On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine: Florida trending for safety Zay Mincey

Billy Napier and Florida are off to a scorching start in the 2024 cycle, holding the No. 4 overall class in the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. The Gators have made some serious headway on both sides of the ball early on, but especially so on defense. And they’re looking to add another elite prospect to the class with Daytona Beach (Fla.) Mainland four-star safety Zay Mincey.

The Atlantic Coast native visited the Gators last week, and now Florida is trending heavily to land him, according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM).

After an expert pick in the Gators’ favor from GatorsOnline.com insider Corey Bender, Florida currently holds a 93.7 percent chance of securing Mincey’s commitment.

“I don’t see Mincey leaving the state for college,” Bender wrote on Monday. “Schools such as Alabama, Tennessee, Notre Dame, LSU and Michigan have offered, but most of the buzz is centered on Florida, Florida State, and even UCF. … The Gators, however, have received the most visits and already hosted Mincey multiple times this year. There is a good chance he attends the Orange and Blue Game as well, so UF is doing a good job of building trust and having that face time with him.”

Mincey is one of the nation’s top defensive prospects

The 6-foot-3, 180-pound Mincey was one of the top performers at the Under Armour Orlando camp early in March and continues to impress scouts and talent evaluators.

“Zay Mincey entered Under Armour Orlando as the top-ranked 2024 defensive back on hand,” wrote On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power. “The Daytona (Fla.) Mainland standout largely lived up to that billing. Mincey has plus size with a big frame at around 6-foot-3, 180 pounds. He was smooth and refined in his backpedal and looked like one of the more coordinated defensive backs in what was a deep group. The top 100 prospect had some ups and downs in covering smaller, shifty receiviers in 1-on-1’s but largely acquitted himself well for a big safety.”

He is the No. 155 overall prospect in the 2024 class, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

On3 however, is higher on him than the other major recruiting services, as shown in the Industry Comparison. In the most recent On300 rankings, he was tabbed as the nation’s No. 73 overall recruit, No. 8 safety and No. 12 player in Florida.