RB Cedric Baxter Jr. Includes Florida Gators in Top 4, Sets Commitment Date
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In-state running back Cedric Baxter Jr. (Edgewater, Fla.) has revealed his top-teams list for his recruitment in 2023. He is now down to just four teams, including the Florida Gators, and has set his commitment date for Aug. 10.
Along with Florida, Baxter listed Texas A&M, Miami and Texas. Baxter originally listed Florida among his top five in April, including Texas A&M, Arkansas, Texas and Miami. Now, it appears Arkansas is out of the running.
He has already taken an official visit with Texas and has yet to take any more official visits thus far in his recruitment.
With the dead period starting this week and continuing through near the end of July, it's unclear if Baxter will take many, or any more prior to making his pledge. Still, when speaking with On3 in June, Baxter stated that he would be taking an OV with Florida in December because that's when the school wants him to take it.
Baxter could decide on a program and still take the OVs if he pleases, though it's unclear as of right now if a commitment would alter any of his plans.
Still, Florida will be hosting plenty of recruits for its annual Barbecue and Friday Night Lights event on July 29, and there's always a chance of Baxter making an appearance at that time, considering Florida is one of his finalists.
Baxter, 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, is graded as a four-star athlete, the No. 3 running back in this year's class, the No. 10 player in the state of Florida and the No. 43 player nationally in the 2023 recruiting cycle.
His impressive blend of size and speed makes for an ideal fit for nearly any offense, and especially one at Florida that is expected to be balanced.
Baxter was originally offered by Florida's previous staff under head coach Dan Mullen and that offer has since stood as Billy Napier took over the program. Since the start of this year, Baxter has unofficially visited the program on three occasions, the latest coming on April 9.
"They use a lot of backs. I think they used like three or four when I was there," Baxter told AllGators in April. "Then, on top of that, they have, I think, two full-time [offensive] line coaches. So it's like, they're [going to] dedicate to their line. That's a good thing."
The Gators will continue to pursue one of the top backs in the country in Baxter, and it might come down to the wire if he does opt to hold off on more official visits until late in the season and near Early Signing Day.
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