Florida Gators 2024 Signee List and Recruitment Profiles
Photo: Florida head coach Billy Napier (left) and quarterback DJ Lagway (right); Credit: Alex Shepherd
Florida's class of 2024 high school signees and recruitment profiles for each of the newest Gators can be found below.
For updates on Florida's 2024 winter transfer portal activity — including the addition of freshman cornerback Jameer Grimsley, who joined UF as a transfer from Alabama — check out All Gators' acquisition and departure tracker here.
High school signees (18)
Prospects are organized by position, then by commitment date. Statistics provided by MaxPreps and/or 247Sports
* indicates prospect has enrolled at Florida for the spring 2024 semester
*QB DJ Lagway
Committed: Dec. 7, 2022
School: Willis (Texas) High
H/W: 6-foot-3, 238 pounds
Profile: The guy. Billy Napier's tenure could ultimately be defined by Lagway's success at Florida, whom the head coach offered in March 2022 and never stopped pursuing, resulting in a commitment roughly nine months later. A well-built athlete with a strong arm that accounted for 99 touchdowns over three seasons, Lagway improved his completion percentage by 16.6 points between his first and third campaigns as Willis' starting quarterback and proved to be a sharp decision-maker with a career interception rate of just 1.8%. He also rushed for 29 scores in high school. Lagway participated in the 2023 Elite 11 Finals and was named among the nation's top passers at the event. For his senior season showing, Lagway was named National High School Player of the Year by MaxPreps.
*RB Kahnen Daniels
Committed: April 10, 2023
School: West Point (Miss.) High
H/W: 6-foot, 191 pounds
Profile: Daniels committed to the Gators over offers from Alabama, Auburn, Oregon, Texas A&M, Michigan State and Mississippi State among other programs. A do-it-all talent for his high school, Daniels has aligned as a true running back, Wildcat quarterback and even wide receiver in order to get the ball into his hands. The results over four seasons of varsity playing time were tremendous: 5,541 rushing yards, 58 touchdowns and 9.9 yards per carry on average. He also threw for eight touchdowns over 88 passing attempts.
*RB Jadan Baugh
Committed: Dec. 20, 2023
School: Decatur (Ga.) Columbia
H/W: 6-foot-1, 225 pounds
Profile: Baugh's seven-month commitment to Arkansas came to an end in December with Florida and Alabama pressing for his pledge, following his senior breakout campaign at running back in which he garnered over 1,500 yards and 19 touchdowns. Before his move to the backfield, Baugh accumulated 10 touchdowns as a receiver and 126 tackles with 12 for loss, two interceptions, four pass breakups and four forced fumbles as a defensive back. He picked off another six passes as a senior. The versatile talent ultimately picked the Gators, committing to and signing with UF on Dec. 20, seizing significant potential opportunities roughly two weeks after star running back Trevor Etienne entered the NCAA transfer portal.
*WR Jerrae Hawkins Jr.
Committed: June 26, 2023
School: Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy (via Wheeling Park [W.V.] High)
H/W: 5-foot-10, 160 pounds
Profile: Florida has coveted speed at wide receiver under Napier's leadership and none represent that quality better than Hawkins, who has a 4.25-second 40-yard dash and 6.69-second 60-meter, 10.37-second 100-meter and 21.48-second 200-meter dashes to his name. He averaged 18.1 yards per catch across 97 receptions for 1,751 yards and 20 touchdowns in two varsity seasons at Wheeling Park High School, before transferring to IMG Academy for his senior campaign. With the Ascenders, Hawkins averaged 18.6 yards per catch with 26 receptions for 483 yards and four scores. Hawkins will need to add good weight to his frame to withstand the physicality of the SEC, but UF will want to balance his strength and conditioning approach in order to maintain his athleticism.
*WR Tawaski Abrams
Committed: July 18, 2023
School: Fort Myers (Fla.) Dunbar
H/W: 5-foot-11, 190 pounds
Profile: Speed, speed, speed. Are you picking up on a trend among Florida's wide receiver pledges? Abrams flipped his commitment from Florida State to Florida to provide the Gators' future offense yet another pass-catcher that can breeze by defensive backs, with a 10.62-second 100-meter dash result on record from his track and field career. He produced 9.96 yards per touch across 37 receptions and 21 rushes during his junior campaign at Dunbar, and scored a total of 14 touchdowns between his sophomore and junior seasons.
TE Amir Jackson
Committed: June 17, 2023
School: Portal (Ga.) High
H/W: 6-foot-5, 220 pounds
Profile: The Gators were one of the first Power 5 programs to extend Jackson a scholarship offer, on Jan. 28, and schools such as Florida State, Georgia, Tennessee, Auburn and Alabama followed suit throughout the spring. A versatile talent for Portal, Jackson produced 86 receptions for 1,437 yards and 17 touchdowns, rushed 46 times for 388 yards and five touchdowns, and accumulated 151 tackles, two sacks, two interceptions, seven forced fumbles and four pass breakups defensively over three varsity seasons. On the basketball court, Jackson has averaged a double-double per game since his freshman year. He'll catch passes in UF's offense at tight end.
Jackson is scheduled to enroll at UF this summer.
*OT Mike Williams
Committed: June 12, 2023
School: Upper Marlboro (Md.) Charles Herbert Flowers
H/W: 6-foot-6, 308 pounds
Profile: Formerly committed to SEC rival South Carolina, Williams picked Florida over USC, Michigan State and Miami among other contending programs. An extremely physical, heavy-handed offensive tackle with a towering frame, Williams has slimmed down from the 330-pound range to 310 pounds this offseason and is expected to display greater athleticism and fluidity on the field as a senior as a result. Although Florida will coach him up on both sides of the offensive line, Williams primarily brings right tackle playing experience to the table.
OT Marcus Mascoll
Committed: June 19, 2023
School: Snellville (Ga.) South Gwinnett
H/W: 6-foot-5, 285 pounds
Profile: Despite calling LSU his leader throughout the process, Mascoll opted for the Gators over the Tigers on commitment day to provide Florida with its third offensive lineman in the class at the time. A left tackle on tape who plays some of the top competition in the Peach State regularly, Mascoll is slightly undersized for the position compared to other tackles UF has recruited, but coaches Rob Sale and Darnell Stapleton have floated the possibility of him manning a hybrid role between the tackle and guard positions. A blocker who plays with ample brute strength, Mascoll also displays his muscle in track and field throwing events for his high school.
Mascoll is scheduled to enroll at UF this summer.
*OT Fletcher Westphal
Committed: July 10, 2023
School: Leesburg (Va.) Tuscarora
H/W: 6-foot-8, 334 pounds
Profile: Westphal's commitment to Florida over Clemson, Arkansas and 37 other offers was monumental considering the Gators' not-so-short-term struggles to secure blue-chip offensive tackle talent from the prep level, dating back to the previous coaching staff. A consensus top-205 recruit in the 2024 cycle, Westphal broke that trend. Possessing a towering presence, Westphal is an ideal tackle projection with the height/length profile Florida covets for the position. Westphal utilizes his big frame to bully and out-physical just about every defender he takes on in the trenches. Although his movement skills are naturally a bit limited at his size, Westphal has shown adept flexibility, a strong initial punch and solid hand-fighting technique in pass protection and should only continue to develop positively in this area. His experience as a defensive lineman aids his understanding of rush moves from a blocking perspective.
*iOL Noel Portnjagin
Committed: June 14, 2023
Previous team: Schwäbisch Hall (Germany)
H/W: 6-foot-5, 334 pounds
Profile: One of Florida's most fascinating commitments in the class, Portnjagin was previously a little-known international prospect until the Gators' coaching staff presented his first Power 5 scholarship offer. Auburn, South Carolina and Liberty were quick to follow, but he picked UF before his recruitment could gain further traction. According to Europe's Elite scouting service, Portnjagin is a 6-foot-5, 315-pound guard prospect with a 6-foot-7 wingspan, although he is now over 330 pounds as determined in the camp setting. The website claims Portnjagin has produced a five-second 40-yard dash, a seven-foot broad jump, an 8.12-second 3-cone and a 4.85-second 20-yard shuttle. He projects as a guard at the college level.
*DL LJ McCray
Committed: Oct. 21, 2023
School: Daytona Beach (Fla.) Mainland
H/W: 6-foot-6, 267 pounds
Profile: A perfect fit for the modern mold of a penetrating defensive lineman, McCray's lengthy and imposing frame offers room to add healthy weight and muscle mass at the next level without losing his explosiveness off of the line of scrimmage. McCray's size, speed and strength combination suits him for roles at multiple positions, allowing him to play the edge on early downs and rush from the interior in passing situations. Although McCray primarily aligns as a five-technique, he has displayed this versatility with snaps at three-tech and 4i in high school. By his mid-senior season commitment, McCray had produced 92 total tackles including 40 for loss, 12 sacks, three fumble recoveries and five pass breakups over 28 varsity appearances with Mainland. He picked Florida over Florida State, Georgia, Miami and Auburn.
*DL Michai Boireau
Committed: Dec. 2, 2023 (previously committed from June 19 to Sept. 11)
School: Fairburn (Ga.) Creekside
H/W: 6-foot-5, 394 pounds
Profile: Florida has prioritized Boireau throughout the 2024 recruiting cycle considering its glaring need for interior trench talent. The Gators fought the defending national champion Georgia Bulldogs off to obtain the Peach State prospect's summertime commitment and were able to get him back into the class despite a second look at his options, a feat for Napier and his coaching staff. A massive nose tackle projection, Boireau tallied 86 tackles, five sacks and 12 tackles for loss between his junior and senior seasons of high school. His frame is likely to be reshaped at the college level which could lead to a redshirt year, but Florida undoubtedly will aim to deploy Boireau in the middle of its defense sooner rather than later.
*DL D'antre Robinson
Committed: Jan. 19, 2024
School: Orlando (Fla.) Jones
H/W: 6-foot-4, 315 pounds
Profile: Coveted by Florida's coaching staff of the present and past, Robinson received his initial Gators scholarship offer in June 2021. UF remained in his recruitment past its end: Robinson pledged to and signed with Texas in 2023, but following the Jan. 2024 departure of Longhorns defensive line coach Bo Davis, the prospect rescinded his Letter of Intent and quickly committed to Florida. A three-year varsity contributor at Jones, Robinson accumulated 216 total tackles with 42 for loss, 21 sacks, an interception and two forced fumbles over 34 appearances in his high school career. He's likely to align between the three-technique and nose tackle positions on UF's defensive line.
*LB Myles Graham
Committed: Aug. 14, 2022
School: Gainesville (Fla.) Buchholz
H/W: 6-foot-1, 215 pounds
Profile: Florida's first commitment from the class of 2024 was a familiar one as Graham is a legacy pledge. His father, Earnest Graham, played running back for Florida from 1998-2002 and ranks fifth in program history in career rushing yards. The younger Graham projects to play on the other side of the line of scrimmage at weak-side linebacker, however, after compiling 193 total tackles, five sacks, nine tackles for loss, an interception, 11 pass breakups and three forced fumbles from 2021-22 at Woodward Academy in Atlanta, Ga. After relocating to Gainesville for his senior campaign, Graham produced 82 tackles including nine for loss, three sacks, one interception, five pass breakups and one forced fumble. He also rushed for 600 yards and 17 touchdowns with Buchholz.
LB Aaron Chiles
Committed: June 17, 2023
School: Olney (Md.) Our Lady Good Counsel
H/W: 6-foot-3, 227 pounds
Profile: Chiles offers the Gators a blend of college-ready size, athleticism and instincts to utilize in the second level of their defense. He best projects as an inside WILL linebacker, although he has proven effective in the middle, on the overhang and as an edge rusher at the prep level. Chiles recorded 74 tackles, 10 sacks, 15 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles as a junior in 2022, before committing to Florida over Michigan and Maryland, UF's competition in his former top three schools. He followed up with 88 tackles including 22 tackles for loss, 15 sacks, two forced fumbles and one interception as a senior, en route to MaxPreps' Player of the Year honors for the state of Maryland.
Chiles is scheduled to enroll at UF this summer.
*CB Teddy Foster
Committed: July 14, 2023
School: Sarasota (Fla.) Cardinal Mooney
H/W: 6-foot-1, 170 pounds
Profile: Florida was the final school known to have offered Foster before his summertime pledge, entering his recruitment roughly two months prior and quickly rising to the top. Foster tallied 69 tackles with six for loss, three interceptions and 17 pass breakups over two seasons as a member of Cardinal Mooney's secondary. He also has experience playing wide receiver, having caught 41 passes for 675 yards and eight touchdowns in high school. After playing football in his early years, Foster took an extended break from the sport to pursue AAU basketball but returned to the gridiron in high school.
*S Josiah Davis
Committed: March 27, 2023
School: Nashville (Ga.) Berrien
H/W: 6-foot-1, 182 pounds
Profile: A high-potential piece in the backend. Davis has flashed dynamic playmaking abilities — accounting for 28 total offensive touchdowns to pair with 159 tackles, one sack, five tackles for loss, two interceptions and seven pass breakups defensively over three varsity seasons with Berrien. He's a natural athlete with the ability to contribute in all three phases at the next level if the program elects to do so. At Florida, he’ll occupy time on special teams as a gunner and/or return man while being developed for an eventual starting role at safety. There, he can use his instinctual talent to hunt the ball through the air and on the ground.
*S Gregory Smith III
Committed: Dec. 20, 2023
School: Riverview (Fla.) Sumner High
H/W: 6-foot-3, 191 pounds
Profile: Like running back and fellow Early Signing Period UF commitment Jadan Baugh, Smith was late to bloom at the position he'll play in college but did so nonetheless, which resulted in 12 logged scholarship offers during his senior season. Playing safety for the first time, Smith produced 29 tackles with one for loss, one interception, one forced fumble and four pass breakups in 2023, while starting at quarterback for Sumner High for a second year in a row. He scored at least 53 total touchdowns between his junior and senior seasons.
Decommitments (11)
- RB Jerrick Gibson, Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy, decommitted Feb. 15, 2022
- RB Chauncey Bowens, North Palm Beach (Fla.) The Benjamin School, decommitted June 10, 2023
- DL Michai Boireau, Hampton (Ga.) Creekside, decommitted Sept. 11, 2023 (re-committed Dec. 2, 2022)
- EDGE Jamonta Waller, Picayune (Miss.) Memorial, decommitted Nov. 11, 2023
- CB Wardell Mack, Marrero (La.) John Ehret, decommitted Nov. 12, 2023
- DL Nasir Johnson, Dublin (Ga.) High, decommitted Nov. 15, 2023
- DL Kendall Jackson, Gainesville (Fla.) Buchholz, decommitted Dec. 2, 2023
- DB Xavier Filsaime, McKinney (Texas) High, decommitted Dec. 18, 2023
- LB Adarius Hayes, Largo (Fla.) High, decommitted Dec. 20, 2023
- EDGE Amaris Williams, Clinton (N.C.) High, decommitted Dec. 20, 2023
- WR Izaiah Williams, Tampa (Fla.) Carrollwood Day, decommitted Dec. 20, 2023
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