Florida five-star CB signee compared to Gators legend Joe Haden

Florida‘s start to the 2024 season left a lot to be desired both on the football field and the recruiting trail, but Billy Napier and Co. closed on both fronts in a huge way.

The Gators finished 8-5, including winning each of their last four games. That momentum bought Napier another year from the school’s administration, and the vote of confidence turned UF’s recruiting fortunes around almost overnight. A class that was ranked in the low-30s nationally will finish No. 11 in the final On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings.

In all, the Gators flipped or held onto more than a dozen prospects over the final month and a half of the cycle. And you could make a strong argument that none were more important than Ben Hanks III, one of the nation’s top defensive backs out of Booker T. Washington in Miami.

The hometown Hurricanes were among a few schools who made a late push to flip him, but he stuck with his pledge and signed to play in Gainesville. And On3 VP of Recruiting Steve Wiltfong had very praise for Hanks on Wednesday.

“Ben Hanks III finishes as a five-star cornerback in the On3 rankings,” he said. “He is the best defensive back to go to Florida since Joe Haden. Thirteen interceptions this past year, I think he is one of the special players coming into the SEC. I loved him at the Navy All-American Bowl, he’s so smooth.”

The latter was a unanimous first-team All-American in Gainesville before a 12-year NFL career where he earned Pro Bowl honors on three separate occasions.

Hanks had superb senior season before enrolling with the Gators

As Wiltfong mentioned, Hanks was one of the country’s best high school players as a senior, totaling 40 tackles and a whopping 13 interceptions — better than one per game.

He was also one of the top performers in attendance at last month’s Navy All-American Bowl week earlier in San Antonio.

“Hanks hasn’t been targeted a ton at Navy All-American Bowl practices for good reason,”  On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power wrote after the second day of practice. “The Florida pledge has locked down his side of the field for much of practice. He is rarely out of position and has given up very few catches on the week to this point. Opposing quarterbacks have tended to go away from his side through the first two days. Hanks is a fluid mover with outstanding ball skills, as evidenced by a ridiculous 13 interceptions as a senior. He looks like one of the smoothest cornerbacks on hand in San Antonio.”