Florida Gators 2023 In-State Recruiting Battles to Monitor: Offense

Four in-state recruiting battles on the offensive side of the ball to watch for the Florida Gators.

Photo: Payton Kirkland; Credit: Zach Goodall

The pressure to close on prospects in the 2023 class is heating up across the country and there are recruiting battles aplenty happening everywhere.

The Florida Gators are no exception, in the midst of several of their own. However, the biggest difference for UF is a lot of its battles are within the Sunshine State.

AllGators gives you a look at some of the important in-state recruiting battles that the Gators are currently involved with, beginning a two-part series with recruits from the offensive side of the ball. 

RB Cedric Baxter Jr., Edgewater (Fla.), UF vs. UM

On April 23, Baxter released a top five that included Texas, Texas A&M, Arkansas, Florida and Miami. Baxter has since revised that top five by removing Arkansas and adding Alabama.

However, it is the two in-state schools that seem to be getting the most publicity in his recruitment. Florida, after not making the cut in a previous top schools list that Baxter dropped not long after the new year, has surged to the forefront of the elite running back's recruitment.

While all the schools in Baxter's top five are a serious threat, Florida and Miami look to be two of the schools that have positioned themselves in the best spot heading into the summer. Baxter has been very impressed with both coaching staffs since they got on campus and it looks like it could be an in-state battle for one of the nation's elite ball carriers. 

WR Andy Jean, Northwestern (Fla.), UF vs. UM

Jean, a former Miami commit, has not been shy about his appreciation and love for the new Florida staff. He has had glowing reviews each time he has finished up a visit in Gainesville and has locked in a return trip for an official visit on June 24.

While no other officials have been set as of yet, don't expect the hometown team to just let Jean walk away. Miami has hosted the talented pass-catcher three times since he backed off his commitment to the program in Coral Gables (Fla.) and is still right in the middle of conversations.

The Gators are doing a great job recruiting Jean and could even be considered the favorites at this time. But Mario Cristobal and the Hurricanes won't go down without a fight. 

OL Roderick Kearney, Orange Park (Fla.), UF vs. FSU

One of the nation's best offensive linemen, Kearney is a prospect that just about every program across the country wants. But as of now, this recruitment is shaping up to be a heated battle between rival in-state programs.

While Florida State at one point looked to the be the clear favorite for Kearney due to getting him on campus three times over the course of three months, it looks like Florida has made up some ground on the Seminoles following his March trip to Gainesville.

Kearney has not scheduled any official visits yet but it's very possible that both in-state programs receive one as this recruiting battle heats up. 

OL Payton Kirkland, Dr. Phillips (Fla.), UF vs. UM

Kirkland, who is set to make his college commitment on July 23, is a prospect that likes to take to social media and express his opinions on teams and how they are recruiting him. Two of the programs that he has talked about the most are Florida and Miami.

With official visits locked in with both programs as well as Oklahoma and Michigan St, there is a pretty good chance that the Orlando-area prospect could be continuing his athletic career in the Sunshine State.

Each program will have at least one more chance to meet with Kirkland face-to-face before he makes his final decision and you can bet they will be pulling out all the stops. During the spring, Florida seemed like the odds-on favorite to land the talented offensive lineman, but that optimism has slightly faded since.

Expect both programs to be in this recruitment until the very end, but as far as who lands Kirkland, he's done a great job of keeping everyone guessing.

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