Recruits for Todd Golden to Focus on After Gators Miss on Boozer Twins

After missing out on two major recruits, the Florida Gators still have some good options

They miss out on the Boozer Twins, but the Gators aren't at a total loss on the recruiting trail. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun] / Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

By now, almost everyone knows that the Florida Gators came up just short in the Boozer Twins recruitment. The Gators finished in third, while the Duke Blue Devils came out victorious on Friday and received both verbal commitments. 

The painful part of this recruitment for the Gators is that they were seen as leaders for the twins at one point in this race. Yet, after the latest unofficial visits by the twins to all three of the schools involved – Duke, Miami and Florida – Duke won them over and sealed their commitments according to 247 Sports Travis Branham. 

Contrary to what would be assumed, this is a massive recruiting coup for the Duke Blue Devils who were the underdogs in this recruitment.

Miami and Florida led for much of the time but the recent unofficial visits proved to be critical with Duke grinding out the victory.

— Travis Branham (@TravisBranham_) October 11, 2024

With that happening, it seems like a good time to see where Gators head coach Todd Golden will turn his attention after missing out on these two highly sought after prospects. 

Jackson McVey, Center

McVey currently ranks as the 25th-best center and the eighth-best player from Georgia, according to ESPN.

He may not be a five-star prospect, but Golden is still putting in the effort in McVey’s recruitment. The 7-foot-1, 225-pound center plays his basketball with Overtime Elite, a basketball league for high school prospects. 

McVey recently took an official visit to Gainesville near the end of September, and the visit looks to have been a positive one. Following his visit with the Gators, the big man released a top five, and the Gators made the cut. The other four schools that made his top five are Georgia, Georgia Tech, Florida State and Stanford. 

NEWS: 7-foot-1 big man Jackson McVey is down to five schools, he tells @On3Recruits.

Story: https://t.co/rvPEp2KkEb pic.twitter.com/m4GQHlGeau

— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) October 1, 2024

Alex Constanza, Small Forward

Constanza measures in at 6-foot-8, 207 pounds and is currently ranked as the 21st-overall prospect in the country in the 2026 class according to 247 Sports. He is also the fourth-best player from Florida. Constanza plays for Westminster Academy in Florida, the school as current Gators commit Alex Lloyd. 

And when it comes to the Gators and his recruitment, they provide the option of staying home. 

“He's [Todd Golden] a great coach. He always comes to support and watch, they have a great staff and I could stay home,” Constanza told 247 Sports’ National Basketball Analyst Travis Branham. 

If F Alex Constanza (6-8 w/o shoes, 7-0 wingspan, turns 18 in October) reclasses to 2025, he could join his HS teammate Alex Lloyd & CJ Ingram at UF...🐊🏀🤞🏽

"He's [Todd Golden] a great coach. He always comes to support and watch, they have a great staff and I could stay home." https://t.co/MflsU6ohGH pic.twitter.com/f5ccUMVGSA

— 🇺🇸🇧🇸🇭🇹 Malik (🎶The 5-10 Freak🎶) (@MalikG) October 11, 2024

Constanza, for right now, is a 2026 prospect. However, that could change. He recently talked with Branham on what his options are in his recruitment and the possibility for reclassification was part of that discussion. 

This would be a huge coup for Golden after missing out on the Boozers, but only time will tell if he can land Constanza – either for 2026 or sooner.

For right now, these are the only two prospects to focus on, in my opinion. That doesn't mean Golden isn’t recruiting others because he definitely is. However, since these are the only two who have publicly connected themselves with the Gators, they need to be the priority.