Florida Gators Top Remaining 2022 Recruiting Targets and Needs
Not only has Florida's 2021 season been disappointing thus far, but so have the Gators' recruiting efforts for the class of 2022.
The Gators got off to a hot start by securing numerous big-time commitments in the spring and summer, including the nation's No. 2 linebacker in Shemar James, the No. 8 quarterback in Nick Evers, and the No. 15 cornerback in Julian Humphrey.
However, recruiting momentum has come to a halt. Yes, Florida added two more top talents in wide receiver Jayden Gibson (No. 20 WR) and defensive tackle Jamari Lyons (No. 11 iDL) this fall, but lost James' commitment this past week while tight end commit CJ Hawkins flipped to Stanford a couple of weeks prior.
On top of that, Florida owns only 14 pledges in the class of 2022, falling behind as other programs land top talent.
RELATED: Gators 2022 commitment list
Dan Mullen and his staff still have roughly two months before the early signing period to add talent and bolster the Gators' recruiting haul. But keep in mind, options are becoming increasingly limited as prospects commit to other schools. That being said, what are Florida's biggest needs on the trail at this point, and who remains available at the top of the board?
Gators biggest recruiting needs
Offensive line: Florida currently possesses two commitments across the offensive line in David Conner and Jalen Farmer, three if you count Tony Livingston who primarily plays tight end and defensive end for his high school but projects to play offensive tackle. Both Conner and Farmer are intriguing talents but will need to spend a couple of years refining their technique before being game-ready.
UF has struggled to land blue-chip talent at offensive tackle under Mullen and OL coach John Hevesy's watch and would benefit tremendously by landing one in the near future. Florida's offensive line has done its job well in recent years within the gameplan but has yet to acquire or develop a game-changing blocker. The first-round talents you witness Alabama and Georgia produce almost yearly can take an offensive line unit to another level.
This might not be the year Florida pulls a top tackle in either, though. Tyler Booker was UF's top target at the position but he opted for Alabama over the summer, while the likes of Drew Shelton, Qae'shon Sapp, Aliou Bah and others committed elsewhere too.
Defensive line: Lyons is the Gators' lone defensive line commit in this class as Francois Nolton Jr. projects as a BUCK edge rusher who could one day develop into a strong-side defensive end. Lyons is a very talented lineman, but as Zachary Carter, Antonio Valentino, Daquan Newkirk and Tyrone Truesdell should run out of eligibility at the end of the 2021 season, UF will be in need of additional bodies on their defensive front moving forward.
Fortunately, three of UF's top remaining prospects across its entire board play on the defensive line, that being defensive tackles Walter Nolen and Chris McClellan as well as defensive end Quency Wiggins. Odds are, Florida won't land all three of these linemen, but obtaining even one of them could change the outlook of UF's future defensive line drastically as each recruit is extremely talented and loaded with potential.
Safety: Trey Dean III and Rashad Torrence II have stabilized Florida's safety unit on the field this year after a couple of seasons of lackluster play at the position. However, depth has been a concern from a mix of inexperience and less-than-stellar talent on the backend.
The Gators added two safeties a year ago who possess potential in Donovan McMillon and Corey Collier Jr., but could use more. Particularly, landing a dominant, versatile talent who can drop back and play downhill at safety could change the unit's projection moving forward and allow Florida to become flexible with coverage schemes. No prospect fits that bill as well as Kamari Wilson.
Others: Tight end, off-ball linebacker, cornerback
Gators top available targets
Most prospects have a scouting report included via Sports Illustrated All-American.
No. 1 iDL Walter Nolen, Powell (Tenn.):
Gators defensive line coach David Turner paid Nolen's high school a visit on Thursday night to catch the nation's No. 2 overall recruit in action.
This marks the fourth time, at least to public knowledge, that Florida and Nolen have crossed paths since June as he's visited UF three times in that span as well. Nolen's recruitment has been hard to read, but it's clear that his interest in UF and vice versa is mutual and strong.
The SIAA and AllGators staff have evaluated Nolen in person several times this year and each scout has come away with the same analysis: He's a game-wrecker who can play immediately upon his college arrival, wherever that may be.
Nolen has fantastic lateral movement and exceptional balance. One of the strongest lineman in the country, in and out of the weight room. We haven’t noticed an ounce of stiffness (common in taller defensive lineman), and he’s a missile out of his stance. He doesn’t get washed, he doesn’t over pursue. Nolen maximizes his talents within his team’s system, yet he remains the star of the show whenever he steps on the field -- in any setting. His motor combined with his size/speed is enough for any college coach to drool over. Will make any college defensive line unit deeper the second he steps onto campus.
No. 2 slot WR Evan Stewart, Liberty (Texas):
It's hard to watch Stewart and not immediately think of NFL wide receiver Stefon Diggs. Combining elite skills at the catch point, top-tier route-running abilities, speed, agility, and leaping ability, Stewart is one of the most electric receivers in the country this year and is specifically dominant as a deep threat.
A close friend and seven-on-seven teammate of Florida quarterback commit Nick Evers, Stewart has a fantastic reason to join the Gators for his college career to build upon the chemistry he has with his fellow Dallas-area prospect. Expect Florida to have a hat at Stewart's proverbial (if not literal) commitment day table.
A truly explosive talent, the Texan is a big play waiting to happen no matter where he lines up. As fast or faster than all others at the position, Stewart flashes the blurring ability on tape with verified track times to support. However, the one-time Texas commitment isn't just a track star who can catch football, he is a football player who also runs track. Polish is present in his route-running ability and finishing ability, not to mention easy dynamics while operating in space. Stewart is one of the best angle-breakers in the class, making secondary prospects look foolish with his ability to come out of his breaks and/or get north-south on short to intermediate routes. As he fills out his frame and adds more functional strength.
No. 1 S Kamari Wilson, IMG Academy (Fla.):
After missing out on safety Terrion Arnold a class ago, Wilson is the next-best option for Florida as it looks for an elite, versatile talent at the safety position. Wilson fits UF's ideal safety mold as an aggressive downhill defender who delivers a boom as a tackler but is similarly gifted in coverage and making plays on the ball.
Wilson has not updated his recruitment since naming a top six in July, which included the Gators. He has since visited UF in September to go along with two trips to Gainesville over the summer.
An explosive, physical enforcer who flashes against the run and the pass, Wilson has throwback strong safety traits with the athleticism to challenge for a versatile role. He is among the most comfortable in the class running the alley and finishing with force. The coverage instincts are strong in both reaction time, redirection and breaking downhill on the ball or ball carrier. Wilson may have been the best player on a star-studded IMG Academy defense in 2020, flashing the range and sideline to sideline ability to match his confidence.
No. 2 CB Jaheim Singletary, Riverside (Fla.):
Florida has coveted Singletary for quite a while after sending him an offer in March 2019. At one point, Singletary publicly considered Florida to be his leading school.
Singletary committed to Ohio State at the beginning of the year but backed off that pledge this summer, and has refocused his recruitment around schools in the southeast. Hailing from Jacksonville, roughly an hour from Gainesville, the Gators are hoping to pull Singletary out of their backyard and plug him into their secondary.
A lengthy and speedy cornerback, Singletary is aggressive when attacking the ball and would be a perfect fit into the man-coverage scheme that UF has attempted to run over the years.
The only other corner under consideration for the top spot at this stage, the Floridian's case is just as a strong. Singletary has been an alpha corner prospect since his freshman year in the Jacksonville metro, with success there and on offense at wide receiver. But the elite length, muscular build and true ball skills are tailor-made for the modern secondary, where he can win with technique off the ball and certainly at the line of scrimmage. The future Buckeye is confident in his game, flashes better makeup speed than his size would suggest, yet he plays with the leverage discipline of a college veteran. Few cornerbacks at his size remain at the position at the next level, but we would be surprised if Singletary became another in that bunch -- he is simply special.
No. 7 iDL Chris McClellan, Owasso (Okla.):
McClellan, a physically dominant defensive lineman with impressive technique for his age, has expressed plenty of interest in Florida by making two visits to the school this year. Whether Nolen pledges to UF or not, McClellan is a lineman that the Gators would like to land.
Ohio State has seemingly fallen out of the running as of late for McClellan, making this primarily a battle between the home-state school of Oklahoma and Florida for his services.
Leanly built his way up to 290 on his way from defensive end to defensive tackle. Nice length. After watching his film, the first thing that sticks out is his long arms and his ability to quickly strike-and-shed blockers. He has good feet to match a very strong build. Great closing burst for a lineman. It looks like he set up blockers for his moves, based on how effective some of his swims are. McClellan can get skinny through a gap when he needs to. Skilled when slanting into gaps. Fantastic pad level throughout his film. Active hands with a nasty punch. Easily manipulates blocker’s shoulder pads. Violent in every facet of his game. Solid tackler. He does most of his damage in between the tackles, slanting or stemming and disrupting. Every time the ball is snapped, he seems to have a plan for how he is attacking each blocker. Because he attacks with a plan in mind, he maximizes his already imposing physicality.
DE/DL Quency Wiggins, Madison Prep Academy (La.):
A 6-foot-6, 274-pound prospect, Wiggins is primarily viewed as a defensive end thanks to his speed and agility but is fully capable of flexing inside to three-technique defensive tackle considering his physical and athletic profile.
LSU has long been considered a favorite to land Wiggins, but considering the Tigers' incoming change at head coach, perhaps the defensive lineman will look elsewhere. That would leave Florida in an excellent position as Wiggins has visited UF twice since June.
Quency Wiggins is a downhill power player with position versatility up front. He is long and athletic enough to set the edge but has a lower half ready to mix it up with guards and centers. He plays behind his pads out of a three or four-point stance, too.
CB Azareyeh Thomas, Niceville (Fla.):
If the Gators aren't able to pull in Singletary, Thomas would be an excellent consolation prize at the cornerback position. A high-caliber athlete with outstanding length, Thomas profiles nicely as an outside cornerback but also is flexible enough to play safety if UF's coaching staff prefers.
For a while, this race was down to Florida, LSU and Georgia Tech. However, Oklahoma has entered the mix of finalists late in the process following Thomas' visit to Norman on Oct. 16.
OT Ja'Kavion Nonar, Glades Central (Fla.):
Nonar may not be considered a top tackle prospect, but at least from the state of Florida, he's one of the best options that remain available. He was at one point committed to Pittsburgh and has earned offers from Ole Miss and Maryland as well. Standing at 6-foot-7, 285 pounds, Nonar offers an intriguing physical profile that, like Conner, Florida could develop nicely at offensive tackle.
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.