Thanksgiving Thursday: Five reasons why Gators recruiting fans should be thankful

Thanksgiving is all about being grateful for what you have, spending time with loved ones, eating delicious food, and of course watching football.

With that said, here at Gators Online, we decided to highlight five things Florida recruiting fans can be thankful for on this special holiday!

The Gators have their signal caller of the future

Despite falling short over the summer, Billy Napier’s staff kept their foot on the accelerator and ultimately flipped Jaden Rashada from Miami.

The California native is an Under Armour All-American and could very well be a multi-year starter in Gainesville. Anthony Richardson will likely depart for the NFL after this season, likely forming a 2023 battle between Jack Miller and Jalen Kitna. Rashada could play himself into that conversation as well, but 2024 and beyond is when he could realistically make a splash in Gainesville.

All in all, UF’s quarterback room is fairly thin and needed a major talent to be excited about for the next several years. Jaden Rashada is that player, so that is certainly something to be thankful for.

Corey Raymond the recruiter

Producing the expected on-field results is a work in progress, especially since it’s his first season at UF with players he did not recruit, but Raymond is definitely making an impact on the recruiting trail.

Yes, I know the Gators missed out on No. 1-cornerback Cormani McClain; that’s going to be a stinger for quite a while, but having Raymond on staff has produced a strong DB class consisting of six prospects.

Three Under Armour All-American cornerbacks are on the way to Gainesville in Ja’Keem Jackson, Dijon Johnson and Sharif Denson, while Raymond also played a pivotal role in landing safety commits Jordan Castell and Aaron Gates. His reputation as a top-notch defensive backs coach is a major reason why Florida boasts one of the nation’s premier defensive back classes.

And although LSU is likely the favorite to land cornerback Desmond Ricks, Raymond is the primary reason why the Gators are a finalist in his recruitment. His name holds weight and I know Gators fans are grateful he is on Billy Napier’s staff rather than representing LSU.

Remember the Name: Eugene Wilson III

The Tampa (Fla.) Gaither is one who simply goes about his business.

To our knowledge, he did not attend a single Florida game and was solely focused on his senior campaign, and man, that commitment certainly paid off.

Wilson is a big-play threat who is always one missed tackle away from racking up six points. That was evident all fall, as he averaged 19 yards per catch and recorded 11 touchdowns despite missing a handful of games. He also recorded five interceptions, including two that resulted in a touchdown.

Like at defensive back, the Gators also boast a highly-regarded wide receiver class; however, Wilson is the headliner in that group and could be the next star pass catcher. He should be able to wreak havoc in the slot for the orange and blue.

The Gators boast a top defensive line class and are still on the hunt

Four-star prospects Kamran James, Kelby Collins, Gavin Hill, T.J. Searcy and Will Norman: Those are the prospects currently making up the Gators’ defensive line class.

However, that has not prevented Sean Spencer from pursuing additional blue-chip seniors. UCF commit John Walker continues to be a top flip target ahead of next month’s official visit, while Jacksonville native Jordan Hall and five-star prospect James Smith are in the mix as well.

If the Gators reel in any of those additional prospects, that would catapult the defensive line class to a whole other level. JUCO product Elijah Davis and South Carolina commit Xzavier McLeod are on the radar as well, but considering it’s Spencer’s first full recruiting cycle, you certainly have to be pleased with the amount of talented already in the class.

The Gators are retooling in the trenches and in a major way.

Florida’s commitment to the transfer portal

Shortly after Billy Napier relocated to Gainesville, the Gators landed All-Americans such as Kamari Wilson and Shemar James. Considering time was certainly not on their side, it was a strong first class under Napier’s leadership.

As expected, Florida also turned its attention to the transfer portal. It’s safe to say that decision has already paid off in a major way.

Offensive lineman O’Cyrus Torrence is arguably the top interior offensive lineman in the country and likely headed to the NFL, while fellow Louisiana transfer Montrell Johnson is approaching 1,000 yards rushing in his first year with the Gators. Then you have Ricky Pearsall, who has reeled in 24 receptions for 448 yards and three touchdowns after transferring from Arizona State.

Obviously, you want to construct a roster that is known for development and producing over the long haul. In today’s day and age of college football, however, you also need to land immediate contibutors from the transfer portal. UF has done exactly that.

During the upcoming offseason, I expect the Gators to mirror their blueprint from last cycle. And once again, Gainesville will be an appealing destination for many.

Stay tuned to Gators Online.