SI All-American Watch List: 20 Florida Gators Football Commits and 23 Key UF Targets Named
Editor's note: This story will be continuously updated as Florida adds and subtracts from its 2021 recruiting class. Since this story was originally published, the Gators have lost a commitment from cornerback Clinton Burton Jr. (St. Frances - Baltimore, Md.), added pledges from safety Donovan McMillon (Peters Township - Canonsburg, Pa.), wide receiver Marcus Burke (Trinity Christian - Jacksonville (Fla.), and offensive lineman Jake Slaughter (Trinity Catholic - Ocala, Fla.).
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Quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson out of Grayson High School in Loganville (Ga.), headlines a group of 20 University of Florida verbal commits, along with 23 of the Gators' key targets in the 2021 recruiting cycle, who are candidates for the 2020 Sports Illustrated All-America team of high school senior football players.
Del Rio is a 6-foot-3, 205-pound quarterback who originally verbally committed to the Gators in June of 2019, never wavering from his commitment. Del-Rio showcases gifted throwing velocity with a knack for making off-platform throws.
The Loganville (Ga.) native recently participated in the Elite 11 Finals Showcase, which saw him tied for fifth-place in SI All-American's Elite 11 composite rankings. As one of the quick-risers at quarterback of the 2021 recruiting cycle, it appears the best of Del Rio is yet to come as he enters his senior season of high school.
On the trail, defensive tackle Leonard Taylor out of Miami Palmetto High School in Miami, Fla., headlines the group of 25 Gators' key targets.
Taylor, 6-foot-4, 255 pounds, is a penetrating defensive tackle and part of the "Palmetto Five'" group of prospects which includes wide receiver/athlete Brashard Smith, safety Corey Collier Jr., cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. and defensive tackle Savion Collins. Taylor, Marshall and Collier are all potential Florida commits, currently listing the Gators in their top-teams lists.
Listed below is the full breakdown of UF verbals and prime targets on the SI All-American watch list.
VERBAL COMMITS:
Offense
QB Carlos Del Rio/6-3, 200/Loganville (Ga.)
QB Jalen Kitna/6-4, 185/Burleson (Tx.)
WR Daejon Reynolds/6-3, 210/Loganville (Ga.)
WR Trevonte Rucker/6-0, 160/Ocala (Fla.)
WR Charles Montgomery/5-10, 185/Seffner (Fla.)
WR Marcus Burke/6-3, 180/Jacksonville (Fla.)
TE Gage Wilcox/6-3, 230/Tampa (Fla.)
TE Nick Elksnis/6-6, 220/Jacksonville (Fla.)
OL Javonte Gardner/6-5, 290/Orlando (Fla.)
OL Adrein Strickland/6-6, 330/Lynn Haven (Fla.)
OL George Jackson/6-4, 350/Stone Mountain (Ga.)
OL Jake Slaughter/6-5, 310/Trinity Catholic (Fla.)
Defense
DL Tyreak Sapp/6-3, 260/Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.)
DL Justus Boone/6-5, 250/Sumter (S.C.)
DL Christopher Thomas/6-6, 290/Ft. Myers (Fla.)
EDGE Chief Borders/6-4, 230/Carrolton (Ga.)
CB Kamar Wilcoxson/6-1, 183/Bradenton (Fla.)
CB Jordan Young/6-1, 185/Tampa (Fla.)
CB Dakota Mitchell/6-0, 184/Winter Park (Fla.)
S Donovan McMillon/6-2, 193/Canonsburg (Pa.)
TOP TARGETS:
Offense
WR Destyn Pazon/6-0, 170/New Orleans (La.)
WR Malcolm Johnson Jr./6-1, 185/Bryans Road (Md.)
WR/RB Brashard Smith/5-9, 188/Miami (Fla.)
WR Quenton Barnes/6-2, 175/Antioch (Tenn.)
OL Logan Taylor/6-8, 290/Alexandria (Va.)
OL Amarius Mims/6-7, 295/Cochran (Ga.)
OL Tristan Leigh/6-5, 280/Fairfax (Va.)
Defense
DT Leonard Taylor/6-4, 245/Miami (Fla.)
DT Maason Smith/6-4, 320/Houma (La.)
DT Desmond Watson/6-5, 350/Seffner (Fla.)
DE Aaron Armitage/6-4, 240/Blairstown (N.J.)
DE Bryce Langston/6-3, 245/Ocala (Fla.)
DE Kelvin Gilliam/6-3, 250/Highland Springs (Va.)
DE Byron Turner Jr./6-3, 237/New Orleans (La.)
DE Jeremiah Williams/6-3, 224/Birmingham (Ala.)
DE Jabari Ishmael/6-5, 210/Miami (Fla.)
OLB Smael Mondon/6-3, 220/Dallas (Ga.)
OLB Xavian Sorey/6-3, 210/Graceville (Fla.)
CB Jason Marshall/6-2, 180/Miami (Fla.)
CB Nathaniel Wiggins/6-2, 175/Atlanta (Ga.)
S Corey Collier/6-2, 170/Miami (Fla.)
S Terrion Arnold/6-2, 187/Tallahassee (Fla.)
S Amari Harvey/5-11, 175/Tallahassee (Fla.)
More than 1,000 student-athletes, representing every state in the country, are SI All-American candidates. Video highlights, scouting analyses and a breakdown of each player’s college verbal commitment and/or top college contenders can be found on their bio pages, broken down by state, at SIAllAmerican.com.
Over the coming weeks, SI will unveil its preseason top 10 for each of 14 position groups (kicking off with quarterbacks this week). SI will unveil its initial top 99 ranking, the SI99, on August 24.
The evaluation process will continue throughout the season “until the list of 1,000 contenders coalesces around just 25 young men who can say proudly they are the best of the best -- they are Sports Illustrated All-Americans,” said SI Director of Football Recruiting John Garcia, Jr.
The candidates will be narrowed to 250 in October and 99 in November, and will culminate with 25 first-team Sports Illustrated All-Americans saluted at SI’s annual Sportsperson of the Year banquet in New York in December.