Nation's No. 1 Safety Kamari Wilson Signs With the Florida Gators

The IMG curse is over, as elite 2022 safety Kamari Wilson has signed with the Florida Gators.

The Florida Gators have secured the commitment and a signed national letter of intent from IMG Academy (Fla.) safety Kamari Wilson. Wilson opted for Florida over Georgia, Texas A&M, LSU and Florida State, he announced on ESPN.

Wilson's decision to enroll at Florida is, arguably, the most important and certainly the splashiest news the Gators have received during the early signing period, if not the entire 2022 recruiting cycle. Wilson is the No. 1-ranked safety in his class and the nation's No. 29 overall prospect according to Sports Illustrated All-American, considered a consensus five-star by other recruiting outlets.

Talk about a massive win for new head coach Billy Napier within his first two weeks on the job.

Hailing from Fort Pierce (Fla.), Wilson breaks what has been deemed the "IMG curse" for UF, as the Gators have not landed a prospect from the prestigious football program in Bradenton (Fla.) since it became a national program in 2014. You could count 2020 defensive back Kamar Wilcoxson as an IMG Academy product, but he left the school and relocated to his Georgia roots prior to reclassifying and enrolling at UF at 17 years old.

Wilson has been recruited by the Gators since he was offered by the program in April 2019. He has visited campus six times throughout his recruitment, including four stops since in-person recruiting resumed this past June and an official trip on Dec. 10, the final weekend visits were allowed before the early signing period.

On his official visit, Wilson was able to meet with Napier and the initial members of his coaching staff, which includes former LSU cornerbacks coach Corey Raymond, who built a relationship with Wilson over the last year and a half as he recruited the safety to The Bayou.

Wilson is also close with UF senior defensive analyst Jamar Chaney, a fellow Fort Pierce native who recruited Wilson to Florida in 2019 when he was previously an off-field assistant for the Gators, before a short stint at his alma mater Mississippi State.

A downhill thumper with a college-ready frame and great coverage instincts in two-high defensive back sets, Wilson, 6-foot, 200 pounds, is a candidate to compete for early playing time at Florida as the team is lacking safety depth while senior starter Trey Dean III has yet to announce his plans for the 2022 season.

You can find Wilson's SI All-American scouting report below.

An explosive, physical enforcer who flashes against the run and the pass, Wilson has throwback strong safety traits with the athleticism to challenge for a versatile role. He is among the most comfortable in the class running the alley and finishing with force. The coverage instincts are strong in both reaction time, redirection and breaking downhill on the ball or ball carrier. Wilson may have been the best player on a star-studded IMG Academy defense in 2020, flashing the range and sideline to sideline ability to match his confidence. 

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