2021 Recruit Profile: Florida Gators CB Target Nathaniel Wiggins
Nathaniel Wiggins, Cornerback
School: Westlake (Atlanta, Ga.)
Height/Weight: 6-2, 173 pounds
247Sports Composite Rating: Four-star, No. 10 CB, No. 11 state (Ga.), No. 123 national
Recruitment History
Emerging as a national prospect in the offseason prior to his senior year, Westlake cornerback Nathaniel Wiggins now has the attention of top programs across the country while holding 32 offers. Florida sent an offer Wiggins' way in March of 2019, kicking off his recruitment while enrolled at Grady High School (Atlanta, Ga.).
At Grady, Wiggins split his time playing both cornerback and wide receiver, but plans to focus more at cornerback during his senior season at Westlake. Wiggins spoke with Sports Illustrated - AllGators on July 10th about his offseason training and recruitment, noting that Florida and LSU are the top schools in the running for his services. Oregon has made a strong push, but Wiggins would prefer to play a little closer to home than in the PNW.
"It was west coast at first, but I changed my mind because I ain't want to go that far," Wiggins told AllGators.
The Gators have already landed three cornerback commits in the class of 2021, but remain on the prowl as cornerbacks coach Torrian Gray - Wiggins' primary recruiter - and safeties coach Ron English look to load up in the secondary. Wiggins and Miami Palmetto (Fla.) cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. are at high on Florida's board, and while Wiggins had plenty of praise for LSU when speaking with AllGators, UF would likely find a way to take both cornerbacks should the two end up wanting to be Gators.
Wiggins plans to commit on his birthday, August 28th.
Where He Fits
A long, athletic cornerback prospect, Wiggins carries the flexibility to play both the field and the boundary at Florida should he end up in the class. His range could even allow him to play safety in a pinch, and experience and explosiveness at wide receiver could provide UF's coaching staff with some serious positional flexibility.
Wiggins uses his length to jam receivers at the line in press and play the ball in the air, which led to a productive junior season where he recorded five interceptions. While he has no posted times in the 40-yard dash or similar drills, Wiggins' speed is clear on tape as he glides across the field and in sync with his responsibility in man coverage. With the ball in his hands, Wiggins is explosive and elusive which has led to scores both offensively and defensively.
Although he prefers to press, Wiggins processes routes and plays quickly and moves with great reactionary speed to break plays up. He's especially fluid coming down against in-breaking routes and curls while playing off the ball, clicking-and-closing out of his backpedal and attacking the pass. This comparison comes purely from similar athletic traits and is not a projection, but Wiggins' skill-set and physique are similar to that of recent Florida cornerback C.J. Henderson.
Wiggins will need to continue adding good weight to his long frame, which shouldn't be a huge issue but in order to maintain his speed and agility, the goal should be the 190-200 lb. range. Wiggins is physical as is, but his tackling will need to improve which should come with continued added strength.