Florida Gators Latest Scholarship Offer is a Big One

The Florida Gators latest scholarship offer puts us on commitment watch for the near future.

CJ Ingram may not have to decide between football and basketball / Doug Engle/Ocala Star-Banner / USA TODAY

After receiving an offer from the Florida Gators football program in January, one of the biggest questions that arose regarding three-star athlete Cornelius “CJ” Ingram II’s recruitment is whether the Gators’ basketball program would follow suit. 

A star two-sport athlete at Hawthorne (Fla.) and the son of former UF two-sport athlete Cornelius Ingram, Ingram II previously indicated that he would take his time with his recruitment and hadn’t decided on which sport to play. 

Now, he may not have to decide. 

While on a dual visit to both the Gators’ football and basketball programs, men’s basketball coach Todd Golden formally extended an offer to Ingram II on Friday. 

https://x.com/IngramCj_/status/1801650765896749530

The recent offer from Golden and his staff shouldn’t necessarily come as a surprise. After throwing for 2600 yards with 38 touchdowns in a state-championship season for the Hornets’ football team, Ingram II averaged over 24 points and eight rebounds a game for the Hornets’ basketball program. 

Not to mention, there’s familial experience in playing both sports at UF. His father, a quarterback-turned-tight end for Florida from the 2004-2008 seasons, also spent time on UF’s basketball program while as a Gator. 

Prior to his son’s basketball offer, the elder Ingram spoke to Gators Illustrated on his son’s recruitment process in both sports. 

“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,” Ingram 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.”

As it stands, Florida is the only major program to offer Ingam II in both sports. Florida A&M has also offered him in both. He currently holds football offers from Pitt, USF and FAU among others and basketball offers from Jacksonville University and Samford among others. 

The Gators seem to be the front-runner in both recruitments as the standout offer, not to mention the proximity and familiarity with both programs. Despite that, Ingram’s father previously indicated to Gators Illustrated that his son doesn’t have a timetable for a commitment. 

“He’s a very young junior, and these kids go through so much. Not just him. Think about the way social media is. I tell people all the time, ‘Thank God social media wasn’t like this when I was growing up,” he said. “Social media, school work, personal issues, then they have a coach like me breathing down their necks every day at practice. So, just trying to let him enjoy it. He’ll make the right decision, but truthfully speaking, we haven’t even spoken about a time table for what he wants to do.”