Florida Gators Neck-And-Neck with FSU for Top-10 Linebacker

The Florida Gators and FSU Seminoles are in a battle for 4-star Georgia linebacker.

Florida Gators Recruit Tavion Wallace / Cam Parker, Gators Illustrated

Heading into an official visit with the Florida Gators, Florida State were considered to be leaders in four-star linebacker Tavion Wallace’s (Jusup, Ga.) recruitment. Now, it’s neck-and-neck between the Gators and the Seminoles.

“It’s like 1A, 1B. They’ve both shown me a lot of love in my recruitment,” Wallace told Gators Illustrated after leaving his visit. “It’s all love with both schools.”

Wallace did not say which school was 1A or 1B.

“They’re both racing for that number one spot right now,” he said. 

Florida catching up with its in-state rivals in Wallace’s recruitment isn’t just a big deal considering he’s a top-10 linebacker recruit. It’s the fact that Florida wasn’t a major contender for Wallace originally. 

The strength of his visit solidified the Gators’ spot as contenders. 

“It showed a lot, how they really wanted me because at first, I wasn’t too comfortable with it. I didn’t know what they wanted,” Wallace explained. “But now that I know a lot, like how they’re pushing it to me and how they’re showing they love and care for me. Not just as a player but as a person overall.” 

Not to mention, Wallace’s recruitment is turning down the final stretch. He plans to commit on July 2 after visiting FSU this upcoming weekend. Georgia and Arkansas are also in the running behind Florida and Florida State. 

“I’ve got a week after the Florida State visit next week. So, I’m going to take that week to take everything in. The pros. The cons of all the visits I took,” he explained. 

Wallace said he’ll specifically consider family, consistency and the bonds he’s formed with the organization. 

“(Florida) did really good. Last time I came in, it was all love. This time, they just showed way more love,” Wallace said. 

A major benefit for Florida, too, is the fact that Wallace grew up a Gator fan, and his father is still a big fan. His father celebrated his birthday while on the visit, and Wallace explained that growing up a fan and now being a recruit who’s visiting the program is a dream come true. 

“Growing up a Florida fan, it’s been a dream to come here,” he said. “Seeing all this stuff, seeing the stadium and everything. Growing up, I seen just the outskirts of it. I never got to see the inside, but seeing the inside, that really boosted it a lot.”

As it stands, Wallace is the first of Florida’s targets at linebacker to announce his commitment, by Gators Illustrated’s count. Not only would he fill a position of need, a commitment from Wallace could be the first of many Gator recruiting wins as the 2024 season approaches.