With the new year, attention has officially turned to the 2025 recruiting class, and the Gators have noticeably started strong. With three commitments thus far from wide receiver Josiah Abdullah of Woodward Academy in Atlanta, Ga.; edge rusher Jalen Wiggins of John Rickards High in Tallahassee, Fla.; and running back Waltez Clark of Plant High in Tampa, Fla., Florida has rapidly amassed the crucial momentum required to lay the groundwork for a bright class. The Gators hope to take advantage of Billy Napier and the Florida coaching staff’s packed schedule of unofficial visits, which runs from mid-January to early-February.
UF’s main goal on the trail is to secure additional commitments in order to create a core group early in the cycle. During that period, a number of key targets want to hike to Gainesville or have already done so. All Gators looks at five highly regarded prospects that Florida is vying for in the near future. QB Ryan Montgomery A gifted quarterback may instantly improve scouting impressions of a recruiting class. Early in the 2024 class, Florida applied that formula. It plans to follow through on this in 2025. Strengthening the future of the Gators’ quarterback position is franchise quarterback prospect DJ Lagway, the headline act from the previous cycle, who has officially enrolled at the University of Florida. The intended next in line for the unit is Ryan Montgomery.
At the quarterback position, where he now holds the top spot on the board, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound pocket passer has demonstrated exceptional ball placement, an innate ability to look downfield while under pressure, and a complementary rush game throughout his prep career. When it comes to his adjustment to the collegiate game, Montgomery’s ability to stack throws from the pocket and on the run has drawn attention. Although he has a propensity to stumble on deeper throws, he will want to improve his technique and consistency when going through progressions. However, his intangibles point to a high ceiling for his anticipated play in the SEC or Big 10. His recruitment has received a lot of attention from Florida since his April 6 offer, thanks in large part to the efforts of head coach, offensive play-caller, and quarterbacks coach Billy Napier, as well as off-field quarterback assistant Ryan O’Hara. On January 16, Napier had just returned from a trip to Findlay (Ohio) High to observe the quarterback.
Up until now, he has shown interest in Florida as well, making the state a strong candidate for his services. The Gators are making an effort to repel teams from South Carolina, Georgia, Michigan, Penn State, and so on. But as Montgomery’s process comes to a climax this spring, they are confident in their position. On February 3, Montgomery will travel to Gainesville for the third time since April after spending recent weeks visiting the Gamecocks and Bulldogs. In the near future, Florida hopes to make him the class’s face. WR CALEB CUNNINGHAM
Over the last two cycles, the Gators have made a deliberate effort to develop speed in the wide receiver corps. During that period, Florida secured commitments from prominent figures such as Eugene Wilson III, Andy Jean, Aidan Mizell, Jerrae Hawkins, and Tawaski Abrams. They pledged to reconstruct the slot and Z-receiver roles for the future. However, the X-receiver position has remained mostly unaffected. Therefore, it’s important to keep a careful eye on the early relationship between Florida and five-star Chocktaw County (Ackerman, Miss.) pass-catcher Caleb Cunningham.
Since his sophomore high school season, the 6-foot-3, 180-pound wide receiver has attracted a lot of attention as one of the country’s best wide receivers. Cunningham is a talented prospect who thrives as a jump-ball target in short-yardage and red-zone scenarios. He has sure hands and a long catch radius. But his long stride and athleticism can also turn routine catches into big gains. His wide range of abilities as a dependable possession receiver and big play threat sets him suited to play a high-volume role on the boundary at the next level. The Gators think highly of him as a result.
Cunningham told All Gators earlier this month that he will travel to the University of Florida on February 3. There, wide receivers coach Billy Gonzales, assistant David Doeker, and other Gators employees will keep trying to provide the groundwork for him to finally earn his promise, though given the number of programs he is presently juggling, that may happen later in the cycle. Nevertheless, Florida will try to stay at the top of the list of pursuers to secure a genuine X-receiver calibre talent for Lagway and other passers to use in the future, regardless of whether his commitment occurs in the spring, summer, or fall. OT Michael Fasusi Since Napier and Co. assumed control in Gainesville in December 2021, the Gators have made an effort to add skill and depth to positions of necessity. There have been some improvements.
One obvious need remains, though, as the Gators have failed to sign a highly skilled offensive lineman prospect from the high school rankings. They aim even higher in the 2025 class, having come closer than before in the 2024 cycle when they signed four-star talent and Leesburg, Virginia, kid Fletcher Westphal as a pledge. It is without a doubt the most important thing Florida needs to do. Rob Sale and Darnell Stapleton, the offensive line coaches, have identified Michael Fasusi as their top tackle target in order to accomplish this.
At 6-foot-4 and 285 pounds, Fasusi lacks the massive bulk that the Gators had been looking for in offensive tackle prospects under Sale and Stapleton. However, his superior technical skill—strong, well-positioned hands at the point of attack—and propensity for finishing blocks to the ground surpass Florida’s typical requirements for tackle talent. His ability to play both left and right tackle for Lewisville (Texas) High is another positive quality. Accordingly, the 247Sports Composite rankings place Fasusi at No. 2 at the position and No. 13 nationally. He is currently Florida’s offensive tackle board’s highest-ranked player.
Given the plethora of possible suitors for his talents, Fasusi, like Cunningham, may have to stretch his commitment timeline past the spring. Nevertheless, Florida will exert constant pressure to entice him into the commitment class prior to the 2024 season’s kickoff, given the demand for the position and the staff’s ambition to sign the native of the Lone Star State. DB ‘Drake’ Hampton Stubbs Duval’s defensive backs are still highly valued. After the 2023 season, Florida reconstructed their squad in the offseason, and this resulted in a major alteration to the defensive backfield.
With the addition of multiple transfers and prep prospects in December and January, the focus on rebuilding the Gators secondary’s talent pool carries over into the 2025 recruiting class. Hylton ‘Drake’ Stubbs, a great safety from Mandarin High School in Jacksonville, Florida, is the top player the Gators are watching. As a long and rangy player in the Mustangs’ backfield, Stubbs has established himself as one of the nation’s most effective ball-hawking secondary defenders for the 2025 campaign. In his junior season, he recorded six interceptions, three fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles, and six pass breakups.
He has demonstrated impressive speed, ball-attacking instincts, and a willingness to assist in run support during his three successful prep seasons. At 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds, he also exhibits above-average size in comparison to the free safety prospects the Gators have recently courted. It helped him to perform brilliantly in the open field in 2023, totaling 91 tackles. As a result, Austin Armstrong, the defensive coordinator, and Will Harris, the coach of the defensive backs, are putting a lot of effort into trying to get his commitment this spring. LB OWUSU-BOATENG, NATHANIEL This summer, the Gators acquired Myles Graham, Aaron Chiles, and Grayson “Pup” Howard to their second level defence. Shemar James, a top ‘backer who started multiple seasons, eventually left to join the NFL, leaving the three freshmen to take up the place going forward.
Florida has been consistent in its recruiting efforts for IMG Academy linebacker Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng, hoping to keep building talent in the room beyond the 2024 campaign. Owusu-Boateng, a 6-foot-2, 205-pound second-level defender, showed off his extraordinary athleticism and physical strength as a junior in 2023 while playing downhill for the Ascenders defence. Since he transferred to IMG Academy over the previous offseason, a number of the nation’s top programs have expressed interest in him due to his remarkable diagnostic abilities, quickness in closing gaps and pursuing ball carriers, and sideline-to-sideline versatility.
With his well-developed body and propensity for playing in space, the nation’s No. 6 LB and No. 53 overall player in the 2025 class, according to 247Sports Composite, has the ability to play both the MIKE and WILL linebacker spots at the next level. Thus, as he establishes himself in Gainesville, Owusu-Boateng is perhaps the top target for recently appointed linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator Ron Roberts, who recruited Owusu-Boateng when he was Auburn’s defensive play-caller. However, the Gators will need to overcome Notre Dame, Miami, Ohio State, and the other 27 institutions that have made offers to the native of Hyattsville, Maryland, in order to secure his highly sought-after pledge. The recruiting prediction system at On3 Sports now ranks Florida as the top candidate for his services.
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