Florida football 2024 recruiting class: Meet UF's signees

kevin brockway, gainesville sun

Wed, Feb 7, 2024, 9:21 AM·10 min read

The Florida football roster will undergo more significant transition entering the 2024 season.

The Florida Gators, coming off a 5-7 season in year two under head coach Billy Napier, has signed a 2024 class that includes 19 high school players and 11 transfers. The 30 new scholarship players account for a turnover of 35.3 percent on UF's 85-man scholarship roster.

UF's 2024 high school class, ranked as high as third nationally last September, currently stands at 14th nationally, per 247Sports composite. Eight blue-chip prospects — including four ranked among the top 100 in the 247Sports Composite — decommitted from the Florida from September to early National Signing Day in December.

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Some of it had to do with UF's five-game losing streak to close the 2023 season, while others left because Florida fired secondary coach Corey Raymond and defensive line coach Sean Spencer in early December. Five-star safety Xavier Filsaime, for example, told The Athletic that UF's decision to fire Raymond played a factor in his decision to flip from the Gators to Texas.

What remains is a solid if not spectacular class that includes seven Top 200 national recruits, led by five-star quarterback and Gatorade National Player of the Year D.J. Lagway and five-star edge rusher L.J. McCray.

Here's a look at UF's 2024 signees:

High School/JUCO

QB D.J. Lagway

Hometown / School: Willis, Texas; Willis HS

Vitals: 6-2, 225 pounds

247Sports Composite: five stars; national ranking: No. 3; position ranking: No. 1

The Skinny: MaxPreps National player of the year, Willis passed for 4,631 yards and 58 TDs while rushing for 975 yards and 15 more rushing TDs.

DE L.J. McCray

Hometown / School: Daytona Beach; Mainland HS

Vitals: 6-6, 260 pounds

247Sports Composite: five stars; national ranking: No. 4; position ranking: No. 1

The skinny: A first-team MaxPreps All-American, McCray finished his high school career at Mainland with 133 tackles, 18 sacks and 62 tackles for loss.

LB Aaron Chiles

Hometown /School:. Olney, Md.; Our Lady Good Counsel HS

Vitals: 6-3, 220 pounds

247Sports Composite: four stars; national ranking: No. 83; position ranking: No. 6

The skinny: Playmaking linebacker who had 74 tackles, 10 sacks, 15 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries during standout junior season in 2022. Chose Florida over offers from Michigan, Boston College, Alabama and Clemson.

LB Myles Graham

Hometown / School:. Gainesville; Buchholz HS

Vitals: 6-1, 212 pounds

247Sports Composite: four stars; national ranking: No. 114; position ranking: No. 9

The skinny: The son of former Gator great Earnest Graham, Myles Graham racked up 242 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, five sacks and one interception in his first four varsity seasons and helped lead Buchholz to the Class 4S state semifinals this past season with 82 tackles and 9.3 yards per carry at running back.

OT Fletcher Westphal

Hometown / School:. Leesburg, Va.; Tuscarora HS

Vitals: 6-8, 335 pounds

247Sports Composite: four stars; national ranking: No. 128; position ranking: No. 12

The skinny: Athletic tackle with high upside who chose Florida over offers from Clemson, Georgia, Auburn and Arkansas.

TE Amir Jackson

Hometown /School:. Portal, Ga.; Portal HS

Vitals: 6-4, 223 pounds

247Sports Composite: four stars; national ranking: No. 152; position ranking: No. 8

The skinny: Athletic pass-catching tight end who finished with 44 catches for 727 yards and 12 TDs this past season. Also starred in basketball at Portal, averaging 13.6 points and 10.9 rebounds in 88 games.

RB Kahnen Daniels

Hometown /School:. West Point, Miss.; West Point HS

Vitals: 5-11, 190 pounds

247Sports Composite: four stars; national ranking: No. 175; position ranking: No. 14

The skinny: Versatile offensive player who also saw snaps at quarterback and wide receiver in high school. Rushed for 2,484 yards on 260 carries with 26 TDs in his senior year at West Point.

WR Jerrae Hawkins

Hometown /School:. Bradenton; IMG Academy Bradenton

Vitals: 5-9, 165 pounds

247Sports Composite: four stars; national ranking: No. 240; position ranking: No. 37

The skinny: Blazing receiver who averaged 18.6 yards per catch at IMG Academy in 2023. Once clocked at 4.25 in 40 and ran a 10.37 in the 100 meters.

DL Brien Taylor Jr.

Hometown /School:. Brenham, Texas; Blinn College

Vitals: 6-6, 270 pounds

247Sports Composite: three stars (JUCO); national ranking: 20; position ranking: No. 8

The skinny: One of the top JUCO defensive linemen in the country who posted 39 tackles, two sacks, 9.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble in 13 appearances with Blinn College.

S Gregory Smith III

Hometown /School: Riverview.; Sumner HS

Vitals: 6-4, 200 pounds

247Sports Composite: three stars; national ranking: n/a; position ranking: No. 12

The skinny: Smith was Sumner High’s starting quarterback as a senior, but also saw reps in the secondary, where he had 29 tackles, 1 interception and 4 pass breakups.

WR Tawaski Abrams

Hometown /School:. Fort Myers; Dunbar HS

Vitals: 5-11, 175 pounds

247Sports Composite: four stars; national ranking: n/a; position ranking: No. 41

The skinny: Shifty slot receiver who averaged 11.6 yards per touch as a junior at Dunbar High with 677 total yards of offense. Clocked as high as a wind-aided 10.62 seconds in the 100 meters.

S Josiah Davis

Hometown /School:. Nashville, Ga.; Berrien HS

Vitals: 6-0, 172 pounds

247Sports Composite: three stars; national ranking: n/a; position ranking: No. 41

The skinny: A solid defensive back, Davis has posted 159 tackles, one sack, five tackles for loss, two interceptions and seven pass breakups over three varsity seasons at Berrien.

OT Mike Williams

Hometown /School:. Upper Marlboro, Md.; Charles Herbert Flowers HS

Vitals: 6-7, 310 pounds

247Sports Composite: three stars; national ranking: n/a; position ranking: No. 39

The skinny: A two-time all-state and all-county selection, Williams chose Florida over offers from Miami, Tennessee, South Carolina and USC.

RB Jadan Baugh

Hometown /School:. Decatur, Ga.; Columbia HS

Vitals: 6-0, 214 pounds

247Sports Composite: three stars; national ranking: n/a; position ranking: No. 32

The skinny: Versatile running back who rushed for 1,538 yards and added 531 yards receiving during his senior year at Columbia HS.

DT D'antre Robinson

Hometown /School:. Orlando.; Jones HS

Vitals: 6-4 315 pounds

247Sports Composite: three stars; national ranking: n/a; position ranking: No. 66

The skinny: Finished with 79 tackles, 10 sacks and an interception during his senior year at Jones HS.

CB Teddy Foster

Hometown /School:. Sarasota; Cardinal Mooney HS

Vitals: 6-2, 170 pounds

247Sports Composite: three stars; national ranking: n/a; position ranking: No. 68

The skinny: Solid cover corner who finished with three interceptions and 17 pass breakups over two seasons in Cardinal Mooney’s secondary.

OT Marcus Mascoll

Hometown /School: Snellville, Ga.; South Gwinnett HS

Vitals: 6-4, 292 pounds

247Sports Composite: three stars; national ranking: n/a; position ranking: No. 87

The skinny: First-team 7A All-Region and All-County selection who was named first-team, all-state in 2023 by Georgia High School Football Daily.

OL Noel Portnjagin

Hometown /School:. Schwäbisch Hall, Germany; Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns

Vitals: 6-5, 334 pounds

247Sports Composite: three stars; national ranking: n/a; position ranking: No. 96

The skinny: Played tackle for the Swabisch Hall Unicorns in the German football league but projects as a guard at the college level.

DL Michael Boireau

Hometown /School: Fairburn, Ga.; Creekside HS

Vitals: 6-5, 390 pounds

247Sports Composite: three stars; national ranking: n/a; position ranking: No. 116

The skinny: Totaled 86 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 5 sacks and 5 quarterback hurries as an interior defensive lineman at Creekside.

Transfers

CB Jameer Grimsley

Hometown /School: Tampa.; Alabama

Vitals: 6-3, 185 pounds

247Sports Composite: Four stars

The skinny: Grimsley entered the transfer portal after Alabama coaching change from Nick Saban to Kalen DeBoer. He was the 18th ranked cornerback and 240th overall ranked recruit in the Class of 2024 per 247Sports composite. He brings speed to UF's secondary, having posted a time of 10.84 seconds in the 100 meters and 21.79 seconds in the 200.

LB Grayson 'Pup' Howard

Hometown /School: Tampa.; South Carolina

Vitals: 6-4, 241 pounds

247Sports Composite: Four stars

The skinny: In 11 games as a true freshman at South Carolina in 2023, Howard finished with 19 tackles, one tackle for loss and one forced fumble. He has three years of eligibility left.

DT Joey Slackman

Hometown /School: Commack, N.Y.; Penn

Vitals: 6-4, 300 pounds

247Sports Composite: Four stars

The skinny: Slackman won Ivy League defensive player of the year honors in 2023 with 26 tackles and 4 sacks as an interior defensive lineman.