Skip to main content
florida logo

JD PicKell's message to Gator Nation: Use Florida's hot recruiting run 'as a compass'

On3 imageby:Keith Niebuhr•07/01/23•

On3Keith

Jamonta Waller
Jamonta Waller (Instagram)

On3’s JD PicKell thinks Florida Gators football fans may want to exhibit some patience right now. And the reason for that, he said, is because coach Billy Napier’s recruiting success might be a sign of where the program potentially could be headed.

“How should you assess this recruiting momentum that Billy Napier and company, how should you evaluate what they’re doing right now?” PicKell said on his show, The Hard Count. “Because recruiting doesn’t just automatically equal wins. You need talent to win games, but you can also have a very talented football team and lose some games.

So, the advice that I would give to Florida Gator fans when trying to assess what they’re doing right now, use it as a compass. A compass does not tell you where you’re at, a compass is not a map, a compass is not a destination, but a compass tells you which way you’re going, and I think this is proof that you’re headed in the right direction.”

Just a few weeks ago, Florida’s 2024 recruiting class sat outside the top 10. But after picking up 10 verbals in June the Gators now have 17 commits (commit list HERE) and the No. 3 class ranking for On3 (full rankings HERE). That’s good for the second-best group in the SEC, trailing only two-time defending national champ Georgia.

The Gators scored massive recruiting wins in June

With recent commitments, the Gators beat out programs such as Georgia, Auburn, Florida State, LSU Miami, Penn State and Tennessee to land recruits.

PicKell addressed the concern some have about what might happen to the class should the Gators struggle on the field this season.

“First thing they’re gonna say, well wait until Florida takes the field,” PicKell said. “Wait until they start losing games. Just wait for that. Yo, they’re committing to a team that won six ball games a season ago. They understand that Florida is kind of in this climb backstage.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE GATORS ONLINE NEWSLETTER AND GET BREAKING NEWS SENT TO YOU FOR FREE

They’re still trying to get to the top of the mountain. They understand that this isn’t going to be a thing where Florida just goes off and likely wins the SEC this year. Now, far be it from me to give you an absolute with the college football season, but that’s probably not going to be the way this thing shakes out in 2023, but a lot of these kids who are committing, I would say all of these kids who are committing, they’re coming to Gainesville to be a part of the solution.

They’ll say, ‘Yeah, Florida hasn’t been what it is historically known to be. We’re here to bring the brand back to being prominent. We’re here to restock those trophy cases.’ Alright, so I don’t believe that a lot of these kids are gonna just jump ship if they see Florida win six games again. Don’t think that’s gonna happen.”

SUBSCRIBE TO THE GATORS ONLINE YOUTUBE CHANNEL

Overall, PicKell is impressed by Florida’s recent recruiting surge.

“Now, the Florida Gators, man, they have been on an absolute heater,” PicKell said on his show. “Heater, and you never walk away from a heater. You just don’t it. Ten commitments in the month of June. They have the No. 3 class last time I checked in the On3 Industry Recruiting Team Rankings. Billy Napier and company have gone to work. They are recruiting like a full-on program.”

You may also like