Florida Gators 2023 Recruits to Know: Inside Linebackers
Photo: 2023 linebacker Grayson Howard and Gators assistant Jay Bateman
With the 2023 recruiting cycle nearing its midway point, the Florida Gators are looking to make significant moves on the trail with a new coaching staff in place led by head coach Billy Napier.
After breaking down the entirety of the offensive board and the defensive line, AllGators shifts its’ focus to the second level of the defense with inside linebackers. Presenting a crucial spot for the new Gators regime to home in as they embark on their first full cycle of talent acquisition, finding pieces to provide elite-tier tackling and coverage from the middle linebacker and weak-side spots is imperative.
Luckily, the talent at linebacker this cycle is abundant, especially in the stage of Florida.
Gators 2023 recruits to know
- Quarterbacks
- Running backs
- Wide receivers
- Offensive tackles
- Interior offensive linemen
- Edge rushers/defensive ends
- Interior defensive line
Malik Bryant, Jones (Fla.)
Bryant was included in our story on edge rushers to know considering he plays the position for his high school and could operate on the edge in some capacity when he makes it to college. However, we believe he profiles best as an inside linebacker at the next level and UF has at least partially recruited him at the spot.
This comes as a result of his lack of size compared to prospects who usually occupy spots at edge rusher, especially in the SEC. Despite being identified as a tweener, Bryant's quickness off the snap, well-versed arsenal of pass rush moves, knack for pursuing the football and overall disruptiveness working downhill, overlooking the talented Orlando recruit is not an option for the Gators staff.
As a result, inside linebacker coach Jay Bateman views him as someone who could assume a Swiss army knife role in the Patrick Toney-led defense. He would primarily serve as a weak-side backer while featuring at his traditional edge rusher position in certain situations to maximize his versatility in a defense that adheres to multifaceted players.
He will take an official visit to Florida on June 10 and is set to commit on July 23.
Raylen Wilson, Lincoln (Fla.)
When talking about inside linebackers recruiting for the Florida Gators during the 2023 cycle, the line starts behind Lincoln (Tallahassee, Fla.) prospect Raylen Wilson.
Committing to Michigan on December 8, 2021, Wilson’s recruitment has been a relatively quiet one as someone who made a decision so early on in his process.
However, his current status as an off-the-market linebacker won’t stop the Gators from attempting to flip a player they view as one of the best overall prospects in the nation.
Flashing unteachable instincts and twitch for a player in the middle of the defense, Wilson has the ability to break on ball carriers with a quickness to make tackles at or behind the line of scrimmage routinely. Coupling his success downhill with sideline-to-sideline speed — which is on display in abundance every time he steps on the field — Wilson accounted for 139 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, five sacks and two forced fumbles as a junior with Lincoln.
His elite skill-set and high level of production put him in a position to see early playing time in the Power Five.
The Gators hope that comes for their squad.
Some believe that a flip is possible if a program can pull the right strings. Florida hopes to make him exchange the maize and blue for orange and blue to continue his collegiate career.
Wilson is scheduled to officially visit Florida on June 17 with visits to Georgia (June 3) and Michigan (June 10) preceding his trip to Gainesville.
Jordan Hall, IMG Academy (Fla.)
Hall is a highly regarded recruit on the Gators defensive big board, and has been since the new regime took over in Gainesville.
Playing as an off-ball linebacker, Hall, standing 6-foot-2, 225 pounds, has the potential to assume the position at MIKE or WILL depending on Florida’s desired development plan for him. His natural athleticism, versatility — which showcases the ability to in a three-down role — aggressiveness and high football IQ would be a welcome asset for the heart of Toney’s defense.
However, the intrigue around Hall is multifaceted.
Not only would provide the Gators with an uber-talented backer to assume a spot in the middle of the defense in the future, but he continues a trend for Florida pulling from the talent-riddled in-state institution of IMG.
The school that has produced a plethora of top athletes in recent years was neglected under the previous regime, but Napier and Co. have looked to flip the script in the early stages of their recruiting efforts.
Landing safety Kamari Wilson unexpectedly at the end of the 2022 cycle before pulling in offensive lineman Knijeah Harris to begin 2023, Hall would be a welcomed continuation of their success with IMG.
Releasing a top five on Wednesday including the Gators alongside Michigan State, Notre Dame, North Carolina and Michigan, Hall’s summer schedule is a busy one.
He is kicking off his slate of official visits this weekend at Florida. He will head to East Lansing (Mich.) on June 10-12 to visit Mel Tucker and the Spartans before bouncing to Ann Arbor on June 14-16 to check out shin Harbaugh’s program at Michigan.
He will then travel to Notre Dame on June 17-19 before rounding out his five allotted official visits at North Carolina June 24-26.
Grayson Howard, Andrew Jackson (Fla.)
Having multiple coaches stop by practice at Andrew Jackson High School in Jacksonville (Fla.) to check out their talented second-level defender throughout the spring, Florida is pursuing hard for Howard.
Outside linebackers coach Mike Peterson — who has strong ties to the Jacksonville area from his time in the NFL with the Jaguars — and inside linebackers coach in Bateman are hunkered down on his trail.
Showcasing a knack for getting to the ball carrier, Howard proved to be one of the most productive high school players on the market — regardless of position — in the 2023 class.
During his junior season, Howard tallied an impressive stat line of 157 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, six pass breakups, two interceptions, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
He pairs excellent play-recognition abilities with speed and aggressiveness to blow up plays in the backfield. He can also drop back into coverage, if needed, due to his flashes of athleticism and obvious ability to make plays on the football with six PBUs a season ago.
He is currently visiting UF this weekend, giving the Gators an opportunity to further impress one of their top targets.
By the looks of things, that’s exactly what’s happening.
His initial impressions of his official visit puts Florida in a promising spot for his services.
Howard is planning to travel to Athens next weekend (June 10-12) for an official visit weekend to Georgia before heading to South Carolina on June 24-26.
Troy Bowles, Jesuit (Fla.)
The Gators list of potential linebacker targets to this point have had one major thing in common: They all reside in Florida.
That trend continues with Jesuit High School linebacker Troy Bowles.
As the son of current Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles, the talented Tampa prospect couples his complete skillset that slates him for significant three-down series at the next level with reliability in the middle as a quarterback of the defense given his high in-game IQ.
Bowles recently released a top eight list of schools including the Gators alongside Ohio State, Clemson, Alabama, Georgia, Rutgers, Auburn and Oklahoma. Competing against some of college football’s blue bloods for the blue-chip recruit, the Gators will look to land one of the two official visit spots he has remaining.
Bowles currently doesn’t have a visit to Gainesville marked in the calendar, but stopped in unofficially in March. He will spend three of the next four weekends at Oklahoma (June 3), Georgia (June 10) and Ohio State (June 24) respectively.
Florida will attempt to get him on campus for an extended stay to sell him on staying in the Sunshine State for his collegiate career either sometime soon or in the fall.
Justin Jefferson (JUCO), Pearl River (Miss.)
Deviating from the list of high school prospects the Gators have focused on to this point in their recruiting efforts, Pearl City community college linebacker Justin Jefferson has been a significant focus for the Gators.
Jefferson, who proved to be one of the best JUCO prospects on the market from his performances in 2021, has garnered significant interest from the likes of Oregon, Texas A&M, Florida and others since his name hit the free market.
Sporting a 6-foot-2, 210-pound frame, Jefferson was a force to be reckoned with in the Mississippi junior college league. He lead Pearl River with 53 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, three sacks, one pass breakup, two fumble recoveries and an interception.
His mixture of production, college experience — albeit at the JUCO level — physical intangible and moldable skillset slates him to be a integral piece to the second level of a Power Five team going forward.
Bateman is hot on Jefferson's trail as a result.
He will take a visit to Gainesville on June 24, just after a trip to College Station on June 17. The Gators will have an opportunity to close on the talented prospects who is in no rush to make a decision for his transfer destination.
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