Florida football recruiting: OL Devon Manuel joins Gators from transfer portal as Richie Leonard departs

Football

0

Image Credit: Mallory Peak, UAA

The Florida Gators’ roster continues to get shaken up by the transfer portal with the program losing and replacing an offensive lineman Friday. Offensive tackle Devon Manuel committed to join Florida out of Arkansas fresh off a visit to UF, while guard Richie Leonard IV announced he is entering the portal as a graduate transfer.

Manuel (6-foot-9, 300 pounds) just completed his redshirt sophomore season with the Razorbacks where he started the final three games of the season while making nine appearances in total. The former three-star prospect in the Class of 2021 should factor in as a reserve tackle in his first season with the Gators.

Leonard started all 12 games at left guard for Florida in 2023 and has appeared in 23 games over the last two seasons. The Gators hoped to upgrade the position this offseason, but losing Leonard as an experienced piece does hurt a unit that was trying to strengthen its depth but will now be forced to add more talent at the position group.

Manuel, who has yet to be rerated as a transfer by 247Sports, joins four-star Penn defensive lineman Joey Slackman (No. 25 overall out of Penn), four-star linebacker Grayson Howard (South Carolina), three-star wide receiver Chimere Dyke (Wisconsin) three-star cornerback Trikweze Bridges (Oregon), three-star offensive tackle Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson (San Diego State) and three-star EDGE George Grumbs (Northern Illinois) as the seventh member of the Florida’s 37th-ranked transfer class.