Priority Florida Gators Forward Target Ryan Jones Jr. Releases Top 8

The Rock School (Gainesville) forward prospect Ryan Jones Jr. named Florida to his top eight Monday.

Local Florida Gators forward target Ryan Jones Jr. drew one step closer to his commitment Monday as he released his top eight schools.

The Rock School (Gainesville, Fla.) product named Florida alongside Louisville, LSU, Miami, Missouri Oklahoma State, Virginia Tech and Xavier as the remaining teams in contention for his services.

He also broke down his reasoning for including Florida to On3 Sports.

“What I like about Florida is the family feeling! Ever since the old coach left and the new coaching staff arrived and I came on campus, every time I visited I became comfortable every time. Just the way they bring me in like I was apart of the team really impacted my view on the them! Plus, they are down to earth people and they want what’s best for you and won’t really sugar coat things. I love how they run most of everything through there skilled forwards that can mostly do anything on the court!”

Standing as a long-time target for the Gators as a local prospect, Jones has been a frequent visitor to UF over the years. He’s stopped by two times under the current regime. His most recent short trek to campus came on June 19, where he ironed out some of the details to eventually schedule his official visit to campus for Sept. 15-17.

The interest between the two parties has seemingly increased in recent months as Jones has catapulted to the top of Florida’s wish list for remaining 2024 talent.

He joins former high school teammate and Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.) prospect Sammy Yeanay and New Jersey-based forward VJ Edgecombe as notable pieces the Gators are after to pair alongside combo guard Isaiah Brown in the cycles commitment class.

Jones is largely considered to be a center at the collegiate level, labeled as the No. 10 five in the 2024 class per 247Sports Composite Rankings, but possesses the versatility to occupy either spot in the frontcourt.

With the Gators coveting near-seven-foot size in their big men since head coach Todd Golden arrived on the scene in Gainesville, the 6-foot-8, 225-pound Jones would likely assume duties at the four if he elected to remain home in the next step of his basketball career.

Florida will remain in hot pursuit until he announces his decision.

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