Where ESPN ranks Florida's top incoming recruits & transfers nationally
The Florida Gators signed a top-10 2025 class in the On3 Industry team rankings. UF added 27 prospects from the high school ranks along with a half dozen portal players.
How do Florida’s top incoming recruits and transfers stack up nationally? ESPN ranked the top 25 groups of newcomers — recruits and transfers combined — based on who could see the most impactful immediate returns for 2025.
The Gators came in at No. 23 on the list compiled by ESPN recruiting analysts Craig Haubert and Billy Tucker. That ranked No. 12 in the SEC, including six UF opponents, with Miami (No. 8) and Florida State (No. 13) also in the top 15.
UF doesn’t rank as high as some other schools that more transfers, but ESPN is high on a handful of freshmen from Florida’s 2025 class. Here’s what Haubert and Tucker had to say about the Gators’ most notable additions.
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ESPN on Florida’s top newcomers
Top impact recruits: WR Dallas Wilson, S Lagonza Hayward, S Drake Stubbs
“While the 2024 season presented challenges, the Gators finished strong under Billy Napier, which led to a boost on the recruiting trail, particularly in their backyard. Florida kept Wilson and fellow ESPN 300 pass catcher Vernell Brown III home. Wilson has turned heads the most this spring. At 6-foot-4, 190 pounds with a 4.5 40-yard dash, he has a rare combination of size, speed and understanding of the position for a freshman.
Hayward and Stubbs should be in the backend rotation this fall. Both ESPN 300 safeties have been as advertised this spring. Stubbs is very instinctive with range and physicality to make plays in all three levels of the defense.”
Top transfers: WR J. Michael Sturdivant, QB Harrison Bailey, CB Micheal Caraway Jr.
The Gators brought in weapons for their talented young quarterback DJ Lagway after their two top wideouts graduated. Sturdivant is a proven pass catcher with 1,667 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns over three seasons at UCLA and Cal. He has big-play potential and NFL talent, but perhaps most valuable will be his veteran leadership for freshmen Wilson and Brown. Caraway (Southern Miss) might not project as an impact defender, but he’s scheme versatile with experience.
What it means
The Gators lost 2024 starters at wide receiver (x2), right tackle, nose tackle, outside linebacker, inside linebacker, cornerback and punter. They addressed four of those seven positions with portal players, most notably Sturdivant and Tommy Doman. Caraway, Bailey and OLB Kofi Asare will provide depth at their positions.
Florida will likely rely on returning players to step into starting roles at cornerback (Dijon Johnson and Cormani McClain), outside linebacker (George Gumbs Jr. and LJ McCray), inside linebacker (Myles Graham), nose tackle (Jamari Lyons and Michai Boireau) and right tackle (Bryce Lovett and Caden Jones).
Given who comes back at receiver and the early returns on Brown, Wilson and Naeshaun Montgomery, all of whom stood out in the spring, the Gators didn’t need another transfer with Sturdivant. They were unable to land a safety from the portal, so signing two impact recruits in Hayward and Stubbs proved pivotal.
