Florida Gators recruits and targets to watch through 2014 National Signing Day

By Adam Silverstein
February 3, 2014

Updated on Tuesday at 6:15 p.m.

Already 21 members strong, the Florida Gators’ 2014 recruiting class has space to expand and head coach Will Muschamp is looking to do just that over the next few days leading up to and on National Signing Day when the vast majority of uncommitted high school football players across the country announce their decisions.

Be sure to visit OnlyGators.com’s live coverage of National Signing Day beginning Wednesday morning at 7 a.m. It will feature a live chat and be constantly updated throughout the day with every signed National Letter of Intent (NLI) and new commitment.

For now, OnlyGators.com breaks down which players the Gators are still waiting to hear from and when they may learn of their respective decisions while providing some of the latest information and insights on each player.

Special thanks to InsidetheGators.com recruiting analyst Blake Alderman for his assistance with some of the finer details below.

Offensive tackle Damian Prince (Forestville, MD)
Accolades: Rivals – No. 20 overall (No. 2 OT) | ESPN – No. 26 overall (No. 3 OT)
Leaders: Florida, Maryland
Skinny: Prince’s recruitment has heated up as of late. He cut his top three to a final two (removing Penn State) and moved up his announcement date nine days to Feb. 5. Though staying home is a strong consideration in his mind, three big factors have Prince seriously considering – and possibly leaning towards – committing to Florida. His good friend, five-star cornerback Jalen Tabor (Washington, DC), enrolled early at UF; Prince is a fan of new Gators offensive line coach Mike Summers; and he used his final official visit to travel to Gainesville, FL over the weekend, reportedly coming away impressed. Nevertheless, home is often where the heart is…and Prince may not be leaving.
Announcement: National Signing Day – 10:00 a.m. on ESPNU
Prediction: Maryland | Confidence: 70%


Athlete Adoree’ Jackson (Gardena, CA)
Accolades: Rivals – No. 6 overall (No. 1 ATH) | ESPN – No. 9 overall (No. 3 CB)
Leaders: Florida, USC
Contenders: LSU, UCLA
Skinny: Getting a read on Jackson has been tough throughout the recruiting process. He has certainly investigated each of his final four schools and has much to consider before making a decision. Rivals.com’s Adam Gorney believes Jackson favors the Gators, but the prospect chose not to take an official visit to Florida on the final weekend of his recruitment. Instead, he stayed local and planned unofficial visits to USC and UCLA. That may sound bad for UF’s chances, but Florida happens to have a potential tiebreaker in its back pocket. A long jumper, Jackson is said to be serious about competing in track and field in college, and Gators head coach Mike Holloway is the best in the country. Then again, the Trojans have immediate openings at both wide receiver and cornerback and early playing time is certainly a motivator.
Announcement: National Signing Day – 2:00 p.m. on ESPNU
Prediction: Florida | Confidence: 65%

Defensive end Lorenzo Carter (Norcross, GA)
Accolades: Rivals – No. 36 overall (No. 3 DE) | ESPN – No. 14 overall (No. 3 DE)
Leader: Georgia
Contenders: Florida, Alabama
Skinny: The Bulldogs have long been considered the team to beat for Carter, but the Gators have not stopped pounding the pavement and letting him know that he would be best off in Gainesville. Carter, a local product, long-favoring Georgia is no surprise, but the team losing a defensive coordinator and lacking a defensive line coach is a major negative at this time. In the end, home is likely where Carter’s heart is unless Muschamp is able to pull a last-minute shocker.
Announcement: National Signing Day – 3:00 p.m. on ESPNU
Prediction: Georgia | Confidence: 95%

Quarterback Treon Harris (Miami, FL)
Accolades: Rivals – No. 69 overall (No. 3 QB) | ESPN – No. 163 overall (No. 7 QB)
Committed: Florida State
Contenders: Florida, Auburn, Miami
Skinny: Does this sound familiar? The Gators hire an offensive coordinator and the first prospect he targets is a South Florida quarterback not previously considering playing at UF. Shortly after Roper was brought on board, Florida targeted Harris, who is currently committed to FSU but is apparently all ears to UF’s pitch. Though he is a Seminoles pledge, Harris is said to have interest in both the Gators and the Tigers…a switch on Wednesday appears to be more than plausible.
Announcement: National Signing Day – 9:00 a.m.
Prediction: Florida | Confidence: 85%

Cornerback J.C. Jackson (Immokalee, FL)
Accolades: Rivals – No. 243 overall (No. 21 CB) | ESPN – No. 79 overall (No. 11 CB)
Committed: Florida
Contender: Miami
Skinny: When the Gators lost commitments from running back Dalvin Cook and wide receiver Ermon Lane, it was widely believed that Jackson would be the next to drop Florida for Florida State. Instead, he remained committed to the Gators and even paid an unexpected unofficial visit to UF on Saturday to meet with defensive backs coach Travaris Robinson. The two are said to be extremely close, which should play a major role in his decision. However, Hurricanes head coach Al Golden met with Jackson’s family Saturday night and was expected to speak with him again before NSD.
Announcement: National Signing Day – 8:00 a.m.
Prediction: Florida | Confidence: 75%

Wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie (Plantation, FL)
Accolades: Rivals – No. 35 WR | ESPN – No. 286 overall (No. 36 WR)
Leaders: Ole Miss, Virginia Tech
Contenders: Florida, Georgia, Notre Dame
Skinny: It was believed that the Gators had found an inroad to McKenzie and were on the verge of gaining a commitment, but the Hokies swooped in with a last-second offer and the life-long Virginia Tech fan appears ready to pull the trigger for his favorite school. The Rebels have also been pressing McKenzie for a pledge.
Announcement: National Signing Day – time TBA
Prediction: Virginia Tech | Confidence: 65%

Wide receiver C.J. Worton (Homestead, FL)
Accolades: Rivals – No. 70 WR | ESPN – No. 77 WR
Leaders: Florida, West Virginia
Contender: Miami
Skinny: A long-time Florida State pledge, Worton decommitted last week after paying a visit to Florida’s campus. It is widely believed that Worton announcing for the Gators is just a formality at this point, though he is listing the Mountaineers as his other finalist and has an offer from the Hurricanes, too. He will reportedly inform the schools of his decision on Monday but hold off on announcing until Wednesday.
Announcement: National Signing Day – 9:00 a.m.
Prediction: Florida | Confidence: 65%

Offensive tackle Derrick Kelly, Jr. (Havana, FL)
Accolades: Rivals – NR | ESPN – No. 67 OT
Leaders: Florida, LSU
Contender: Florida State
Skinny: The Gators and Tigers are in a battle for Kelly’s pledge and though he been a long-time lean to LSU, UF has been playing up the distance angle and could wind up reeling him in by the time NSD concludes on Wednesday.
Update: Conflicting information has caused this prediction to flip and now flop back to the original choice. A Florida State offer could completely shake things up.
Announcement: National Signing Day – 1:00 p.m.
Prediction: Florida | Confidence: 65%

Offensive tackle Andrew Mike (Tucson, AZ)
Accolades: Rivals – No. 60 OT | ESPN – No. 32 OT
Leaders: Florida, Arkansas, Vanderbilt
Contenders: Arizona, Washington
Skinny: The Gators did not offer Mike until early January and did so, many believe, as a safety net in case Prince does not choose Florida. Three weeks ago, Mike listed the contenders above as his top three, but a visit to see the Razorbacks has reportedly thrust them up into the lead for his services.
Announcement: National Signing Day – 5:30 p.m.
Committed on Monday, Feb. 3: Vanderbilt

Defensive end Rocel McWilliams (Pensacola, FL)
Accolades: Rivals – NR | ESPN – No. 61 DE
Committed: Missouri
Contender: Florida
Skinny: A talented in-state product, McWilliams allegedly wants to play for the Gators and may ultimately wind up doing so if Carter chooses to play for the Bulldogs as many close to his recruitment expect. McWilliams has interest from Florida but not a “committable” scholarship offer despite taking an official visit to see the program on Jan. 17. However, should UF miss out on Carter, there is an shot McWilliams ends up in the class.
Update: According to The Gainesville Sun‘s Zach Abolverdi, McWilliams is no longer considering the Gators and has decided to remain committed to the Tigers.
Confirmed commitment on Tuesday, Feb. 4: Missouri

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