Florida Gators make big splash on first day of early signing period with three big signings
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Billy Napier’s first recruiting class as the Florida Gators’ head coach is rounding into form.
Three big moves on Wednesday, the first day of the early signing period, helped strengthen an otherwise thin class.
It started with four-star safety Devin Moore, a standout at Naples High, flipping to UF from Notre Dame in the morning.
It ended with five-star safety Kamari Wilson out of Bradenton IMG Academy and four-star linebacker Shemar James from Faith Academy in Mobile signing their letters of intent to play for the Gators.
Add in Oklahoma defensive lineman Chris McClellan and Tampa-area offensive lineman Tony Livingston, and five of the Gators’ nine signees at this point are among the top 300 prospects in the 2022 cycle.
But there’s still work to do over the next two months as he continues to create his first full recruiting class and work the transfer portal to fill out the class.
“I think we’ve got a few more [coming],” Napier told reporters in Gainesville on Wednesday.
What he has now is a pretty good foundation.
Especially considering the circumstances.
Napier was hired at Florida on Nov. 28, giving him two-and-a-half weeks to get as much done on the recruiting trail as possible.
At the time of his hiring, he had a personal connection with just one of the nine players who signed on Wednesday: Three-star offensive lineman Christian Williams, who Napier recruited when he was the head coach at Louisiana-Lafayette.
Napier is taking a slow-but-steady approach to the recruiting process.
And he’s showing he can haul in some high-profile names.
Wilson, of course, is the big splash. He’s the No. 28 overall prospect this recruiting cycle and No. 5 prospect in the state according to the 247Sports composite rankings. Wilson, who chose UF over Georgia, Florida State and LSU among others, is the first five-star prospect from IMG Academy to sign with the Gators.
“Coach Billy, he is definitely turning that program around,” Wilson said during the ESPN broadcast for his commitment. “I have faith in him that he is going to turn Florida to a big program. I got trust in his process and his plan, and I will be furthering my education there.”
James, meanwhile, was a surprise re-addition to the class. He initially committed to UF in June but backed off that pledge in October when the Gators’ season went into a tailspin, with Alabama and Georgia appearing to be the front-runners in his recruitment.
But the Gators’ new coaching staff kept pursuing James, the No. 64 overall player in this cycle and the seventh-ranked linebacker, and won him over.
The next step is to keep building. That’s what Napier will have to do if Florida wants to start making its way back toward the top tier of the SEC.
UF’s early signing class
Safety Kamari Wilson, 6-0, 200, IMG Academy; Linebacker Shemar James, 6-2, 212, Mobile (Alabama) Faith Academy; Safety Devin Moore, 6-3, 190, Naples High; Offensive tackle Tony Livingston, 6-4, 260, Tampa King High; Defensive lineman Jamari Lyons, 6-4, 295, Melbourne Viera; Offensive tackle David Conner, 6-6, 270, Deerfield Beach; Offensive lineman Christian Williams, 6-4, 320, Missouri City (Texas) Fort Bend Marshall; Kicker Trey Smack, 6-2, 200, Severna Park (Maryland)
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