Florida enters the 2023 On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Ranking

With Saturday’s commitment of Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy four-star offensive lineman Knijeah Harris, Florida has entered the 2023 On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Ranking.

Programs need three commits in a single class to be eligible for the ranking.

The Gators previously landed commitments from Sharpsburg (Ga.) Trinity Christian School four-star athlete Aaron Gates and Eustis (Fla.) three-star wide receiver Tyree Patterson.

With Harris’ commitment, the team slotted in at No. 23 between two programs coming off big 2021 seasons in Iowa and Cincinnati.

But then Gainesville (Fla.) F. W. Buchholz three-star athlete Creed Whittemore committed to the Gators about an hour later.

His commitment pushed Florida up to No. 22 in the recruiting rankings.

Why Knijeah Harris chose Florida

Knijeah Harris is a major pickup for the Gators, who won out over Alabama, Miami, Oklahoma and Texas A&M.

He is the No. 385 overall recruit in the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Harris told On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons that the new coaching staff led by Billy Napier are a major reason for his commitment.

“I visited Florida before, with the old staff there, and the feeling now is completely different,” Harris told On3. “It is a big difference. If the old staff was still there, I wouldn’t be going to Florida. They probably would not have been in my top six.”

He currently has an On3 NIL Valuation of $12.9k. The On3 NIL Valuation is an index that looks to set the standard market value for both high school and college-level athletes. The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.