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Florida superlatives from the final On300 rankings

On3 imageby:Zach Abolverdi•01/18/23•

ZachAbolverdi

Florida-Gators-Eugene-Wilson-On300

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Half of Florida’s signees made the final On300, including a top-50 trio. Here are the Gators-related superlatives from the rankings.

Newest five-star

UF receiver signee Eugene Wilson III was one of nine prospects who added a fifth star on Wednesday. At No. 32 nationally, he is one of the biggest recruiting outliers ranked higher by On3 than the rest of the industry.

On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power explains why.

“Eugene Wilson III has an argument as one of the more skilled receivers in this cycle. He is highly-coordinated, just a really silky smooth mover both as a route-runner and after the catch. He has very good ball skills… He’s around 5-foot-11 and could play in the slot, but I think he has the speed to also play outside. He runs an electronically timed 40-yard dash in the 4.4 second range and really, I think, is one of the toughest covers that we’ve seen in this cycle… On a per-game basis, he’s very productive. For his size, for a sub six-foot receiver, he has outstanding ball skills, just a natural in every way. You see that as well when he plays corner. He’s just a guy who’s always around the ball. He’s winning in contested situations.”

Power also included Wilson as one of 10 five-star recruits primed to make an instant impact as true freshmen. Florida is one of 16 programs with a five-star signee in the Class of 2023.

Biggest risers

A pair of Florida signees moved up more than 50 spots in the rankings, finishing as top-50 overall recruits in the Class of 2023 along with Wilson.

Defensive lineman Kelby Collins climbed 83 spots and cornerback Ja’Keem Jackson jumped 51 spots after both stood out during the Under Armour All-America Game and practices.

“Kelby Collins got better over the course of the week in Orlando. He had a very strong showing in 1-on-1’s on Day Three, feasting on the Team Speed offensive line. Collins backed that up with a stellar performance in Tuesday’s game, earning Defensive MVP honors from the broadcast. The Gardendale (Ala.) High product showed the ability to create disruption as a pass rusher, both on the interior and off the edge. His quickness and length were on the high-end among defensive linemen at Under Armour. When Collins is locked in, he’s shown dominant tendencies.” — Charles Power, On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings

“After seeing him at the UA All-American Game, it was very clear that Ja’Keem Jackson’s upside was sky high. The physicality he put on display in 1-on-1’s during practice throughout the week was eye-opening. He was consistently in phase and showed that someone with his stature could flip his hips and run with anyone on the field.” — Cody Bellaire, On3 Scouting and Rankings Assistant

New On300 member

UF defensive lineman signee Will Norman was among the 32 new entrants into the final On300. His inclusion gave the Gators a total of 10 members in the rankings.

Norman also boosted his stock with his showing during Under Armour All-America week. He was mentioned by Power among the top performers after each day of practice.

“(Day 1) Will Norman was among the most disruptive players during the team period for Team Speed. The Florida signee notched a tackle for loss, a sack and a pass breakup at the line of scrimmage. Norman used violent hands and a quality swim move. … (Day 2) Norman has looked more explosive and juiced-up after dropping significant weight. Norman flashed strong hands and overwhelming power during the team period. He is a bit one-dimensional, primarily relying on power rush moves during the 1-on-1 period, but was disruptive throughout the day. … (Day 3) Norman also had a great rep in 1-on-1’s following a good first two days.”

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In other Florida football news

UF recruiting roundup

Gators sports roundup

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