3 Late-Rising 2022 Prospects Florida Gators Have a Shot At

While many are often aware of the top recruits a year ahead of time, some players don't exactly shine until their time at the prep level is slated to come to an end.

That's the case for plenty of senior high schoolers, who have seen their recruitment shoot up the boards of late, including a few prospects who have the Florida Gators in their sights. With the dead period officially in the rearview mirror, plenty of seniors have visits lined up.

SI All-American's John Garcia broke it down, including a few prospects who are slated to visit Florida and could be a part of UF head coach Billy Napier's growing class.

The importance of the next few weeks cannot be overstated, and as the visits line up, especially for this weekend's batch of officials, more news will begin to trickle out of Gainesville.

Here are each of the three prospects, along with some background info:

TE Danny Lewis Jr.

Here is what Garcia had to say about Lewis, a former Cincinnati commit that looks to make his decision on National Signing Day:

After a fall commitment to Luke Fickell and Cincinnati, the New Iberia (La.) native backed off of the UC commitment on Wednesday morning. Before that point, Lewis had continued to receive interest from Power 5 programs. He announced the big in-state offer from LSU after posting the decommitment and the Tigers immediately become a player for the 6'4" tight end via Brian Kelly. Florida is another SEC program in consistent contact here and Lewis has an official visit to Gainesville on deck before the end of the month, too.

Florida has just one other TE slated to be a part of its 2022 recruiting class in athlete Tony Livingston.

DB Miguel Mitchell

Mitchell is part of the growing list of prospects that are slated to visit Florida's campus today. Down to just two schools, the Gators could get one of the fast-growing defensive backs in the country, able to bolster its DB class that already includes a couple of big names.

Garcia stated that Mitchell is one of the most versatile and savvy defenders in Alabama.

The definition of a late riser is one who breaks out as a senior, ala Jaxson Dart last cycle, en route to Power 5 opportunities. After a stellar campaign at Oxford (Ala.) High this fall, one of the most versatile and savvy defenders in Alabama has emerged in Mitchell. It came in the fall and even in December, earning MVP honors with a pick-six and much more at the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game on a field with roves of SEC prospects. Since, Mitchell has added national offers and now the focus has become an SEC battle between Florida and Tennessee. He'll see each for official visits the next two weekends, beginning with a trip to Gainesville.

DL Jayson Jenkins

Jenkins is another player the Gators will have a shot at after he gained some steam with Power 5 programs, beginning in October with Boston College, says Garcia.

As more programs look for talent up front, New Jersey's Jayson Jenkins has risen up several recruiting boards. Without Power 5 attention into his senior season, it changed in October with Boston College's pursuit. Visits to BC and Pitt went down in December and the rest are slated for January. West Virginia will get the first one but SEC programs Florida and Missouri are on the docket as well.

"I feel like on tape, I really exerted myself and all of my explosiveness with how fast I can get off the ball," Jenkins said. "I showed how I could continue to use my hands and make it known that I could rush the passer and make an impact. I also showed off a lot of versatility."

Stay tuned to AllGators for continuous coverage of Florida Gators football, basketball and recruiting. Follow along on social media at @SI_AllGators on Twitter and Florida Gators on Sports Illustrated on Facebook.