All Gators

Recruits for Todd Golden to Focus on After Gators Miss on Boozer Twins

After missing out on two major recruits, the Florida Gators still have some good options
Kyle Lander|
They miss out on the Boozer Twins, but the Gators aren't at a total loss on the recruiting trail. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]
They miss out on the Boozer Twins, but the Gators aren't at a total loss on the recruiting trail. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun] | Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In this story:

Florida Gators

By now, almost everyone knows that the Florida Gators came up just short in the Boozer Twins recruitment. The Gators finished in third, while the Duke Blue Devils came out victorious on Friday and received both verbal commitments. 

The painful part of this recruitment for the Gators is that they were seen as leaders for the twins at one point in this race. Yet, after the latest unofficial visits by the twins to all three of the schools involved – Duke, Miami and Florida – Duke won them over and sealed their commitments according to 247 Sports Travis Branham. 

With that happening, it seems like a good time to see where Gators head coach Todd Golden will turn his attention after missing out on these two highly sought after prospects. 

Jackson McVey, Center

McVey currently ranks as the 25th-best center and the eighth-best player from Georgia, according to ESPN.

He may not be a five-star prospect, but Golden is still putting in the effort in McVey’s recruitment. The 7-foot-1, 225-pound center plays his basketball with Overtime Elite, a basketball league for high school prospects. 

McVey recently took an official visit to Gainesville near the end of September, and the visit looks to have been a positive one. Following his visit with the Gators, the big man released a top five, and the Gators made the cut. The other four schools that made his top five are Georgia, Georgia Tech, Florida State and Stanford. 

Alex Constanza, Small Forward

Constanza measures in at 6-foot-8, 207 pounds and is currently ranked as the 21st-overall prospect in the country in the 2026 class according to 247 Sports. He is also the fourth-best player from Florida. Constanza plays for Westminster Academy in Florida, the school as current Gators commit Alex Lloyd. 

And when it comes to the Gators and his recruitment, they provide the option of staying home. 

“He's [Todd Golden] a great coach. He always comes to support and watch, they have a great staff and I could stay home,” Constanza told 247 Sports’ National Basketball Analyst Travis Branham. 

Constanza, for right now, is a 2026 prospect. However, that could change. He recently talked with Branham on what his options are in his recruitment and the possibility for reclassification was part of that discussion. 

This would be a huge coup for Golden after missing out on the Boozers, but only time will tell if he can land Constanza – either for 2026 or sooner.

For right now, these are the only two prospects to focus on, in my opinion. That doesn't mean Golden isn’t recruiting others because he definitely is. However, since these are the only two who have publicly connected themselves with the Gators, they need to be the priority.  

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published
Kyle Lander
KYLE LANDER

Kyle Lander is a contributing writer at Florida Gators on SI. He is also a graduate of the University of Florida with a degree in journalism. On top of his writing, Kyle is a photographer for the site as well. Outside of his work with Florida Gators on SI, he likes to hike, travel, watch movies and hang out with family and friends.

Share on XFollow _KyleLander
Home/Basketball