Gators Land in Top 10 for In-State Safety Prospect
Florida's had notable success plucking talent from the Lakeland, Fla., area throughout the program's recent history.
On Thursday, the Gators moved one step closer to writing another chapter in the book of talent acquisition from the region as Lakeland High School safety prospect Keon Young included UF among his top ten schools.
He named Florida, Auburn, Kentucky, Michigan State, Missouri, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas A&M, USF and West Virginia as the programs in contention for his services moving forward.
Labeled as the nation's No. 21 safety and No. 278 overall player in the 2025 class, Young has drawn interest from a bevy of powerhouse programs during the early stages of his recruitment effort, accumulating 30 total offers.
Showcasing impressive deep zone coverage abilities, physicality at the point of attack and advanced ball skills, the 6-foot, 171-pound safety puts himself in position to frequently make plays on the ball in the air. He accounted for at least nine interceptions, including two pick-sixes, per his junior year film during a breakout campaign with the Dreadnaughts in 2023.
The Gators are in the process of retooling the defensive backend with athletic and physical safety prospects under the new direction of position coach Will Harris.
The ball-hawking Young aligns as one of the top targets to fill the need, standing notably alongside Mandarin (Jacksonville, Fla.) High School product Hylton 'Drake' Stubbs.
Florida is considered the favorite for Young's commitment at this stage. He's visited Gainesville twice since receiving an offer from Billy Napier and Co. in November, most recently trekking to campus for an unofficially stay on Jan. 20.
However, despite the mutual interest, the Sunshine State native doesn't anticipate announcing his pledge anytime soon, setting a December timeline for his eventual commitment as he thoroughly examines the options at his disposal, according to On3 Sports.
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