Four-Star DL Jalen Wiggins commits to Florida

Hayes Fawcett updated head shotby:Hayes Fawcett01/15/24

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Four-star defensive lineman Jalen Wiggins of Tallahassee (FL) James Rikards High announced his commitment to Florida Monday afternoon.

The 6-foot-5, 250 pounder chose the Gatos over Michigan, Florida State, and others.

“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. 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.”

His relationship with the coaching staff and their plan for him played a role in his decision as well.

“I’m close with many of the coaches on staff such as coach Peterson, coach Armstrong  and coach Juluke. I met coach Chatman for the first time Saturday and I enjoyed talking with him. The coaches on the defensive side plan for me to play the “F” position, allowing me to be versatile in play style to make me an even better player.”

The Sunshine State defensive lineman joins coach Billy Napier and the Gators’ 2025 class. He is accompanied by four-star running back Waltez Clark and Josiah Abdullah.

Jalen Wiggins Recruiting Profile 

Wiggins ranks as the No. 82 player according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He also tabs in as the No. 8 defensive lineman and the No. 12 player in the state of Florida.

He currently does not have an On3 NIL Valuation publicly listed. The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets high school and college athletes’ projected annual value (PAV). 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.