Florida making a push for class of 2025 4-star QB from West Coast
Florida is exploring the remaining uncommitted quarterbacks in the class of 2025 and four-star Lincoln (San Diego, California) quarterback Akili Smith Jr. is one name connected to the program.
The Gators are pursuing Smith, according to 247Sports, but it will be hard to get him away from the University of Oregon, where his father played before being drafted No. 3 overall in 1999 by the Cincinnati Bengals. Still, the Gators are part of an unofficial top three for Smith that also includes the Michigan Wolverines.
The main connection for Smith at Florida has been offensive analyst/quarterbacks coach Ryan O’Hara.
“(O’Hara) is a West Coast guy, so he knows where I’m coming from,” Smith told 247Sports.
Smith is a consensus four-star recruit, ranked highest by On3 at No. 85 overall. He’s also the top-ranked dual-threat quarterback in the class according to ESPN.
The On3 industry ranking, which uses a weighted average from all four major recruiting services, puts Smith just outside the top 100 at No. 107 and No. 7 among all quarterbacks in the class of 2025.
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