The Florida Gators coaching staff had a great spring and they’re preparing for a big month of June of visits.
Billy Napier and the rest of the coaching staff will host a lot of visitors in June including a huge amount this coming weekend.
GatorCountry brings you a new recruiting mailbag to get you caught up on things as we head into the busy summer months.
Liveoak: What is your outlook/take on the month of June ? I’ll just get straight to the point.
AS: It’s a HUGE month for this staff, a lot of staffs like to split up and have smaller numbers on visits each weekend but this staff has decided to go with a bigger group this month so it will be interesting to see how it pays off. The staff needs to close on some guys this month.
Johnagtor: I am still nervous about OL and DL recruits. Guess portal season is over. How do you feel about these positions?
AS: They’re both positions that you will hold your breath on this fall as you can’t afford any injuries at either position and also you need some young guys to step up at both positions. They’re addressing those concerns in this class but this fall is something to watch.
Ufgator84: Can Florida sign at least 1 elite OL recruit? Worrisome that the 2 OL coaches seem to be able to develop players, but don’t have any juice on the trail.
AS: I think they will land at least one but possibly even more elite offensive line recruits. Ethan Calloway and Fletcher Westphal are the top two guys that the Gators are in good shape for heading into visits.
Asmith1460: Besides QB, what position do you feel is most important/needed for this year?
AS: This is a tough one to me as I see, defensive line, offensive line, and linebacker as all big this year but I’ll go with linebacker simply because of numbers and the Gators needing some studs at the position in this class. They have two good ones committed already.
Travlingator: Which of the elite receivers that have shown an interest in Florida do we have a reasonable chance with?
AS: I like where Florida sits for guys like Isaiah Moore and Mario Craver right now. Florida also has a good shot with Jerrae Hawkins from IMG. Florida will get visits from a few others but those are the guys that the Gators have the best shot with heading into visits.
Thekentuckygator: Legit question. Do you feel Napier is/feels more settled in at this point in his tenure? Are we still following his basic blueprint for recruiting or have we needed to modify our board?
AS: I think he is settled in and I think he learned a lot last year with the Rashada mess and a few other situations. Napier is sticking with the blueprint for sure as he believes in his blueprint but he has made adjustments to it like going for more commits early instead of being relaxed about it.
Gatordadx2: This staff seems to be moving on recruits in stealth mode. Is that a result of the Rashada/Okunlola/Miami hurricanes meddling? And is there a recruit in your opinion that nobody is expecting in the class that we have a shot at? or a surprise recruit that’ll shoot up the boards like Wilson last year?
AS: They’re definitely moving quietly and you were able to see that a lot in the transfer portal as the staff knows NIL is the reason a lot of guys commit so the less challengers the better. Without naming names for the reason you stated above, yes I think there’s one or two guys that Florida has a better shot with then most think.
14serenoa: Is it possible we get 20 committed before September?
AS: I think it’s very possible and I would say it’s more likely than not that they are at 20 or very close to it. Napier likes to have a lot of class in the books before the fall.
Skgator1: How close are we to closing the gap between UGA and Alabama in the NIL and therefore catching up in recruiting?
AS: They’re catching up but still not there yet, those two schools were just way ahead and the mess that happened last year really hurt Florida and made them do a hard reset on things. Things are getting better in Gainesville now with the Gator Made group in charge.
Mika: Are there any QB targets? Or is it mainly Simmons?
AS: It’s basically just Austin Simmons, Florida kept its eye on some guys but nothing ever really materialized with those guys.
Ragator: Andrew, in the time CBN and staff have been on the job, in your opinion, how much have they been able to narrow the gap that existed with the high school coaches in Florida? It certainly appeared there was a lot of repair needed. On a scale of 1-10, where do you see the relationships as a whole in the state at this point? Thank you!
AS: He has improved those relationship a lot and high school coaches respect and like him and his staff. I would say it’s a 8 as it was about a 1 before he got in town. Napier has had an open door for those coaches and that has built a lot of trust.
Blackbird68: Andrew, do you really believe we are going to add another QB before the fall? If so, what is your educated guess as to who it will be?
AS: I believe Austin Simmons reclassifies and is in class for Summer B so he’s the added quarterback for the class.
Singles: Do you think there is too much pressure going to be put on Lagway to help save the QB position for Florida? I am concerned he is the only legit SEC caliber QB we will have on our roster next year. He is all the potential in the world but going against top SEC players week in and week out is a tough task for a true freshman. What is the outlook for the QB position the next few years? Thanks AS!
AS: I’ve said this to a few people that I think the pressure and expectations for Lagway is too much as many are basically expecting him to come in and save the program from day one and that simply isn’t fair to any freshman quarterback. Lagway is extremely good but to expect him to turn things around day one simply is unrealistic. Could he? Absolutely but that’s a lot of pressure on a young quarterback.
DylanGator: Chances with J Smith heading into the visit? How much of an influence do you think Lagway has?
AS: Jeremiah Smith has a good relationship with Lagway but right now Ohio State is sitting in the best shape for him as they hold his commitment, Georgia is also coming on strong and Florida is probably running third. Florida is in the mix but I think he sticks with Ohio State.
Ufgatordad: Any traction with Drelon Miller? Seems optimism at the beginning by some
on this board was solely due to him being on Lagway’s 7v7 team, but I have heard nothing about him. Assuming we aren’t actually a contender in his recruitment?
AS: Miller says he has three visits set for this month and then will announce a decision at the end of the month. Right now he doesn’t have a visit set to Florida and I think it’s best to move on from him right now.