Florida trending for 2025 4-star safety Keon Young

After a topsy-turvy year of recruiting in 2023, Billy Napier and Florida are looking to build another elite class with the upcoming cycle.

The Gators have already added two commitments this month and are now trending for another, according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM).

Auburndale (Fla.) Lakeland four-star safety Keon Young was one of the many recruits in Gainesville this weekend. On Saturday, Florida recruiting insider Corey Bender logged a pick in the On3 RPM in favor of the Gators landing the in-state defensive back.

The one-time USF commit has now been to The Swamp twice in the last few months and could be the next to join the fold. Gators WRs coach Billy Gonzales is heading the conversations with Young as he works through his recruitment.

“I’d say our relationship is pretty good,” Young said of Gonzales when speaking with Gators Online at the beginning of January. “He came to see me once before in the spring before I had the offer but now texts here and there and wants me to come visit, and that I will be doing.”

Young is the No. 219 overall prospect and No. 17 safety in the 2025 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 31 player in the Sunshine State.

Florida chasing another top-notch recruiting class

Tallahassee (Fla.) James Rickards four-star defensive lineman Jalen Wiggins is the latest junior to pledge to the Gators, doing so on Jan. 15. The No. 83 recruit is the highest-ranked of the three commits in the UF class, as of Jan. 20.

“In the end it just came down to wanting to be a leader as well as falling in love with the place from more than just football,” Wiggins told On3 upon his commitment. “Florida has always been special and hearing insight from the players on a personal level was huge. It helped me realize that many of them weren’t focused on the staff but the school as a whole, and it’s how they made their decision. Being the first defensive player in the class was to find the family and build for the year to come.”

Wiggins’ commitment came just one day after Atlanta Woodward three-star wide receiver Josiah Abdullah did the same. They flank Tampa Plant four-star running back Waltez Clark, the No. 17 burner in the class.