Five-star cornerback Desmond Ricks sets commitment date, includes Florida in final three

The No. 2-ranked cornerback in the 2023 class has taken another step toward making his decision.

Moments ago, five-star prospect Desmond Ricks dished out a commitment date of Dec. 23 and is down to Alabama, Florida and LSU. Miami is another school that had been mentioned in recent weeks, but the IMG Academy standout has eliminated the Hurricanes and decided he will play in the SEC.

Today’s news from Ricks was released through On3 insider Hayes Fawcett.

As for Florida, Gators Online was first to report Ricks’ plans to officially visit UF on Dec. 2. That will mark his fourth trip to Gainesville this year, as Billy Napier’s staff also played host for the LSU game on Oct. 15, Friday Night Lights and in late January as well.

In recent weeks, On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons has went on record by saying Alabama and LSU likely hold the slight advantage here. The Tigers are receiving an unofficial visit this weekend and have an official visit booked for Dec. 16. The Crimson Tide’s official visit is scheduled for Nov. 25.

According to On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine, the Tigers are trending with odds of 33 percent.

The Corey Raymond effect

Regardless if they have to make up a significant amount of ground or not, the Gators are a major contender here.

As expected, a major appeal in Gainesville is the presence of arguably the nation’s top defensive backs coach in Corey Raymond. The likes of Billy Napier and Patrick Toney are involved as well, but Ricks knows Raymond could catapult his skill set to new heights and sees a path to early playing time at UF as well.

Due to the Gators’ recent recruiting success at IMG, Ricks also said Florida would be a “home away from home” due to the familiar faces within the program, with one being teammate Knijeah Harris.

“It was great. It was a very loud atmosphere and I enjoyed it a lot,” Ricks told Gators Online after the LSU game. “I definitely see the d-line getting after it. The DB room has a little bit of work to do obviously as you saw tonight, but I think guys like me can help fix that.”

As of today, UF holds DB commitments from On3 Consensus four-star prospects Dijon Johnson, Sharif Denson, Jordan Castell, Aaron Gates and Ja’Keem Jackson, as well as On3 four-star Bryce Thornton.

Scouting Report on Desmond Ricks

“Desmond Ricks became a national prospect while starring on a loaded defense at IMG Academy as an underclassman last fall. The Chesapeake, Virginia native was a standout defender on a unit that was stocked with blue-chip prospects from the 2022 cycle. He showed advanced polish as a cover corner in both games and camp settings,” said Charles Power, On3’s Director of Scouting and Rankings.

“Ricks in at over 6-foot-1, 180 pounds with average length for his stature. He has registered good straight-line speed and high-end explosion in combine settings, most recently running an electronically-timed 4.53 second 40-yard dash while jumping 38.7 inches in the vertical and 10’4″ in the broad jump at IMG’s pro day in the spring.

“The physical traits and early showings against top competition both alongside and against other touted prospects made Ricks one of the top 2024 prospects early in the cycle. It’s also worth noting Ricks was older for the 2024 cycle, having turned 18 years-old in October. He’s the same age as most of his new classmates in the 2023 cycle.”

Stay tuned to Gators Online.