Nothing but orange and blue for On300 safety Jordan Castell

When Jordan Castell committed to the Gators in late July, there were a flurry of additional programs in pursuit. Among those were Alabama, Tennessee, Auburn, Michigan, LSU and Nebraska.

The Under Armour All-American safety seriously considered those offers as well; however, the opportunity to play close to home in the SEC along with teaming up with a program that has a rich tradition in the secondary was too appetizing to pass up. Then you have the presence of Corey Raymond, which was likely the cherry on top.

Now, roughly three months later, nothing has changed whatsoever. Castell is locked in with Florida and will not be visiting additional programs before finalizing his recruitment in December.

“I don’t really text the other coaches back because I know I want to go to UF. There ain’t no flipping,” Castell told Gators Online. “I only needed one official. I saw what I needed to see.”

With his recruitment wrapped up, Castell is now taking on the role of recruiter. UF is currently equipped with the No. 10-ranked recruiting class but could ultimately land in the top five due to some major targets still being on the radar, including Texas commit and On3’s No. 1 running back Cedric Baxter Jr.

“I want to have some good teammates,” Castell said. “I would say (I’m recruiting 2024 safety) Jaylen Heyward, John Walker, who I’m trying to flip from UCF; I think we have a good chance with him. I think we might have a real good chance with C4 (Cedric Baxter Jr.); we will see.”

Castell has been a familiar face inside the Swamp this fall

“This has been my first year going to Florida games, so I don’t know how it was before the new coaching staff. What I’ve seen is that the Florida fan base is crazy. There’s just so much love. Even me just walking into the stadium, I’m getting so much love from the fans.”

In addition to attending multiple home games, Castell kept close tabs on UF’s play in Knoxville two weekends ago. The Gators came up short after rallying back late in the fourth quarter, but the Winter Garden (Fla.) West Orange standout sees opportunity to strengthen the secondary. True freshman Kamari Wilson recently started his first game as well, so Castell is optimistic roughly a year out.

“Against Tennessee, they gave up a lot of blown coverages, but with coach Toney and coach Raymond playing a true freshman, I just know I will have the opportunity to play. It’s not going to be, ‘Oh, he’s a senior.’ The best will play.”

As for his communication with UF’s staff, Castell primarily communicates with Patrick Toney, Corey Raymond and Jamar Chaney. Those conversations are taking place several times a week and will continue on Saturday when the senior returns to campus for the Missouri game.

According to the On300, Castell ranks as the No. 11 safety and No. 135 prospect regardless of position.

Inside the Film Room

Versatile defender who can cover in the boundary, line up over the slot or even bang in the box with the front seven. Lines up as a corner for his high school but has the size and frame to project at safety long-term. Stands in right around 6-foot-2, 200 pounds with nearly a 6-foot-5 wingspan. Tremendous frame with excellent muscle definition. Built like a linebacker.

Seamlessly eats up yards with his stride length. Ran a 17.44 in the 110m High Hurdles during his junior track season. Has the hip fluidity and footwork for press man coverage. Lacks ideal range and twitch to play over the top or at field corner. Needs to have a defined role at the next level in order to fully implement his skill set.

Best fit is a walk down safety who can cover jumbo slots, tight ends or carry running backs out of the backfield. One of the older prospects in the 2023 recruiting cycle. — On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power

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