michigan State and UCF before he played a snap in 2021.

On Wednesday, Gatling added to his collection. Florida extended an offer to the 6-foot, 180-pound wide receiver.

Florida in hunt for Debron Gatling

For Gatling, the success of the Florida program in the last few years is something he’s paid a lot of attention to. The Gators have been showing interest for a while and getting the offer after months of interest brought Gatling a sense of joy.

“It means a lot to me because they have been doing well,” Gatling said. “They have been recruiting me for a while.”

Gatling trains with former Gators Kyle Pitts and Kadarious Toney at Top Shelf Performance in the Atlanta area.

Gatling has been watching both players for some time and his familiarity with their backgrounds has given reason to be intrigued by what Florida has to offer.

“Those are two first-round picks from Florida, and they’re great players, so I know they produce good wide receivers,” Gatling said. “What stands out to me is how they have been throwing the ball using their wide receivers lately.”

Gatling says he will be considering the Gators fully over the next few years. He plans to be in Gainesville on Sept. 18 for an unofficial visit.

Gatling says there are a few other major programs that have shown interest but have yet to offer him. Most programs share similar opinions on his skillsets after seeing him in the first three games of 2021.

“They have been saying they love my film from last year and this year,” Gatling said. “Teams are saying they like that I’m an explosive player. Some of the schools that are interested in me are Clemson, Mississippi State, Arizona State, and others.”