‘Awesome,’ ‘genuine,’ ‘personable’: What top QB recruits say about Gators analyst Ryan O'Hara

If you interview a quarterback recruit and focus on the Florida Gators, the conversation invariably will turn to the name Ryan O’Hara. At Florida, O’Hara, who once played QB for the Arizona Wildcats, carries the ultra-important role of offensive analyst for quarterbacks. During the past couple years, Gators Online has conducted interviews with numerous top QB recruits. Here’s what they told us about O’Hara. ….

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-Five-star quarterback signee DJ Lagway of Willis (Texas): “O’Hara and J.P. Tillman, his private coach are really close. They bounce ideas off each other all the time. What I can say about the UF coaching staff is that they like to talk. It’s like a big organization and a big family. Coach Tillman, he loves Coach O’Hara. He’s learned a lot from Coach O’Hara and is excited for the relationship to build.

“We have those Zoom calls with them to learn coverages and different types of defenses, fronts, pressure. I’m learning a lot. We just watch film over the past year. Go over different run game stuff in the Florida offense. And go over plays and just defensive formations. Things I can translate over to my game as well. They’re really good film sessions. I can’t wait to get there and learn from Coach O’Hara.”

-Four-star 2025 quarterback Antwann Hill of Warner Robins (Ga.) Houston County: “Really good dude,” Hill said. “Knows what he’s talking about with QBs. He knows how to develop them. If I did choose to go to Florida, I know I’m going to get developed. He knows what to do to get me to the league. He did a great job with Anthony Richardson. I think (Richardson) was prepared for the league.”

Relationship-building appears to be a key for Ryan O’Hara

-Four-star 2025 Michigan quarterback commit Carter Smith of Fort Myers (Fla.) Bishop Verot: “He’s awesome. It’s just when I’m around him, I feel really comfortable. I feel like that’s a dude I want to go win for.”

-Four-star 2025 quarterback Ryan Montgomery of Findlay (Ohio): “I have felt the love from Coach Ryan O’Hara. He is probably the coach I have talked to the most and I have a really good relationship with. I have done the most zooms with him out of all of the coaches recruiting me and his love shows. We talk a lot, it has gone on for a long time.”

-Montgomery’s father, Mike Montgomery: “The biggest thing to date is his, mine, and even our (head coach’s) relationship with O’Hara. One of the top recruiters of ours, no doubt.”

QBs rave about his football knowledge

-Four-star 2026 quarterback Will Griffin of Tampa (Fla.) Jesuit: “I love Coach O’Hara. He’s such a genuine person. And I’ve met him so many times now. I like the way he runs the offense. He has a bunch of confidence in his team and in his players. That’s something I’d like to have in one of my coaches, too.”

–Noah Grubbs, newly offered 2026 quarterback at Lake Mary (Fla.): “I love the process Coach O’Hara has with the quarterback development. He has a great relationship with my QB trainer, Coach Baylin Trujillo. And so some of the stuff he likes they share so Baylin has been doing it in our recent trainings. Most coaches I talk to already expect us to be polished when we come in. But Coach O’Hara believes that there is always room for improvement no matter what and it has to be consistent. So I love that about him.”

-Four-star 2026 QB Dia Bell of Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage: “It was great (getting coached by O’Hara at camp). He was just giving me little pointers to maybe get my arm up in certain types of throws. With certain types of reads, maybe I should go to one side of the field if the middle is open. Just little stuff like that. But it makes a whole lot of difference with me.”

-UF-offered 2026 QB Logan Rogers of Tampa Bay Tech: “I talk to Coach O’Hara a lot. Just giving him updates on how things are going. He’s a great coach, great schemes, does a great job with the QBs, great just with development. He’s a very personable dude.”