For the Florida Gators to get back to competing for championships consistently, two recruiting factors stand out: signing the best players from the state of Florida and landing five-star prospects. The Gators hit on both areas for the class of 2025.
LISTEN or WATCH: 5 star WR Dallas Wilson OFFICIALLY SIGNS with the Florida Gators
Looking at in-state talent (excluding IMG Academy transfers), at the timing of this article, UF’s 2025 class features four of Florida’s 247 Sports Composite top-10 prospects: 5-star WR Dallas Wilson (2), 5-star WR Vernell Brown III (5), 4-star safety Hylton “Drake” Stubbs (7), and 4-star CB Ben Hanks Jr. (10). Former Gators Breakdown cohost Bill Sikes notes on the Gators Breakdown Plus Discord that this achievement is remarkable: “This is the highest such total since they signed 5 of the top-10 in 2010. All other UF classes since have featured 0, 1, or 2.” Sikes adds, “The class also featured the most in-state composite top-25 prospects (7) since the 2017 class (which also had 7).”
Florida is particularly benefiting from legacy players Brown III and Hanks Jr., while also strengthening their Tampa and Orlando pipeline areas.
This represents a significant statement by Florida. While Alabama, Georgia, and Ohio State have traditionally dominated in-state recruiting—and despite FSU’s strong on-field performance in 2022-2023 and Miami’s results this season—neither in-state rival has secured the best Florida talent in this recruiting cycle.
The wide receiver position stands out as this class’s greatest strength. Vernell Brown III regained his 5-star rating on the 247 Sports Composite on December 27th. Following Dallas Wilson’s commitment last week, UF now has two of its top-7 ranked wide receivers since 2000—when recruiting services began tracking rankings—with Wilson at fifth and Brown III at seventh. This impressive recruiting hasn’t been achieved since 2003, when UF signed Andre Caldwell (2) and Chad Jackson (4).
On the Gators Breakdown Plus Discord, before Brown III’s reclassification, Bill Sikes provided additional context: “If the ratings hold as is, it’ll be the first time UF has signed 2 composite 5-star WRs since 2003 (Andre Caldwell & Chad Jackson). Also, the 4 composite 5-stars signed by UF in 2023-2024 mark the first time they’ve signed multiple composite 5-stars in consecutive classes since 2012-2013.”
The Florida Gators’ 2025 recruiting class represents a significant turnaround in their recruiting efforts, particularly with four of the state’s top-10 prospects committed and two elite wide receivers in Wilson and Brown III. This success in securing elite in-state talent and top-rated prospects positions Florida strongly for their goal of returning to championship contention, marking their most impressive recruiting cycle in over a decade.
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