The Florida Gators started the month of July ranked 28th in the nation by 247Sports when it came to recruiting the class of 2023. Fast forward to July 30 and UF is now ranked No. 12 by the service and appears capable of making a push into the top 10.
Billy Napier earned pledges from a quartet of four-star recruits in the final week of the month. Cornerback Ja’Keem Jackson was the first to commit, but his announcement might have been overshadowed by Florida missing out on his teammates, four-star defensive linemen John Walker and Derrick LeBlanc. Both were considered priority targets for the Gators and were higher ranked than Jackson.
But Jackson’s commitment was just the start of things. Receiver Aidan Mizell, who is ranked No. 72 overall on the 247Sports composite, picked the Gators the very next day. Defensive back Jordan Castell, the No. 13 safety in the class, came next on Saturday morning, and former Miami wide receiver commit Andy Jean moved up his announcement to join in on the fun.
That’s four four-star recruits committed in roughly 72 hours and Florida might not be done. Perhaps this barrage of commitments is settled, but the Gators just hosted several blue-chip recruits at their Friday Night Lights event and cookout.
At No. 12 overall, Florida sits behind just Tennessee and LSU. Leap-frogging the two SEC programs would not only put Florida in the top 10, but it would also put them directly behind Miami. The Hurricanes had an even bigger July than the Gators, recruiting-wise, and the two are bound to be compared as the season plays out.
Florida is moving in the right direction, but a five-star commitment is needed to get into the same conversations as the elites. Cormani McClain is the obvious name to go after to secure that top-10 placement, and this recent surge has fans believing that Napier can pull it off.
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