Florida Gators rise again in On3 rankings with newest commitment

In early July, the Florida Gators had only eight commitments and the No. 56 class ranking from On3. Both numbers were more than a little concerning. But today, the situation looks a whole lot better.

Four-star receiver Naeshaun Montgomery of Miami (Fla.) Central became the Gators’ 14 commitment Sunday. Meanwhile, the Florida recruiting class now has moved all the way up to No. 19. The Gators sat at No. 20 before Montgomery’s pledge was announced.

Florida has eight 4-stars and six 3-stars committed. One of the 4-stars — receiver Vernell Brown III — is only four spots from having 5-star status. Meanwhile, Florida’s average commit rating is 89.3

Here’s a quick look at the overall Gators class:

*4-star Vernell Brown III, WR, Orlando (Fla.) Jones: Brown is Florida’s highest-ranked commitment (No. 36 overall, No. 6 receiver) in the On3 Industry Rankings for a reason. There’s little he can’t do. The 5-foot-10.5, 173-pound slot receiver is coming off a huge junior season and is primed to produce even better numbers in 2024.

*4-star Ben Hanks Jr., CB, Miami (Fla.) Booker T. Washington: Hanks, son of former Florida linebacker Ben Hanks Sr., is the No. 102 overall recruit and No. 11 corner in the country for the On3 Industry Rankings. He has long arms and is a ball hawk. He probably isn’t done growing and is one of the most competitive players in the Sunshine State.

*4-starJalen Wiggins, Edge, Tallahassee (Fla.) Rickards: Wiggins, listed at 6-foot-5 and 235 pounds, checks in at No. 115 overall in the On3 Industry Rankings and is No. 91 for On3. He’s graded by most sites as a defensive lineman but the Gators are recruiting him at edge

*4-star Joshua Moore, WR, Pembroke Pines (Fla.) West Broward: In the On3 Industry Rankings, Moore is the No. 139 overall recruit. But at On3, we have him all the way up at No. 57. Moore, listed at 6-foot-4, 205 pounds, recorded 50 catches for 835 yards and nine touchdowns last season and had over 1,000 yards in 2022.

*4-star Demetres Samuel, S, Palm Bay (Fla.) Heritage: Samuel had a busy July. First, the 4-star recruit de-committed from Syracuse. Then he reclassified from 2026 to 2025. And finally, he committed to the Gators. He’s the No. 205 recruit in the country — and happens to be Florida’s lone safety commit. 

*4-star Naeshaun Montgomery of Miami (Fla.) Central: Had 30 catches for 451 yards and five touchdowns last season at West Palm Beach (Fla.) Cardinal Newman. Montgomery transferred to Central during the offseason — and he recorded a 56-yard touchdown reception for his new team on Friday night in the opener.

*4-star Waltez Clark, RB, Tampa (Fla.) Plant: Clark is a 4-star in the On3 Industry Rankings, but only a 3-star with On3. He’ll have a chance to move up if he keeps up his strong play. Clark rushed for 175 yards and two touchdowns on only seven carries in his opener Friday night.

*4-star Tae’shaun Gelsey, TE/ATH, Jacksonville (Fla.) Riverside: Gelsey is an intriguing prospect to say the least. Florida likes him as a tight end/athlete. Listed at 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, Gelsey has a lot of tools to be successful for the Gators, particularly in the passing game.

*3-star Jeramiah McCloud, DL, Leesburg (Ga.) Lee County: McCloud is productive on Friday nights and has transformed his body this year. He’s off to a solid start this season and had double-digit tackles in his opener.

*3-star Myles Johnson, LB, Brewton (Ala.) T.R. Miller: Florida hopes to sign two backers and Johnson, a former Alabama pledge, is the only one currently committed. At 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds, he has one of the better linebacker bodies in the class. He’s a 3-star recruit with a 4-star frame.

*3-star Micah Jones, TE, Madison Central (Miss.): Jones will bring a big frame (6-foot-4, 250 pounds) to the Florida tight ends room and that’s needed as much as sleek pass catchers. He’s a high-level blocker.

*3-star Chad Gasper, RB, Fulshear (Texas) Katy Jordan: Gasper possibly could be primed to see his ranking (No. 50 running back in the On3 Industry) rise if he gets more usage this fall. He has carried the ball only 302 times for 1,463 yards on the varsity squad in three seasons. But the ability is there.

*3-star Joseph Mbatchou, DL, Grayson (Ga.): This is Mbatchou’s first year of playing football. But after committing to the Gators his stock is soaring. He’s now a 3-star recruit (with possibly 4-star potential) and schools such as Auburn, South Carolina and Texas recently have offered.

*3-star Hayden Craig, P, North Bridgton (Me.) Academy: Florida needed a punter in the class and the Gators landed one in Craig. Based on what Kohl’s Kicking — the expects in this area — say about Craig, he has a chance to be an effective player in college.