Florida Gators Earn Pledge from Safety Jordan Castell
The Florida Gators continued their recruiting success by drawing in a commitment for the third consecutive day.
West Orange High School (Winter Garden, Fla.) safety Jordan Castell announced his pledge to the University of Florida Saturday morning, expectedly choosing the Gators over contenders Alabama and Tennessee.
Castell has been targeted heavily by the Florida staff since Billy Napier took over in December, and he has spoken highly of the message from the three recruiters involved in his process.
"And it's just [defensive backs] coach [Corey] Raymond, [co-defensive coordinator and safeties] coach Patrick Toney, [head] coach [Billy] Napier, these guys [are] about to change the program. I believe in them. They're about to change this program."
Getting the opportunity to grow his connection with the staff and understand what the program offered with the considerable effort they've put into recruiting him, Castell felt immensely comfortable about his decision to commit to Florida on Saturday. He expressed that by expediting his timeline from his original announcement date scheduled for October 1.
Castell, who stands 6-foot-2, 195 pounds, has the potential to suit up for nearly any Power Five program he elected to continue his football career. However, with Florida showing an evident desire to lure him into the commitment class in 2023, Castell won't have to go too far to prove himself on the collegiate gridiron.
"You know, it's close to the house," Castell said about his appeal to play at Florida. "My family can come [and] watch me play."
The Gators view Castell as a versatile chess piece to fit the mold of defensive backs they look to line the roster with going forward. While safety seems to be the best fit for him initially, both from a skillset and area of need perspective, his ability to do it all provides a luxury for co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Patrick Toney.
"All over the place," Castell said when asked about his fit in the Florida defense. "That's why they're kind of more on me heavy because they're looking for guys very versatile, that can play corner safety, nickel. I play defense. I can play all over the place. So, it doesn't even matter."
The Gators recruiting momentum has culminated in three commitments in three days, executing the staff's plan to finish the summer strong. Castell joins cornerback Ja'Keem Jackson and wide receiver Aidan Mizell as the pieces to hop on board the Florida ship since Thursday. He also adds to a defensive back class compiled of Jackson, Sharif Denson and Aaron Gates.
While he is the last scheduled commitment on the Florida board now, it doesn't necessarily mean they're done acquiring talent this weekend.
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