Florida Gators Recruiting: 2022 WRs to Keep Tabs On
The Florida Gators have completed their 2021 recruiting cycle, and are currently knee-deep in film, studying the 2022 and beyond prospects as the 24/7 recruiting roller coaster presses forward.
With that, there will be plenty of ups and downs as the year goes on for prospects that will have to make perhaps the most important decision of their lives thus far.
Florida has already landed two prospects for the 2022 cycle, one that we will highlight today in Edison (Miami, Fla.) wide receiver Syveion Ellis and Edison defensive lineman Francois Nolton Jr.
We have already broken down some of the top quarterbacks and running backs Florida may be targeting this season, now we will take a look at the receivers in this class, featuring a lot of size and potential at the position.
Here are five key wide receiver targets for the Gators moving forward:
Syveion Ellis
A household name for Florida already, Ellis committed to the university in 2019 and has yet to rescind that commitment. Hailing from Edison (Miami, Fla.), the 6-foot-5, 200-pound receiver certainly has the size Florida is looking for at the position.
Recruited originally by Florida receivers coach Billy Gonzales and former Florida quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson, Ellis has been a high-priority target for Florida, and they'll look to keep him on the commitment list moving forward with its 2022 recruiting class.
Since his commitment, Ellis has received multiple offers, including one from in-state rival Miami Hurricanes, and SEC-rival Arkansas Razorbacks.
As stated above, Florida has already received a commitment from one of Ellis' teammates in Nolton, showcasing that the relationship between the school and the program, Ellis and the Gators, appears to be doing just fine.
While he is committed to the Gators, Ellis did share a top-6 teams list just last year, but it doesn't appear likely that anything will change so far as the relationship between the program and Ellis. Presenting a unique blend of size and speed, the sky is the limit for the Gators' first commitment of the 2022 recruiting cycle.
Kevin Thomas
Florida is no stranger to recruiting in Pennsylvania, and that much is no different for Thomas, a receiver out of Neumann Goretti (Haverford, Pa). During the 2021 recruiting cycle, Florida landed a commitment from safety Donovan McMillon, who also hails from Pennsylvania.
Recruited most directly by Florida tight ends coach Tim Brewster, Thomas is one of the most highly sought-after receivers in the nation, presenting a big-bodied target at 6-foot-3, 187 pounds.
Recently, Thomas told 247Sports that Florida was one of the top schools he has been building a relationship with. While it is unclear what his intentions are moving forward, this is a good sign for the highly-rated receiver prospect. The Gators have always been shown to favor bigger receivers and Thomas is no different.
Although his season was canceled during the fall due to the coronavirus pandemic, Thomas has still impressed recruiters who are on the hunt for pass catchers. He has received multiple offers, including another SEC program in Texas A&M.
De'Nylon Morrissette
The Gators ought to be familiar with Morrissette as they've been recruiting Brookwood high school (Snellville, Ga.) for quite some time for another player who is featured on this list in Samuel Mbake. Morrisette's offer, however, is much more recent, and could be an indication of where Florida is at with either player.
In a sort of surprise, Morrisette recently released his top-7 teams list, but it didn't feature the Florida Gators. That's because Florida had yet to officially offer the big-time receiver at that point. They would go on to offer him only hours after his top-seven list was posted to social media.
Sticking with the trend of this list so far, Morrisette is listed at 6-foot-1, 200 pounds, and brings plenty of size and speed to the table.
While he is seemingly overshadowed by Mbake at times, Morrissette is just as impressive. He has the skills to play as a big-body receiver, while possessing the nimbleness to get small, making defenders miss in the open field.
The Gators would do well by bringing him in as another addition to its 2021 recruiting class.
Samuel Mbake
Speaking of his running mate, the Brookwood receiver, Mbake, has yet to commit to one of his "dream" schools in the Georgia Bulldogs, Florida's biggest rival in both on-the-field actions, and in recruiting within the SEC.
For the Gators, they originally offered Mbake in 2020 and the fact that he remains uncommitted is a good sign for the program. Florida apparently means business as it has sent both Gonzales and Brewster out to recruit the big-bodied receiver, standing at 6-foot-3, 205 pounds. Both are two of Florida's best recruiters within the program.
As nimble as Mbake can be in the open field, he is even more explosive as a receiver in the redzone, able to out-muscle his opponent with ease, finding an easy target for any quarterback who throws to him.
As Florida continues to move forward within its 2022 recruiting cycle, look out for Mbake as he will likely become one of the team's top targets, understandably so. In 2020, he caught 54 passes for 473 yards and five touchdowns and will look to make an even bigger impact during his senior season this year.
Isaiah Horton
The last receiver on this list is just as big as the rest. Horton stands at 6-foot-3, 190 pounds and is yet another big-body receiver the Gators will need to keep a close eye on as they move forward in recruiting this year.
He currently attends Oakland (Murfreesboro, Tn.), a direct rival to the Gators as the proximity to Tennessee cannot be understated.
In December of last year, Horton released a top-6 teams list that featured Florida, Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Alabama, all teams within the SEC. It is no question Florida would like to out-recruit its direct competition and there doesn't appear to be a shortage of just that with Horton's list.
Horton is currently being recruited heavily by Gonzales, as should be expected with many players that are on the Gators' radar as receivers.
In 2020, Horton hauled in 34 receptions for 643 yards and seven touchdowns. He recently bulked up from just 173 pounds to a whopping 190 pounds. The sky appears to be the limit for the Oakland receiver.