Florida Gators Basketball Recruiting Rankings on the Rise

The Florida Gators are starting to succeed on the recruiting trail the same way they've started to succeed on the court

Todd Golden is starting to win over talent on the recruiting trail / Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Florida Gators men’s basketball is beginning its return to relevance on the court and that success is translating to the recruiting trail. 

On3 released its top 25 recruiting rankings for men’s hoops and the Gators were ranked seventh. 

Updated On3 Industry Basketball Recruiting Rankings📈🏀https://t.co/3iZeHlG1dI pic.twitter.com/Ep8WWsrSrH

— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) November 6, 2024

There is a long way to go before these recruits are locked in, but should the Gators stay in the top 10, it would be a strong sign of the strides the program has taken. Florida has not been ranked in the top 10 on On3 since 2014. 

Last season, they finished 86th in the recruiting rankings. So, for what it’s worth, they’re making quite the leap. 

All this being said, not all recruiting rankings are created equal. According to 247Sports, Florida is ranked 23rd overall in the 2025 team rankings. They have the 12th best player average on the site but are still outside the top 10. 

However, they still took a significant leap from the year before - they were 62nd in 2024. 

The quality of the recruits had a nice boost from year to year. In 2024, none of their recruits were top-100 talents. Now, both current recruits - small forward C.J. Ingram and shooting guard Alex Lloyd are both top-50 players. 

Credit where it’s due to head coach Todd Golden. He’s making changes for the better at Florida, and he’s only in year three. He already plays the transfer portal well too. That’s how they got guys like Walter Clayton Jr. - he was originally at Iona for two seasons. 

But then you mix in the talent from the recruiting trail - those who can be around for up to four years. As that overall talent comes together at Florida, that’s when we’ll see a true resurgence of a program that previously won back-to-back national championships and produced longtime NBA talent.