Local Legacy Guard Commits to Gators Basketball

Florida Gators basketball has received a commitment from a top-30 player in the country who turned down the likes of Kansas and Georgetown.

CJ Ingram, the Gainesville Sun's Boys Basketball Player of the Year has committed to the Florida Gators. / Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK

Four-star guard CJ Ingram (Hawthorne, Fla.) on Monday announced his commitment to the Florida Gators over schools such as Kansas, Michigan, Georgetown and Georgia, he revealed via his “X” account.

Ingram (6-6, 200 pounds) is rated as the No. 6 shooting guard and No. 26 player nationally by On3 and is the son of former UF tight end Cornelius Ingram.

8/12 @12
blessed to see another year !! #AGTG pic.twitter.com/F9vZWUsUY2

— Cornelius Ingram II (@IngramCj_) August 12, 2024

Ingram’s recruitment has been a bit unorthodox. In fact, there was a chance he wouldn’t play basketball at the next level. Had had previously received more impressive offers on the football field as a three-star athlete and quarterback.

In two years as the Hornets’ starting quarterback, he recorded a perfect record and won two state titles. This led to many FBS and FCS programs to come calling. In fact, Billy Napier and Florida was one of his first football offers. 

Even prior to deciding which sport to play, the Gators offered him a basketball scholarship. Ingram’s father, Cornelius, detailed his son’s decision process and the advice he gave him in an exclusive interview with Gators Illustrated in May. 

“First thing I told him was how hard it is to do both, but it can be done… I want him to enjoy it and not put pressure on himself,” he said. “Whether it's basketball, whether it's football, whether it's both, enjoy the process because at the end of the day, he'll have to live with his decision. He's a very bright kid. He'll make the right choice. Whatever he ends up doing, he’ll definitely be successful.”

However, basketball has always been his first love, and Ingram made the difficult decision this summer to step away from football and focus on basketball. 

“I know it was always a dream of his to play basketball, and I wanted to give him that,” Ingram’s father told Mainstreet Daily News’ Mike Ridaught. “So, this past spring, he really locked in with his trainer and just focused on basketball. I can’t even imagine what he’ll become in the near future, because he’s still only 16.”

Ingram announced his commitment on his 17th birthday. 

Once it was reported over the summer that basketball would be his focus, the high-profile offers arrived. Ingram recently listed a top-ten of Florida, Kansas, Georgia, Vanderbilt, Michigan, Georgetown, Pitt, Mississippi State, Oklahoma and Texas A&M. 

However, Florida always seemed to be the front-runner, even going back to his football recruitment. 

As it stands, Todd Golden and the Gators have the No. 8 recruiting class in 2025, according to 247 Sports. Ingram joins four-star combo guard Alex Lloyd in the class. Florida is also in a position to possibly land a pair of five-stars in twins Cayden and Cameron Boozer.