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Florida’s first game of the season will feature more than 35 prospects who are rated as four or five stars on the On3 Industry Consensus.
WHAT WE’RE WATCHING
Impressive Group of Visitors, All Things Considered
We’ve said it time and again since the start of the cycle back in January – how Florida ultimately recruits this cycle (and next) is going to greatly depend on how they do on the field this season. Yes, UF is currently lagging in the Team Recruiting Rankings – coming in anywhere from No. 19 to No. 38 depending on which service you utilize.
With that being said, while taking into consideration there are a couple of other marquee games being played over the weekend, this is an impressive group that Florida has managed to bring in for a Saturday in the Swamp.
While it is the Class of 2026 visitors that is most loaded, the Gators getting Auburn commit Tavaris Dice and Georgia commit Dontrell Glover to visit on the same day that they themselves have home games says something.
A Much Bigger Deal This Time Around
The last time Loganville (Ga.) Grayson three-star defensive tackle Joseph Mbatchou was on campus for Florida’s Grill in the Ville, he walked right up to the Heavener Complex basically unnoticed for the most part as an under-the-radar visitor. Since then the 6-foot-5, 280-pounder received an offer from and subsequently committed to the Gators.
Then, over the last couple of weeks, he has added offers from Alabama, Georgia, Southern Cal, Texas, and others. UF’s staff deserves credit for being the first P4 program to offer him a scholarship.
At one time he looked like UF another pledge added to what has become an extensive list of Florida projects. Now, it looks like they will have to fight at least a half dozen premiere programs to keep him on the commitment list.
The Uninvited
Throughout the spring and summer, even when he was committed to Southern Cal, and then after he flipped to Miami, Jacksonville (Fla.) Mandarin four-star safety Hylton Stubbs was adamant about the fact that no matter what his recruiting status, he was going to be in attendance for Florida’s first game of the season against Miami. When I contacted him Sunday to confirm, he replied he wouldn’t be there. When I asked why, he didn’t respond. However, fellow UM commit, Miami (Fla.) Columbus four-star safety Bryce Fitzgerald offered a little more insight:
Now, of course, they weren’t prohibited from visiting because they were committed elsewhere. Other prospects who are pledged to other programs will be in attendance. So, is it because of where they are committed? Was UF worried that they might be in town watching the game on their dime while cheering for Miami? That could be. Then again, if the Gators were to beat the Hurricanes in what is sure to be a great atmosphere, that would only help UF’s chances.
10 NAMES TO KNOW
While our complete list of confirmed visitors can be found HERE – these are 10 Names to Know who are expected in on Saturday.
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The Skinny: When he moved from Florida to Georgia at the end of the summer the worry was that it would allow the Bulldogs better access to him and the ability for him to visit Athens more often. The fact that he had a chance to go to UGA-Clemson but instead opted to return to Gainesville to see UF-UM should be comforting to the staff and Gator Nation.
The Skinny: Earlier in the week Brady told Inside the Gators that he was trying to attend the game, but wasn’t sure. By Friday he tweeted out he would be in town. That is good news for the Gators since he might just be the top-rated 2026 prospect in the state by the time the final rankings are rolled out 18 months from now.
The Skinny: Though he is still a cycle away, this is another piece of good news for the Gators. After he visited along with his Vero Beach (Fla.) teammates for a 7-on-7 back in June, Smith told Inside the Gators that UF wasn’t in his then-current top five. UF needs to continue to get him on campus, and a win in an outstanding atmosphere this weekend could go along way toward the Orange & Blue moving up his board.
The Skinny: If you are Florida, you likely have two completely different opinions when it comes to targets at IMG. You want to see out-of-state kids transfer there in order to get them closer to you and perhaps improve your chances of getting them on campus. When it comes to in-state kids, especially legacy targets, you are likely better off if they stay at their home school, and aren’t exposed to these national prospects and the amount of foot traffic IMG receives from programs around the country.
The Skinny: When it comes to Currence, if you’re Florida you have to like where you sit. No, not because he has named the Gators his outright leader, but because every chance he gets he makes the trip back to campus on his own dime. He just visited back in July for the Grill in the Ville, and now here he is back for the season opener.
The Skinny: When it comes to Florida and recruiting, the panhandle might as well be in another state, if not another country altogether. UF simply doesn’t do that well out in the western part of the state. Maybe they can change that narrative when it comes to Hall – who will now be on campus the last two times UF has played in the Swamp, having visited for the spring game and now the season opener.
The Skinny: As the No. 7 rated prospect in the nation, and No. 1 rated prospect in the state, Pickett will be without question the biggest name in attendance Saturday. He is firm in his LSU commit almost entirely due to the presence of Corey Raymond on the Tigers’ staff. If, by chance, Raymond produces yet another subpar pass defense – for the fifth year in a row – who knows if he will be on next year’s LSU staff. That would be the Gators only opening here.
The Skinny: Florida currently doesn’t have a quarterback committed this cycle. Two things of interest here: UF will only have two scholarship quarterbacks after the season when Graham Mertz leaves and though he is committed to Old Dominion, Huff held an early offer from Ole Miss – and Lane Kiffin knows a thing or two about quarterbacks.
The Skinny: The offensive line Class of 2026 is stacked in-state. Every time something is going on recruiting-wise at UF, Barclay is in attendance. You have to like that if you are on the UF staff.
The Skinny: If things go Florida’s way on the field and someone gets caught up in the excitement – Williams might be the best bet of one of the nationally ranked visitors popping this weekend.
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