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Hey, Florida fans.
We have more recruiting news to cover this week. Plus, we now know who the new “Voice of the Gators” will be.
Let’s get started.
🏈 Bartram Trail cornerback commits to Florida
Following a string of recruiting misses last week, the Gators got some good news when local product Sharif Denson committed to Florida.
The cornerback from Bartram Trail High School is listed as a four-star player and ranked as the No. 24 corner in the nation in the 2023 recruiting class, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.
Denson’s video announcing his commitment paid homage to the Jacksonville area, featuring former Gators players like Fred Weary (Mandarin), Ciatrick Fason (Fletcher), Guss Scott (Trinity Christian) and Lito Sheppard (Raines). That segment hit home locally because it showcased some of the area’s best who thrived in Gainesville.
Florida had family relationships and location working in its favor as reasons Denson committed. Now, he also wants to be among the players who bring Florida back to prominence.
RELATED: Bartram Trail’s Sharif Denson ready to focus on final season after Gators decision
And it was a foot in the door at a Bartram program that could lead to bigger things. The Bears continuously churn out solid college prospects, but seldom have they sent players to Florida.
Since Bartram opened in 2000, Florida has signed 49 players from the News4JAX coverage region. One of those has been from Bartram Trail: safety Tre’Vez Johnson in 2020.
With two defensive backs from Bartram at Florida in a three-year span, Denson said that’s optimistically the start of something new between Gainesville and St. Johns.
“Yeah, we’re definitely trying to start it up here. Got some young guys on the way, too. Y’all keep an eye out for them,” he said.
In an episode of Gators Breakdown, host David Waters weighs in on the commitment, as well as Jacksonville recruiting overall. He also evaluates Florida recruiting and the roller coaster news cycle in this episode with Will Miles and Bill Sikes. And in another episode, David is joined by News4JAX sports editor Justin Barney to sit down with Denson about his commitment to Florida and what kind of player fans will see on the field.
🐊 Gators pick up pledge from defensive lineman
The Gators picked up another pledge from defensive lineman T.J. Searcy, who provided some fireworks for Gators fans when he committed on the Fourth of July.
The 247Sports Composite rankings have Searcy, of Thomaston, Georgia, as a four-star player and the No. 20 defensive lineman in the 2023 class.
David breaks down the pledge and other recruiting storylines for the Gators in this Gators Breakdown episode.
Florida now has nine verbal commitments in its 2023 recruiting class.
📢 New ‘Voice of the Gators’ announced
Sean Kelley has been hired as the next “Voice of the Gators,” replacing the legendary Mick Hubert who retired in May, the University Athletic Association announced Wednesday.
Kelley is just the fourth person to hold the position since 1940.
“Florida is one of the elite of the elites with regard to intercollegiate athletics,” said Kelley. “That makes it not only a destination job for anyone in our business, it makes it a destination job for those who have reached certain heights in our business.
“With the two new head coaches I’ll be working with, there’s an excitement level at Florida that is unapparelled in the country with Billy Napier and Todd Golden. And then the tradition of success at that university. It’s undeniable how attractive the Florida job is and how deeply humbled I am that I would even be considered, let alone chosen as the person to be a part of that and to follow a 33-year legend in Mick Hubert. The lineage of the ‘Voice of the Gators,’ not only is it a short list, but it’s a hall-of-fame list.”
Kelley has more than 20 years of professional experience. He spent the last three years at ESPN, where he was hired in July 2019 as the lead play-by-play voice for college football on ESPN Radio.
And it won’t be his first time calling a Gators game. Kelley did a play-by-play on national radio in 2021 when the Florida football team played LSU and twice in 2019 when the Gators faced Miami and LSU.
“I am excited to have someone with Sean’s talents and experience as the new play-by-play voice of the Gators,” said Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin. “This position attracted a large number of highly-qualified applicants, but Sean rose above the field early on in this process.”
Read more about Kelley and his prior experience here.
🏟️ Big Ten votes to add USC & UCLA
It’s another move that will alter the landscape of college athletics.
The Big Ten voted last week to add Southern California and UCLA as conference members beginning in 2024.
The expansion to 16 teams will happen after the Pac-12′s current media rights contracts with Fox and ESPN expire and make the Big Ten the first conference to stretch from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
The announcement, which the Associated Press said caught the Pac-12 off-guard, came almost a year after Oklahoma and Texas formally accepted invitations to join the Southeastern Conference in July 2025.
Read more about the announcement and what’s next here.
✉️ Send us your Gators thoughts & questions
David and I want to hear from you. Do you have any thoughts or questions about the Gators football program? Agree or disagree with something we’ve said? Let us know here, and we’ll share our responses to your questions.
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