This story first appeared in Chomp, our Gators football newsletter. Subscribe here.
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Hey, Gator Nation!
I just want to start off by saying I haven’t been this excited about Florida football in a while.
We have some big commitments to talk about, and next week is Southeastern Conference Media Days!
🥳 A big day in the 904
What’s better than one commit from a Jacksonville-area player in a day? How about two?
Thursday was a good day in the 904 for Billy Napier and the Gators. They flipped Nease quarterback Marcus Stokes from Penn State and added a pledge from Trinity Christian running back Treyaun Webb.
Stokes is a four-star prospect by the 247 Sports Composite and a three-star by the On3 Consensus. Stokes passed for 2,672 yards, 22 TDs and 9 INTs as a junior, helping Nease rip off a stunning run to the Region 1-7A finals — the Panthers’ longest playoff run since 2007.
READ MORE: Gators pick up two big commitments from area players in Stokes, Webb
Webb was the next big domino to fall. The four-star prospect by both the 247 Sports Composite and the On3 Consensus had been previously committed to Georgia and Oklahoma.
As a junior, Webb rushed for 1,192 yards and 11 TDs in 10 games, the bulk of that coming during a sensational state playoff run.
Should Webb’s commitment hold through signing day, he’d be the first pure running back from the area to sign with the Gators since Fletcher’s Ciatrick Fason in 2002. St. Augustine’s Brandon James signed with the Gators in 2006, although he was considered an athlete and largely played as a return man in college.
Webb’s cousin, Dee Webb, was a star for Ed White High before signing with Florida in 2003 and going on to become a star in the secondary for the Gators.
Stokes’ and Webb’s pledges came the week after another local recruit, Bartram Trail cornerback Sharif Denson, chose the Gators.
This shows Napier has made serious inroads in a North Florida area that lagged behind when Dan Mullen and Jim McElwain were in Gainesville.
In an episode of Gators Breakdown, host David Waters discusses the two commitments and is joined by Stokes’ quarterback trainer Denny Thompson to talk about Stokes’ commitment and game.
⭐ The Gators get their highest-rated commit yet
And the Gators stay hot on the recruiting trail, picking up their highest-rated commit yet from wide receiver Eugene Wilson III.
Wilson, from Gaither in Tampa, announced his pledge to Florida over Texas A&M and others on Friday, one day after Stokes and Webb.
Both the On3 Consensus rankings and the 247 Sports Composite, which lists Wilson as an athlete, have him as a four-star player ranked No. 147 overall.
Wilson is the son of former NFL cornerback Eugene Wilson II, who played at Illinois and won back-to-back Super Bowls with the New England Patriots.
Florida now has 12 verbal commitments in its 2023 recruiting class. With the latest three commits, the On3 Consensus has the Gators ranked No. 15, and the 247 Sports Composite ranks them 20th.
In the latest Gators Breakdown episode, David breaks down the latest commit and takes a look back at the streak of pledges.
📖 Preview magazines show an improved Florida
If there’s a better indication that college football is right around the corner other than SEC Media Days, it’s the fact that preview magazines are now on the shelves.
Two of the most popular, Athlon and Lindy’s, both expect an improved Gators squad under Napier.
In another Gators Breakdown episode, Davis is joined by Will Miles to dive into the previews and share what opposing coaches think about Florida.
✉️ 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.
🎙️ Listen to more Gators Breakdown
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