Top commit CJ Ingram announces intention to sign with Florida

Todd Golden and the Florida Gators are getting closer to welcoming CJ Ingram into the program, as the 6-foot-6 guard announced his intention to sign on Wednesday afternoon.

However, the Gators cannot officially welcome him into the program until mid-April, which is when the second signing period takes place.

Ingram, a legacy recruit and the son of former Gators tight end Cornelius Ingram, is a native of Hawthorne, Florida who transferred to powerhouse Montverde Academy in the fall.

The 4-star prospect was also a talented football player who was trending toward Billy Napier‘s program before solely focusing on hoops. His commitment to UF was made official on Aug. 12.

According to the On3 rankings, Ingram is the No. 22 prospect and No. 8 shooting guard. He is also a top-five player in Florida, so the No. 2-ranked Gators are getting a potential star for the 2025-26 season.

“It’s a great thing to see,” Ingram said of UF’s play earlier this season. “I love watching the games. Everything looks like it is going well. The guard play is great. They’ve all been playing great. I can’t wait to see them in conference play. I see the potential of what they can do in March Madness.”

Ingram’s decision to not sign in November was due to several reasons. One of them was wanting to sign alongside with family and friends; however, his move to Montverde Academy complicated that due to the school being roughly 90 minutes from home.

There were also the accusations of harassment against Todd Golden that came out around that time, so with those complaints put to rest, it’s no surprise Ingram is now officially a Gator.

But for now, he still has business to take care of at Montverde Academy. He is currently leading the program in points, rebounds and steals behind averages of 12.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.8 steals.

“There was definitely an adjustment (coming from Hawthorne), but now I’m getting comfortable and seeing the bigger picture,” Ingram said. “I love the environment of the school and how it’s preparing me for my future. I love the way the coaches coach and having great teammates to play with and compete with every day in practice.”

CJ Ingram recently shined at the 2025 Hoophall Classic

“The performance for CJ Ingram on Sunday was an all-around one. However, if you were to look at the stat sheet, you would not understand the totality of his impact on the double-figure win. His defense was on another level, showing just how high his ceiling could be as a stopper on that end of the floor.

“Naturally, you look see a player went 6-6 from the field and 4-4 from the free throw line, you get the gist of their offensive impact. The efficiency was impressive. Ingram was able to gain an advantage and finish the play. When it wasn’t there he moved off the ball and took defenders with him. However, it was the job he did defending AJ Dybantsa that is the lion’s share of the reason why he is this high on this list. He used every inch of his lengthy 6-foot-6 frame to make everything difficult for the consensus No. 1 player in the country. Ingram has quick feet with natural anticipation and a tenacity in his game that is hard to miss. He held Dybantsa to 8 points on 3-10 (1-5 3P) shooting and two turnovers in the first half as Montverde took a 42-15 lead into halftime.

“Ingram finished with a team-high 16 points adding 4 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal, and a block in the win.” — On3’s Jamie Shaw

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Congratulations to senior CJ Ingram on making his commitment to Florida official on signing day ✍️ @GatorsMBK are getting a competitor with a high ceiling 💪 pic.twitter.com/Xgvqw3gGj0

— Montverde Academy Basketball (@MVABasketball) February 19, 2025