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Miami Herald
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Four-star LB Malik Morris commits to Florida
Four-star linebacker Malik Morris has committed to Florida, marking the Gators' 17th recruit in the Class of 2026. The 6-foot-1, 225-pounder attends Lakeland High School in Lakeland, Fla., located about 120 miles from Florida's campus in Gainesville. Morris is ranked as the 12th linebacker in his class, 27th in Florida and 202nd nationally, according to 247Sports Composite rankings. He took an official visit to Florida on June 13, after previously visiting Texas A&M and Miami. Morris also held offers from Alabama, Georgia, Texas and other powerhouse programs. "Just the atmosphere they have at Florida is unexplainable. If you've ever been to a Florida game, it's 90,000 people just in there rocking," Morris told Gators Online in May. "It's the crib. I'm from Florida, so it's right here." The linebacker tallied 95 tackles, nine sacks and three forced fumbles en route to winning Ledger All-County Defensive Player of the Year. Morris also tacked on five rushing touchdowns for a Lakeland squad that went 13-1 and appeared in 5A state title game. Morris is Florida's first linebacker recruit in the 2026 class and its fifth-highest rated prospect overall in the class. The Gators now rank 15th in 247Sports' 2026 team recruiting rankings with 11 four-stars and five three-stars. "It's going back to the old Florida. How it used to be, and how it's supposed to be," Morris said to Gators Online about the school's recruiting. --Field Level Media Field Level Media 2025 - All Rights Reserved
USA Today
16-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Florida lands three-star OT Tyler Chukuyem, capping another big recruiting win for 2026
Florida lands three-star OT Tyler Chukuyem, capping another big recruiting win for 2026 The Florida Gators' class of 2026 remained scorching hot on Monday when three-star offensive tackle Tyler Chukuyem announced his commitment, per Blake Alderman of Gators Online. The 6-foot-6-inch, 290-pound offensive tackle out of South Paulding High School in Douglasville, Georgia, becomes Florida's fourth offensive line pledge and the 12th overall commitment in the cycle, continuing the momentum Billy Napier's staff has generated this summer. Chukuyem needed only one visit to know Gainesville was home. During his weekend stay, he sampled the campus culture, dove into Florida's academic resources and sat down with line coach Rob Sale to break down film and future plans. "They have a new field coming up for what I want to study," Chukuyem told Gators Online. "I'm trying to study data analytics. Like I said before, they have a good education carries a lot, because education is the number one priority for me and my family. Education is a big deciding factor." By the time he left on Sunday, he had quietly informed the staff he was ready to shut down his recruitment. Chukuyem said conversations with Sale and assistant line coach Darnell Stapleton convinced him he would be developed properly–a sentiment reinforced after watching film of recent Gator lineman thriving on Sundays. His commitment pushes Florida's 2026 haul to a dozen names, joining four-star quarterback Will Griffin, four-star receiver Justin Williams and fellow big men Chancellor Campbell, G'Nivre Carr and Javarii Luckas in what's quickly becoming a foundational class up front. Florida football's summer run shows no sign of slowing, and landing a high-ceiling tackle out of the Peach State underscores the staff's focus on replenishing the offensive line with athletic, academically motivated prospects. Recruiting Summary Chukuyem enters Florida's class with solid three-star credentials across the major scouting services. The 247Sports proprietary grade pegs him at 89 overall, ranking him the No. 36 offensive tackle and No. 47 prospect in Georgia. On3's industry metric places him as the No. 67 offensive tackle and No. 86 prospect in the state. Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
USA Today
17-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Florida football adds assistants, sending staff salaries soaring ahead of 2025 season
Florida football adds assistants, sending staff salaries soaring ahead of 2025 season Florida football's coaching staff grew by one member this offseason after a successful campaign that saw the Gators earn their first winning season in four years and first bowl victory since 2019. Additionally, the payroll ballooned to over $8 million in salaries after some well-earned raises and some staff changes, according to a report from Gators Online. The total cost of the program's coaching salaries amounts to $8,275,000 this year, and includes all 13 assistants plus director of strength and conditioning Tyler Miles. Florida was able to expand its sideline presence after the NCAA removed its rule that limited the number of on-field coaches last June. While a pair of defensive assistants — former defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong and defensive coach Will Harris — left Gainesville for greener pastures, the Orange and Blue added three new hires to fill the void left behind. With Armstrong and Harris out of the picture, Napier and Co. added co-defensive coordinators Vinnie Sunseri and Robert Bala, along with defensive backs coach Deron Wilson, to round out the staff. Eight assistant coaches are earning more in 2025 than in 2024 on their original contracts, while Miles' newly signed two-year deal compensates him better than last year as well. Nine of Florida's assistants will see pay raises in 2026, with seven receiving at least a $50,000 bump on their checks. The Gators currently have $7,800,000 allotted for their coaches next year without defensive coordinator Roberts under contract. Florida football's 2025 staff salaries Assistant coach 2025-26 2026-27 Ron Roberts, DC $950,000 N/A Rob Sale, OL $800,000 $850,000 Gerald Chatman, DL $775,000 $850,000 Vinnie Sunseri, Co-DC/S $675,000 $750,000 Russ Callaway, OC/TE $675,000 $725,000 Jabbar Juluke, RB $650,000 $675,000 Robert Bala, Co-DC/LB $575,000 $650,000 Mike Peterson, EDGE $575,000 $600,000 Deron Wilson, DB $525,000 $550,000 Billy Gonzales, WR $525,000 $525,000 Joe Houston, STC $475,000 $475,000 Tyler Miles, Director of S&C $450,000 $450,000 Jonathan Decoster, OL $350,000 $425,000 Ryan O'Hara, QB $275,000 $275,000 Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
USA Today
15-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Florida football leads the recruiting battle for this 4-star defensive lineman
Florida football leads the recruiting battle for this 4-star defensive lineman Four-star Parker (Birmingham, Alabama) defensive lineman Vodney Cleveland was one of the many recruits in Gainesville this weekend for the Orange and Blue Game, and he left The Swamp with Florida on top of his list, according to On3 Gators Online. 'I would probably say Florida is No. 1,' Cleveland said to Gators Online. 'Actually being able to get there to kind of get a game-day experience and seeing the guys compete against each other and work stood out." Cleveland already thinks highly of several Florida defensive linemen. He mentioned Micah Boireau, Caleb Banks and D'antre Robinson by name, and he's forming a connection with several members of the staff. D-line coach Gerald Chatman is naturally a big part of his recruitment, but running backs coach Jabbar Juluke is also stepping up. He enjoyed the game day atmosphere in The Swamp and so did his parents. Official visit coming up This was Cleveland's third visit to Florida, and he already knows when he'll be back. Cleveland has penciled in the weekend of May 30 for an official visit, one of six he has on his schedule. Auburn, Georgia, Miami, North Carolina and Texas are the others. Auburn is probably the biggest competition for Florida right now, but the cycle doesn't end for another 8-10 months. Those official visits could loom large when Cleveland makes his decision. Recruiting Summary Service Star Rating Natl. Rank Pos. Rank State Rank 247Sports Composite ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 139 16 9 On3 Industry Ranking ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 109 10 8 Top247 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 52 4 4 On300 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 300 23 12 ESPN ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 202 17 11 Rivals ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 148 8 10 Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
USA Today
17-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Florida football to hire former Georgia State DC Deron Wilson as cornerbacks coach
Florida football has apparently found its replacement for outgoing cornerbacks coach Will Harris. According to Gators Online and Swamp247 reports, former Georgia State Panthers defensive coordinator Deron Wilson will fill the void left behind in the Swamp, bringing eight seasons of experience to Billy Napier's 2025 staff. This is not Wilson's first time in Gainesville, having spent the 2022 campaign with the program as a quality control analyst and working alongside then-cornerbacks coach Corey Raymond. He parlayed that into a two-year stint as defensive backs coach with the Arkansas Razorbacks, after which he accepted an offer to take over Georgia State's defensive coordinator position — only to join the Gators four weeks later. Deron Wilson's coaching background Wilson got his start on the coaching side of the ball from 2016 to 2017 with the UTSA Roadrunners as a graduate assistant on defense, after which he moved on to cornerbacks coach from 2018 to 2019. He left San Antonio in 2020 for a two-year stint as defensive coordinator for the McNeese State Cowboys. It was after his tenure with the Cowboys that he joined Napier's gang in Gainesville, as well as the aforementioned moves he has made since. Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
