Florida football recruiting: Gators grab six 2020 commits but top addition decommits

By Adam Silverstein
June 22, 2019
Florida football recruiting: Gators grab six 2020 commits but top addition decommits
Football

Image Credit: @UFGatorBand / Twitter

It has admittedly been a while since we were able to dip our toes into Florida Gators recruiting, but in that month-long period, Florida Gators football added seven members to its Class of 2020 with two pledges on Saturday. While that sounds like good news off the top, one of the best players Florida added during that time left the program just 22 days after making his verbal pledge.

Four-star cornerback Joel Williams (Baton Rouge, LA) committed to Florida on May 19 in a stunner over hometown LSU, Georgia and Tennessee. He had just visited the Gators for the second time and was a solid addition considering the surprise loss of freshman CB Chris Steele. Williams (6-foot-1, 180 pounds) reversed course on June 10, noting in a Twitter statement that his UF offer was “a dream come true” and there was “no love lost” with the program. This came after the nation’s 303rd-ranked prospect had just visited Alabama.

Here are the six other commitments that the Gators have gained over the last few weeks.

Four-star linebacker Derek Wingo (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
Four-star defensive tackle Lamar Goods (Oakdale, CT)
Three-star offensive lineman Jovens Janvier (Miami, FL)
Three-star tight end Jonathan Odom (Tampa, FL)
Three-star offensive lineman Gerald Mincey (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
Three-star defensive back Tre’Vez Johnson (Jacksonville, FL)

Wingo (6-foot-2, 210 pounds) committed on Saturday night. For more about his verbal pledge and how it affects the class, check out our story.

Aside from Wingow and Goods — a talented 6-foot-4, 290-pound defender who committed to Florida on Friday after flipping from Kentucky — the other added prospects do not move the needle in terms of the team’s class ranking. Goods is the third four-star DT to commit the Gators for the 2020 cycle.

Mincey (6-foot-5, 324 pounds) also flipped from UK to UF back on June 9 but also had offers from Florida State, Georgia and Miami. Janvier (6-foot-3, 350 pounds) picked Florida over LSU.

Odom (6-foot-5, 250 pounds) is a legacy addition to the class. His father, Jason Odom, played offensive line for the Gators a couple of decades ago and earned All-American honors in 1995.

Johnson (5-foot-11, 175 pounds) committed to Florida earlieir Saturday as the program’s lowest-rated pledge at this time. In fact, four of the six commits listed above (Janiver, Odom, Mincey and Johnson — in that order) are the four lowest-rated players in the Gators’ class at this time.

The Class of 2020 is now ranked No. 7 nationally for Florida, fourth in the SEC and just jumped Miami on Saturday. Every team ranked ahead of the Gators has at least one five-star commitment with No. 1 Clemson having a stunning five five-star prospects pledged. It will be easy to bet on sports with the Tigers next year and going forward.

Florida also learned recently that four-star linebacker Diwun Black (Kissimmee, FL) — a key member of its 2019 recruiting class — did not academically qualify at UF and will have to play junior college in the fall. Black has signed with Mississippi Gulf Coast, and there is no guarantee he will recommit to the Gators once his JUCO tenure is up.

Black is the third four-star member of the incoming Class of 2019 to leave the program without playing a single down for Florida, joining CB Chris Steele and quarterback Jalon Jones. The Gators’ class ranked No. 9 nationally in the 247Sports Composite when it was completed but would now be 13th if the rankings were recalculated.

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