Florida Gators Recruiting June 14 Preview: USC Commit Highlights Visit List

The Florida Gators are hosting another blue-chip list of recruits during the third weekend of June.

Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier blows his whistle during warm ups before the Orange and Blue game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, April 13, 2024 [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]2024 / Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY

For the third straight weekend, the Florida Gators will play host to a plethora of top talent in the 2025 recruiting class.

Gators Illustrated has compiled a list of this weekend’s visitors who aren’t committed to the Gators.  

Four-star WR Vernell “Trey” Brown III, Jones (Orlando, Fla.)

The headliner of this weekend’s visitors, Brown III is the son of former UF defensive back and eventual staffer Vernell Brown Jr. A positive visit could thrust the Gators into the top spot in his recruitment. 

Although considered an Ohio State lean throughout most of this year, On3’s Steve Wiltfong explained that the Gators may have the edge going into the weekend, and a strong visit could solidify their positioning. 

Familiarity with the program, proximity and previous family members who donned a Gator uniform could sway Brown III into choosing Florida.

That being said, Florida isn’t just battling Ohio State for the legacy prospect. Brown III recently visited Miami, a visit he described as perfect. He’ll also visit Florida State next weekend. 

Four-star S Hylton Stubbs, Mandarin (Jacksonville, Fla.)

As Florida looks to rebuild its defensive back room under new position coach Will Harris, Stubbs could be the first piece of the puzzle. However, a commitment to USC stands in the way. 

That being said, Florida may be in a prime spot to flip his commitment down the road. His pledge to USC in March came as a major surprise, as two 24/7 Sports experts predicted the Gators to land the four-star prospect. 

But don’t expect a flip to happen this weekend or anytime soon for that matter. He’ll still visit Miami this weekend, and a strong season for the Trojans could mean he stays true to his pledge. But a strong official visit in Gainesville, with help from a successful season, could sway Stubbs to become a Gator.

Four-star LB Tavion Wallace, Wayne County (Jesup, Ga.)

Continuing a trend from the previous two weeks, Wallace is a prospect who is currently trending to one of Florida’s rivals, but there’s still an opportunity for Florida. 

At the moment, Wallace is predicted to end up at Florida State. That makes this weekend crucial for the Gators to make a big jump before he officially commits on July 2. 

After previously visiting Arkansas and Georgia, Wallace will finish his June visit schedule with a trip to FSU next weekend and will choose between the three schools and Florida. 

Four-star LB Ty Jackson, Seminole Ridge (Loxahatchee, Fla.)

Although the Gators are very much in the running for Jackson, his recruitment is shaping up to be a long-term battle. Jackson isn’t expected to commit until December, and it looks like the Gators will have to fight off Alabama and Georgia for his services. 

With that in mind, it’s crucial that not only this weekend goes well, but that the Gators are able to get Jackson back on campus for a game this fall. A few wins this year wouldn’t hurt, either. 

Jackson will visit Alabama next weekend. He visited Georgia last weekend.

Four-star DL Malik Autry, Opelika (Ala.)

Florida’s chances to land Autry, who holds a solid commitment to Auburn, seem very slim, but taking a swing doesn’t hurt. USC and Ohio State, where he’ll visit next weekend, have also made late pushes for Autry’s services. 

Now, Florida still holds the commitments of Jeramiah McCloud and Jalen Wiggins, so missing out on Autry wouldn’t sting as much.

He may be a dream prospect, and not all dreams come true. It seems like Florida needs all its cards to fall perfectly to even have a chance to land Autry. A strong visit this weekend would be the first card to play. 

Four-star S Lagonza Hayward, Toombs County (Lyons, Ga.)

One of three safeties visiting this weekend, Hayward actually began his visit early Saturday morning, according to Gators Online’s Keith Niebuhr, and the Gators have an opportunity to make a strong early impression before the rest of the visitors arrive. 

That’s crucial considering Georgia and Tennessee are considered ahead of Florida in his recruitment. Hayward will choose between those three schools, along with South Carolina, on July 27. 

A visit in Athens thrusted Georgia into the top spot, according to On3, but a strong impression by Harris and company in Gainesville could counter that. Hayward will also visit Tennessee next weekend. 

Four-star WR Donovan Olugbode, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)

Despite being considered a Florida lean at the moment, Olugbode still has USC, Oregon, Washington and Missouri in the running for his commitment, with an apparent emphasis on the Trojans and the Huskies.

Olugbode has previously stated Florida’s QB situation with DJ Lagway and receivers coach Billy Gonzales’ ability to develop prospects as positives for Florida. Using this visit to solidify those relationships and show him the vision for his role in the offense could continue to turn the tide in the Gators’ favor. 

He already visited USC and Washington, but he has yet to visit Missouri. He’ll take his OV with the Tigers next weekend. 

Four-star EDGE Cedric Works, Northmont (Dayton, Ohio)

Recruiting Works seems like an uphill battle for Florida at the moment, mostly due to proximity. 

At the moment, Cincinnati, Kentucky and Penn State all look to be ahead of Florida for the Dayton, Ohio recruit. However, getting him to take a visit in Gainesville should absolutely be seen as a positive, and there may be a chance to keep Florida in his mind as he makes a decision. 

Works will conclude his June visit schedule with a trip to Kentucky next weekend. 

Four-star OL Tavaris Dice, Langston Hughes (Fairburn, Ga.)

Dice is the second Auburn commit to be visiting Gainesville this weekend, and like Autry, it’ll be a tough uphill battle for Florida to complete the flip. But the fact that the Gators are still competing should be seen as a positive. 

His visit with the Tigers last weekend and his visit with the Gators this weekend are currently his only scheduled visits for the summer. So it seems like if any team were to flip Dice, it’d be Florida. 

A positive visit, which Billy Napier and his staff have been stellar at, will go a long way for Florida. Not to mention, this recruitment becomes a little more important after target Ziyare Addison committed to Oregon. 

Four-star S Bryce Fitzgerald, Christopher Columbus (Miami)

A Miami native, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that many initially thought that the Hurricanes would be in the lead for Fitzgerald’s commitment. Miami was reportedly in his top-three alongside Florida and LSU.

However, that belief quickly dissipated following a strong push from FSU last weekend. Fitzgerald left his visit saying the Seminoles had replaced Miami in his top-three. 

That doesn’t mean Miami is completely out of it. He’ll still visit with the Hurricanes in a little over a week. 

For a recruit that has already replaced a school in his top-three, Florida needs a big push this weekend to stay in the running, or even overtake the top spot before his visit with Miami. 

Three-star TE Caden Piening, Anderson (Cincinnati) 

Despite a commitment to UCF, Florida is in a prime position to flip Piening, according to On3. However, Louisville and Michigan State have also made consistent pushes for his services. 

As it stands, Florida is Piening’s last official visit of the summer. So, expect Florida to push for a flip this weekend, especially considering it doesn’t have a tight end commitment in its early 2025 recruiting class.

OL Jahzare Jackson, Overtime Elite (San Diego) 

This may be the most interesting visitor this weekend. 

Standing at an astounding 6 feet 11 inches, Jackson is a former three-star basketball star from the 2023 class. Rather than attend a college, Jackson took the OTE league route and even declared for the NBA Draft this year. 

However, it looks like football may be the move. He previously participated in a camp at FSU, but he currently has Florida as his leaders heading into this weekend. He would likely be a summer enrollee in the 2024 class should he ultimately choose football.

Three-star ATH Cornelius Ingram II, Hawthorne (Fla.)

Gator fans should recognize the name. 

The son of former UF tight end Cornelius Ingram, Ingram II, who goes by CJ, is currently a football and basketball recruit for the Gators. Despite a more impressive offer list in football, Ingram II has taken his basketball recruitment just as seriously as his football recruitment. 

However, a dual visit with the football and basketball programs, during which Todd Golden extended an offer, could seal the deal for another Ingram to play at Florida.