Three Gators staff members recognized by On3, another on the move
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On3 senior national reporter Matt Zenitz surveyed coaches and personnel officials to identify top rising stars in the college football personnel and recruiting space.
Based on feedback gathered from around the country, Zenitz named 65 rising star personnel and recruiting staffers you need to know heading into the 2022 season.
His list included a trio of Florida staff members in director of player personnel Jacob LaFrance, director of college personnel Bird Sherrill and director of on-campus recruiting and events Bri Wade. Here is what Zenitz had to say about each staffer.
Jacob LaFrance, Florida
Position: Director of player personnel
+ Joined Billy Napier at Florida after three seasons under Napier at Louisiana
+ Previously worked at UTSA (2016-19) and as a recruiting analyst at Maryland (2014-15)
+ Helped Louisiana finish with the top-ranked recruiting class in the Sun Belt in 2020 and ’21
+ Has contributed to Florida having a 2023 class that’s currently ranked 10th in the On3 Consensus Rankings
Bird Sherrill, Florida
Position: Director of college scouting
+ Returned to college under Billy Napier at Florida after six years with the Detroit Lions, including the past four as a scout
+ Graduated from Alabama in 2016
+ Worked in the Crimson Tide recruiting office as a student at Alabama while Napier was the team’s wide receivers coach
Bri Wade, Florida
Position: Director of on-campus recruiting and events
+ Made the move to Florida after spending the past two years as part of Billy Napier’s staff at Louisiana
+ Previously at her alma mater, Mississippi State, as a recruiting assistant
Florida coach Billy Napier also lost a member of his recruiting staff on Thursday, as Andrew Burkett was hired as the director of player personnel at James Madison. Burkett, whom Billy Napier had taken with him to Arizona State, Louisiana and then Florida, had been serving as the Gators’ director of recruiting research and evaluation after working in the same role under Napier at Louisiana.
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In other Florida football news
- Florida is now without an experienced backup quarterback after Jack Miller III had thumb surgery.
- Gators Online Podcast: A mid-camp review of the UF football team after the first half of practices.
- WATCH: On3’s JD PicKell predicts every game on Florida’s schedule for the 2022 season.
- Report: Dan Mullen officially joins ESPN as a studio analyst for the upcoming season.
UF recruiting roundup
- Top-100 EDGE Tomarrion Parker is feeling the love from the Florida coaches: “They recruit me hard.”
- A top-50 EDGE in the 2024 class has locked in a return visit to the Swamp for this upcoming season.
- Florida “stands really high” with a 2024 On300 offensive lineman who is set to come back to campus.
- Another newly-offered 2024 offensive lineman is also planning to visit Florida during the season.
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Gators Twitter updates
- Motivational speaker Inky Johnson speaks to the team:
