Florida Gators Recruiting July Preview and Predictions

As the weather is heating up, the Florida Gators are heating up. They added several recruits in June with several more set to join in July.

Florida Gators Recruit Tavion Wallace is set to make a decision this week / Cam Parker, Gators Illustrated

Entering the summer, the Florida Gators 2025 recruiting class seemed to be well-behind other programs around the country. However, three-consecutive major visit weekends during June either closed the gap for prospects or pushed the Gators in front. 

Since those visits, Florida has earned four more commitments and are in a position to earn a few more during the month of July and into the fall. 

Gators Illustrated lists those targets who are planning to announce their decisions in July as well as a few who could commit to a program prior to the season’s start.

Known dates

Four-star WR Cortez Mills: July 1

Despite having Florida in his top-five alongside Oklahoma, Nebraska, Clemson and LSU, it seems unlikely that Mills chooses the Gators. At the moment, Mills is considered a heavy lean towards the Sooners from both 247 Sports and On3. 

That being said, with Florida recently earning a commitment from four-star Joshua Moore and in good spots with four-star Naeshaun Montgomery and recent five-star Vernell Brown III, losing Mills on the recruiting trail isn’t the end of the world. 

Four-star LB Tavion Wallace: July 2

It’s down to Florida and Florida State for the top-five linebacker and top-50 overall player in the country. After leaving his official visit in Gainesville, Wallace said the Gators and the Seminoles were “1A and 1B,” but did not state which school was which. His visit solidified that.

“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 of Florida. “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.” 

However, recent predictions show Florida State as 1A and Florida as 1B. Being the first of Florida’s linebacker targets to announce his decision, Wallace’s pledge will go a long way to determining how the Gators recruit linebackers for the rest of this cycle.

Four-star S Hylton Stubbs: July 4

It seemed like his recruitment would go into the summer after decommitting from USC, but Stubbs told 247Sports of his plans to commit on July 4th. Instead of USC, it’s now down to Florida and Miami.

Initially, it seemed the Gators were in front, but a crystal ball from 247 Sports on Sunday is in favor of the Hurricanes. Stubbs plans to return to Gainesville for Florida’s season-opener against Miami, and in today’s world of recruiting, a commitment doesn’t mean that’s where the player will end up. 

In Florida’s case, Stubbs wants to see defense improvement more so than wins and losses.

“I want to see defensive aggression. I want to see what Coach Armstrong’s got up under his sleeve,” he said after his OV. “I don’t think it’s a win-or-lose-type of thing. I think it’s just progression. Seeing that they’re coming back to what Florida is.”

OL Jahzare Jackson: July 6

A former three-star basketball prospect, Jackson stands out in height as well as the fact that he’ll likely enroll as a member of the 2024 class. Entering his official visit to Florida, he stated that the Gators were in the lead, and he reiterated that after leaving his visit. 

“It’s a legit lead,” he said. “The people here, I was able to really connect with them, ask them some deep questions. What was it like last year to what it looks like this year. Definitely a lot of things I liked.”

As it stands, Florida and Georgia are the two teams to watch ahead of his July 6 commitment date, according to InsideTheGators.com.

Four-star DL Jarquez Carter: July 18

A local recruit out of nearby Newberry (Fla.), the Gators seemed to be in front of Carter’s recruitment from an outside point of view, but since then, Miami has become the team to watch. Still, the Gators were and still are in a good spot after Carter’s visit during the summer. Building a relationship with the staff and current players had a big influence on Carter. 

“Getting a better connection and a better feeling with Coach Billy Napier, building a better relationship,” he said after his visit. “When it comes to recruiting, I think the Gators and the SEC are probably the best recruiting. You can’t beat the SEC when it comes to recruitment. The Gators, they pushed this weekend.”

However, the Hurricanes may have made a bigger push after hosting Carter towards the end of June. 247Sports gave a crystal ball in favor of Miami, and On3’s confidence level in Carter going to Florida dropped. 

Four-star S Lagonza Hayward: July 27

With no defensive backs currently on the board, a commitment from Hayward is a must-have. Not to mention, he’s a top-10 safety and top-100 player nationally. He recently listed Florida, South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee as his top-four. 

After his official visit, he said the Gators and the Gamecocks were the two main contenders. 

“The people inside the building make the place feel special. Like being around them, it’s like I knew them my whole life and I just met them last month,” Hayward said of Florida. 

Despite multiple predictions to end of up Georgia, which were done at the beginning of June, Florida is very much in the running and a pledge will help alleviate the previously-mentioned potentially recruiting losses at the beginning of the month.

To be determined/announced

Five-star WR Vernell Brown III

Entering the summer, Ohio State seemed like the team to beat, but since his official visit in Gainesville, Florida seems to be the front-runners. The Gators have received a slew of predictions and crystal balls from 247 and On3 to land the legacy recruit.

Not only does the familiarity with the program and relationships with the current staff help, but Brown III also sees an opportunity to help rebuild the program. 

“I think we look at all aspects. Obviously, they aren’t a top program right now when it comes to winning on the field,” Brown III said. “But I think there’s beauty in helping build that. Kind of bringing it back, for lack of better words. You look at all aspects. The staff, the players’ experience, me feeling comfortable here, and then me being from Gainesville and growing up in a Gator family.”

Despite not giving a specific date, Brown III, who was recently named a five-star in the On3 Industry Ranking, told reporters he would announce sometime during July. 

Four-star CB Ben Hanks Jr.

Another legacy recruit, Florida made great strides with Hanks after his official visit. Miami was considered a leader prior to Florida’s jump, but the Hurricanes are still a major contender. He recently returned to Gainesville for a two-day unofficial visit during Florida’s “Friday Night Lights” 7-on-7 tournament. 

“They’re just rebuilding to get back to that standard. Florida is a great program. I love the coaches here. They show me love. And it’s a good environment… I’d definitely say (the visit) made a big impact — like all the schools I went to,” he said.

Although there are no crystal balls or predictions in place for Hanks, the Gators seem to be leaders at the present moment. Hanks previously said he'll commit “probably July or August.”

Four-star LB Christian Gass

After leaving his official visit in Gainesville, Gass named Florida and Tennessee as the two schools who were recruiting him the hardest. Since then, Georgia has also become contenders with Kentucky and USC, but it still seems like the Gators are near the top. 

On3 currently has the Gators as his leaders, but Gass hasn’t given any indication. If the Gators are the leaders, it would be due to the family atmosphere with the staff. 

“​​I come back a lot because of all the coaches, Coach (Billy) Napier, Coach (Ron) Roberts, Coach Cannon [Gibbs]. All of them guys are big reason why I come back and every time I come, it just feels like a family time,” Gass said. 

Gass did not indicate a specific commitment date after his visit in Gainesville, but he did note he wanted to decide by the end of July. 

Four-star S Bryce Fitzgerald

The Miami native was seemingly a Hurricane-lean at the beginning his recruitment, but Florida made a big push after his official visit. A big reason for that is the Gators’ new secondary coach Will Harris, whose experience coaching in the NFL stands out. 

“It's great, I don't really trust that many people, but I got faith in coach Harris that he’ll get me to the next level,” Fitzgerald said. 

He gave a top-four of Florida, Miami, FSU and USC and has a commitment time frame of late July to early August before his senior season begins.

Florida Gators Recruiting Class of 2025 (Current)

DL Jalen Wiggins
RB Waltez Clark

WR Joshua Moore
DL Jeramiah McCloud
TE Tae’shaun Gelsey
TE Micah Jones
RB Chad Gasper
P Hayden Craig