It has been a busy summer for the Florida Gators coaching staff and in just over a week they will start the 2024 football season in the Swamp against Miami.
Billy Napier and his staff will also host several top prospects on campus for the game as they will have a chance to gain ground on some key targets.
GatorCountry brings you a recruiting mailbag as we answer your questions on the 2025 recruiting class and beyond.
Floridagatorman: What positions would you say are expected to be the thinnest next season? If the ultimate goal is to consistently stack the roster with a mix of 4* and 5* players, AND land those 3-5 superstar players, how much ground would you say we’ve made to date, and how are we looking for 2025 and 2026?
AS: I think the staff has done a good job of creating depth at positions since they arrived and that’s the biggest reason for optimism this year. Outside of both lines of scrimmages, I believe the depth is there.
As far as gaining ground on the superstar players, I think Florida is doing a better job there but they have to show results on the field in order to land those guys.
ThePlayer: What’s the likelihood that we pick up a 5* player or two by signing day?
AS: I don’t see a five-star in the class right now but they do have a shot at flipping five-star Florida State offensive line commit Solomon Thomas. It’s going to be tough but they’re still in the running for him.
The Player: Any chance that one or more of Gasper, Johnson, Jones, Mbatchou or Craig get upgraded with another star?
AS: Micah Jones, Myles Johnson and Joseph Mbatchou are the three guys that I think have a really good shot. Johnson just needs to show that his knee is 100% and he should see an upgrade. Mbatchou is a guy whose ranking will go up a lot once he gets on the field and shows his game.
Helix: What does our OL board look like at this point?
AS: Auburn offensive line commit Tavaris Dice and Nelson McGuire are the two names that Florida has the best shot with. Florida will keep in touch with FSU commit Solomon Thomas and Oregon commit Ziyare Addison as well. I do expect this list to grow as senior tape starts to come out on guys.
Gatorzfan: What does DL and LB board look like? Anyone in particular you are hearing good buzz on likely being a Gator? Thx
AS: At the defensive line, Ohio State commit Jarquez Carter and JUCO DL Zavion Hardy are the two names to watch closely. Both are going to watch Florida closely this fall.
At linebacker, all eyes are on Ty Jackson who the Gators love and he’s one of the top linebackers in the country. Jackson likes UF a lot but he won’t make a decision until December.
Gatordadx2: Andrew, who if anyone does UF have a chance at flipping later in the season? And how does UM with a pretty crappy record seem to out recruit UF? is it strictly NIL? or is Cristobal that much better of a recruiter?
AS: Cristobal isn’t on the hot seat so that helps them a lot because they don’t have that hanging over their heads but also Cristobal has always been known as a good recruiter.
As far as flipping guys, Ohio State defensive line commit Jarquez Carter is one of the top names to remember. He’s a local guy that is looking to see how the team does on the field this fall. Auburn offensive line commit Tavaris Dice is another to watch, he will be in town for the Miami game.
UFMBA14: What is going on with the O-Line?
AS: Things aren’t good with the offensive line in recruiting and there’s no way to spin it, the guys that Florida was after hard have all committed elsewhere and now the staff must try and flip them. Outside of flipping them, the staff will have to hit the portal hard where they will probably have to overpay in NIL for guys.
Gatorntuscaloosa: At what point will you put out a OL transfer in the portal prospects that we’ll be shooting, seeing as how that seems to be the primary path for OT’s ?? That and foreign students.
AS: After this year Florida needs to hit the portal hard for offensive linemen but it’s tough to land those guys because they’re at a premium and they require big NIL deals and in years past there haven’t been as many top linemen in the portal.
Pan: How come the 26’ class is bull gator and committing but the 25’ class is in wait to see mode and committing to others instead of waiting. I get that recruiting isn’t over until they sign the LOI but I’m not buying that we can get all of our targets to flip to us during the season because we have a good record or look improved from last year.
AS: The 2026 class knows they have plenty of time so they can commit but also keep their options open in case things go bad in Gainesville. As far as the 2025 class goes, it’s going to be tough to flip everyone they want but a good season on the field and I believe you will see several guys flip.
Gator126: Our recruiting has been very good in all areas but the oline. What is the real story behind our coaches in that group? Are they just bad recruiters? From some accounts from commits, they’re good coaches. So why are we not able to get top-tier linemen? We seem to max out at 3-star recruits.
AS: I don’t think it’s as much about the coaches as it’s NIL right now. Offensive linemen require a big deal for the most part and that’s something that Florida hasn’t been willing to do. I do think Sale and the rest of the staff need to step it up in this department as well though. They aren’t as aggressive as other coaches at other positions.
Juggernautz: Do you think we have a chance in breaking the top 10 in recruiting in 25?
AS: Breaking the top 10 is going to be very tough for the Gators this year but a great year on the field could get them close to the top 10. They will need several flips to make that happen but right now I say they break the top 20.
