With the Florida Gators moving on from the notable recruitment of USC’s Desmond Claude, Todd Golden and his staff will continue to look for a star to pair with Princeton transfer Xaivian Lee in the backcourt. Florida has a starting spot next to proven talent along with a considerable NIL package to offer prospective players which should make for an enticing pitch, and for that reason they should have a fighting chance with whatever player they choose to pursue. Australian Ben Henshall has been a popular target to discuss and while that remains a possibility it currently looks like he is likely to stay in the NBA Draft, meaning the Gators could still be looking at NCAA transfers to be their primary targets.
As you have seen with recent recruitments, both ones in the national media as well as stories connected to the Gators, recruiting changes quickly in today’s climate. There are players that Florida hasn’t been connected to that they still could get involved with, and it’s possible that the next stud in the backcourt is a name you haven’t yet heard.
Here is a list of some of the best perimeter players that remain in the portal. This list is not meant to suggest that the Gators have necessarily pursued anyone included–it is simply a look at the top talent that is still available that Florida could look to.
Boogie Fland
Arkansas
This is a player the Gators have been connected to, but that isn’t the reason why he’s number one on the list–he’s number one because he looks to be the most talented player available on the open market. Despite an injury Fland put together a season that saw him average 13.5 points and 5.1 assists per game, and that was in a system that many people aren’t particularly fond of. There is certainly a chance that Fland remains in the NBA Draft and doesn’t return to college but if he does you can expect a monster season wherever he ends up.
PJ Haggerty
Memphis
One of the biggest stories in the portal this season was the late entry of PJ Haggerty who was reported to be asking for a gigantic sum of money. While he’s unlikely to get what he initially asked for, you can see why he thought he was one of the most valuable players in the country after putting up a remarkable season averaging 21.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.7 points. Right now it looks like Haggerty is headed to NC State where he can also get another one of his demands in the portal–the chance to start at point guard. Because of his desire to be a lead ball handler it’s unlikely that Florida would be the best fit, but in any list of the best guards technically available Haggerty needs to be on it.
Tyon Grant-Foster
Grand Canyon
Let’s just start by talking about the remarkable journey of Tyon Grant-Foster. He started his collegiate career in 2018 where he played two years of junior college (years that no longer count towards a player’s eligibility) before transferring to Kansas. After a year at Kansas, Grant-Foster went to DePaul where he played just one game before suffering a terrible injury that cost him not one but two entire seasons. Following two years where he couldn’t play, he landed at Grand Canyon where he scored 20.1 points per game in 2024-25 and followed it up with 14.8 points per game last season. Grant-Foster is a unique player in that he’s somewhat of a point guard at 6’7” and that makes for some interesting looks and matchups for the defense. The big issue for Grant-Foster is that he’s a career 28% three-point shooter, and he just had one of his worst shooter seasons this past season hitting just 23% of his looks from deep. A fascinating talent, Grant-Foster will have no problem landing at a great program next year where a team will try to accentuate his incredible driving skills.
George Kimbel
Eastern Kentucky
One of the more underrated players in the country this past season, Kimbel quietly put up 18.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.2 assists for a solid Eastern Kentucky team before missing the last few weeks of the season due to a knee injury. The injury could have teams showing some concern for what he could look like by the ball, but what he did in his 23 games this season will have coaches intrigued. The Atlantic Sun conference has also produced a lot of transfers that have really worked at the high-major level in recent years (such as Chaz Lanier), so some coaches will certainly see his production translating. Kimbel, a Tampa native, started his career at DII Eckard and will have multiple years of eligibility remaining.
Ali Dibba
Southern Illinois
A native of Stockholm, Sweden, Ali Dibba is someone that has been productive everywhere he has been and he is now looking to prove he can be a contributor at the high-major level. Coming from Sweden, Dibba started his career at Chicago State where he averaged 13.4 points in five games before getting injured. He then went to Abilene Christian where he increased his scoring to 15.5 points per game in his second season. Then, he transferred to Southern Illinois for the 2024-25 campaign where he increased his output yet again to 17.2 points per game. The 6’5” off guard has nice size that should translate to a higher level, though he is a slightly below average catch and shoot player which has been the knock on his game. If Dibba’s name sounds familiar, it’s because the Gators played Southern Illinois earlier this season where he was the Salukis’ top scorer with 17 points.
As you can see, the portal is starting to get tapped of surefire high-major producers and while there are some interesting players with upside available–the Gators have found themselves in a situation where the Fland recruitment becomes extremely important. While the Gators could look at some of the other names on this list if they miss out on Fland, an international addition could still be in the mix.