Orlando Olympia pass rusher Kamran James committed to Florida on Sunday with Georgia in hot pursuit.
A day earlier, top-100 defensive tackle Kelby Collins of Gardendale, Ala. — an hour northeast of Nick Saban’s football factory in Tuscaloosa — rewarded co-defensive coordinators Sean Spencer’s and Patrick Toney’s efforts behind enemy lines.
On July 4, defensive end T.J. Searcy gave the Gators cause for celebration, shunning Clemson to join first-year coach Billy Napier’s rebuild.
Recruiting fights Florida used to lose it is now winning. Napier is living up to his reputation as an ace recruiter. Handwringing among fans in May has been replaced by applause in Gator Nation, along with praise from the outside.
“The power of Florida football and what it’s been and what it can be … these are recruiting battles that the program should win,” Steve Wiltfong, director of recruiting 247Sports, told the Orlando Sentinel. “Florida is going toe to toe with the best programs, going into enemy territory and winning recruiting battles — beating Clemson, beating Alabama, beating Georgia for kids.
“That’s what’s most exciting.”
The Gators’ 2023 class sits No. 10 in the 247Sports team rankings following a fruitful weekend yielding James, Collins and defensive tackle Will Norman from Bradenton’s IMG Academy — a hotbed of talent unmined by previous Florida staffs.
Norman is the second commit in the current class and third IMG player for Napier, who beat out Georgia for safety Kamari Wilson — the plum of the new staff’s 11th-hour 2022 class. One player from IMG signed with UF, backup safety Kamar Wilcoxson in 2020, under former coaches Dan Mullen and Jim McElwain.
Norman also is the fourth 2023 commit from the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Bradenton area. James is among five players from the Orlando area. Napier also has three commits from the Jacksonville area, two from Gainesville and one from Lake City.
Napier and Co. also sprinkled in Alabama’s Collins and two Georgians — Searcy and Aaron Gates, an explosive athlete expected to play cornerback.
“We’re big into history,” Napier said. “History is the best indicator of the future. It’s one of the reasons why this is one of the elite, iconic jobs in all of the college — player proximity.”
The Gators still have ground to gain on the recruiting trail.
Collins, at No. 70 overall, is the highest-rated member of the 20 commits in the 2023 class. Yet Collins also could a key player in a critical area of need.
Verbal committments for 2023 are non-binding until the early signing period opens in December.
Florida’s inability to land impact players in the front seven has been a factor in the team’s defensive struggles the past two seasons and leaves a big question mark entering 2022.
“They’re getting the right players, recruiting ranking be damned,” Wiltfong said. “They’re getting guys that have high upside on the defensive front.”
The Gators also picked up much-needed commitments from some playmakers on the perimeter, beginning with Orlando Boone speedster Aidan Mizell. Tampa’s Eugene Wilson III and Miami’s Andy Jean also are explosive receivers, while Wiltfong views Gainesville’s Creed Whittemore as a steal.
The younger brother of Gators slot receiver Trent Whittemore is a high school quarterback at Gainesville Buchholz with the potential to be an X-factor.
“That’s a little bit of a projection because he’s a quarterback on the high school level,” Wiltfong said. “But he’s very dynamic with the ball on his hands. He’s going to play wide out at Florida and bet you he’s going to be a stud.”
Meanwhile, Myles Graham of Atlanta appears to be a sure thing. The No. 2 linebacker prospect in the 2024 class committed Sunday to become the first member of the Gators’ next class.
The timing leaves Graham plenty of opportunity to change his mind, if he were not the son of former Florida tailback Earnest Graham, a 1,000-yard rusher in 2002.
“I was joking around with somebody the other day,” Napier said. “We might just be hitting this thing at the right time. If you backtrack to Spurrier’s days, all those guys are growing up. They have kids running around.
“Hopefully they’ll be more of those to come.”
Either way, Napier and the Gators are confident where they are headed.
“We’re going to plan our work. Work our plan,” Napier said. “We’re going to be diligent. Be consistent. We have an incredible product to sell at the University of Florida and all that comes with that.
“There’s history here. There’s tradition here. There’s an elite education and experience here.”
This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Edgar Thompson at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on Twitter at @osgators.
