LB Raul Aguirre Places Florida Gators in Top 6

The Florida Gators found themselves inside of another top-teams list on Sunday evening, placed in the top six for Whitewater (Ga.) linebacker Raul Aguirre.
BREAKING: Four-Star LB Raul “Popo” Aguirre is down to 6️⃣ Schools!
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) June 19, 2022
The 6’2 220 LB from Fayetteville, GA will announce his college decision on July 16th.
More Here (FREE): https://t.co/CJPIOwhiAQ pic.twitter.com/CytumoMhLn
Along with Florida, Aguirre included Georgia, Ohio State, Miami, Arkansas and Alabama on his new list. He also set his commitment date for July 16.
Aguirre took part in an official visit to Florida's campus on June 3 and has also visited multiple other programs, including Alabama (June 10) and Texas (June 17). He has an official set up with Ohio State, scheduled for June 24, and will have one remaining for Miami, Georgia or Arkansas to occupy.
Aguirre admitted that, prior to his trip to Gainesville earlier this month, he didn't even have Florida in his top five. Following his visit, however, he indicated to AllGators that the program had moved up into the top three or four schools on his mind.
"I loved everything about it ... I think all recruits out there should take their chance on Florida," Aguirre said at the time. "I'm gonna go ahead and say, this is gonna set everything apart [in my recruitment]."
Aguirre is currently being recruited by inside linebackers coach Jay Bateman, outside linebackers coach Mike Peterson and defensive analyst Jamar Chaney. He's also developed relationships with personnel assistant Demetri Wilson and current Florida linebackers Ventrell Miller and Chief Borders.
Near the end of his interview in early June, Aguirre shared that he would be returning to UF for another unofficial visit this summer when Florida hosts recruits for a cookout in July.
His announcement of a July commitment date could change things regarding an upcoming return visit, however, that is unclear at this time.
Aguirre, 6-foot-3, 219 pounds, is currently rated as a four-star recruit in the 2023 recruiting class, the No. 9 linebacker in the country and No. 131 overall prospect according to the On3 Sports consensus rankings.
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.

Demetrius Harvey is a beat writer covering the Florida Gators, including football, basketball and recruiting. He currently serves as the deputy editor of Sports Illustrated - AllGators. Demetrius also covers the Jacksonville Jaguars for Vox Media. Follow Demetrius on Twitter at @Demetrius82.
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