Gators OT Target Caden Jones Views Florida as Current Leader

Florida is currently in a good spot for one of the top offensive linemen remaining on their board.

The Florida Gators have taken the early lead for New Orleans (La.) De La Salle 2023 offensive tackle Caden Jones, he shared with Conner Clarke and Curtis Kennelly on the Varsity Podcast on Thursday.

"Right now, I'm gonna have to say Florida [is] in the lead," Jones said. "That's right now though, December is a long time away."

Jones reiterated, as he told AllGators earlier in August, that he intends to make his college decision in December, near or possibly during the early signing period. He officially released his top five schools, consisting of Florida, Texas A&M, Texas, Florida State and Houston in the days following that interview.

Still, even though he's far away from making his college choice, offensive lines coaches Rob Sale and Darnell Stapleton, running backs coach and fellow New Orleans native Jabbar Juluke, and head coach Billy Napier have made a strong enough pitch for the Gators to surge to the top of Jones' recruitment. 

He's made the trek to Gainesville for unofficial visits twice this year, including for the Friday Night Lights camp and Grill in the Ville events at the end of July.

"It's just the vibe and energy I get from them," Jones explained of Florida's lead. "They're different with the two offensive line coaches because you don't see that everywhere, and I'm like, 'That's crazy.' 

"Say you've got ten offensive linemen, you can't have one coach for all ten. You can go five and five, left side and right side, or centers and guards and tackles and tight ends. That's really important to me because I feel like everybody needs an equal amount of attention to get their best work out of practice."

Jones noted that he's built a relationship with Juluke and Napier, in particular, over the last two summers since the duo sent him an offer from Louisiana. Their bond has only strengthened over time and since the staff made its way to UF.

The Gators still have a need for blue-chip offensive tackle prospects in the 2023 cycle, meaning Jones' potential eventual addition to the class would be warmly welcomed. The 6-foot-8, 300-pound lineman is considered the No. 24 offensive tackle in the nation this year, per the On3 Sports consensus rankings.

You can find Jones' interview on the Varsity Podcast below, beginning at the 15:40 mark.

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