Six Bold Predictions for Gators' Recruits in 2025

While most eyes around the Florida Gators are focused on the results of those wearing the Orange and Blue in 2025, the 2026 recruits expected to put on the colors just a year from now prepare for their final seasons under the high school lights.

The Gators' 2026 class currently sits with 19 commits, including 15 composite four stars, four three stars and multiple other targets either committed to other schools or undecided.

With senior year just around the corner for all, here are six bold predictions for prominent 2026 recruits for this season, from coldest to boldest.

1. Marquez Daniel Reaches 1,000+ Receiving Yards

Starting off very light, I am projecting four-star Alabama wideout Marquez Daniel to reach 1,000 yards for the first time in his career.

While it shouldn’t be bold to predict a receiver with his talent, stature and recruiting status to reach the 1,000 yard mark as a senior, he would become the first to do so at Booker T. Washington (Tuskegee) in over ten years. With a question mark at quarterback and coming off a 5-4 record last season, the six-foot-six receiver has all the talent to make history at his school- barriers aside.

The top 200 recruit finished 2024 with 757 yards as a junior, yet I expect a leap into the 1,000-yard club in his last dance as a Golden Eagle.

2. Will Griffin Rushes For 400+ yards

After 447 yards rushing in the past three seasons combined, I think the Gators future quarterback and Tampa Jesuit four-star Will Griffin sees a large increase in the rushing aspect of his game as a senior.

Last year, Griffin rushed for 240 yards, a career high, averaging 6.5 yards per carry and scoring five touchdowns. While the six-foot-three, 230-pound passer isn’t considered a dual-threat just yet, his rushing production has consistently improved throughout his career, continuing into this year's spring game where he picked up 45 yards and a touchdown on the ground against powerhouse Lakeland.

As Griffin develops as a player, I think he unlocks a mobility that Billy Napier seems to target at the quarterback position, rushing for over 400 yards on top of having a really impressive year as a passer.

3. Justin Williams Reaches 1,000/1,000 AGAIN

Staying on the more temperate side of these hot takes, I have Justin Williams doing something he did just last year: reaching both 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving.

The four-star Gainesville native became the first player in Florida to achieve such since Devin Hester, picking up 1,023 on the ground and 1,473 through the air as a junior at Buchholz. Now a senior, he returns to almost the same situation, while likely to see more carries earlier in the year. He reached the 1,000-yard mark as a rusher last season despite only becoming the Bobcats' main running back after their seventh game.

Though something very rare, I believe Williams repeats and ends the season finishing with 1,000 plus yards rushing and receiving, likely making him a large riser in the rankings at year's end.

4. Jake Kreul Records 10+ Sacks

Similar to my Daniel prediction, projecting a near-five-star recruit with the talent Kreul possesses to reach 10+ sacks does not seem too bold until diving deeper into the history of the programs he plays for.

Though Kreul, now committed to Oklahoma, racked up 17 sacks his sophomore year and seven as a freshman at Bishop Moore in Orlando, he finished with just six sacks as a junior after transferring over to IMG Academy.

While the Bradenton school is known for their sports success and consistently produces top-end recruits, their edge production has actually been somewhat underwhelming statistically. If Kreul reaches the 10+ sack mark as I boldly predict, he would be the first at IMG to do so since 2013.

5. Carsyn Baker Scores 20+ Touchdowns

One of the fastest players in Georgia, I predict Langston Hughes four-star running back Carsyn Baker scores 20+ touchdowns this season, increasing his career-high by seven total scores.

With Langston Hughes’ quarterback graduating last year, vacating 632 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground, I think the Panthers lean heavily on their two-headed backfield of Baker and Qwantavius Wiggins, who already combined for over 2,000 yards and 25 touchdowns a season ago.

Baker scored 13 touchdowns last year, yet I predict his electric big-play ability continues on his way to the first 20+ rushing touchdown season at Langston since Jekail Middlebrooks in 2022.

6. Davian Groce Also Reaches 1,000/1,000

Finishing strong, I have composite top-40 athlete Davian Groce also reaching the 1,000 yard mark as both a receiver and rusher, making him the second player on the list to reach such a rare achievement on the year.

Groce, an extremely talented prospect, has finished every year of his high school career with over 1,000 all-purpose yards, yet has not reached the 1,000 yard mark as either a rusher or receiver yet.

As a sophomore, he finished with 935 yards rushing and 851 receiving, the closest he has been to 1,000 yards in both categories, yet his junior production dropped slightly, finishing with 687 yards on the ground and 702 through the air.

With Karece Hoyt at quarterback last season, Lone Star’s offense was elite. Now, with leading receiver Bryson Jones at Texas Tech, Groce has a chance to be a dominant weapon and finally reach the 1,000/1,000 mark he has flirted with for two straight seasons if everything goes right.