Florida Gators flip tracker

The Florida Gators are hot on the recruiting trail. Five weeks ago, they had the No. 55 class in the On3 recruiting team rankings. But following the commitment Friday by 4-star cornerback Ben Hanks Jr. , they’re up to No. 20. Meanwhile, several of Florida’s top remaining targets are committed elsewhere. With that in mind, here are some notable flip candidates we are continuing to track:

* Jarquez Carter , DL, Newberry (Fla.) — Ohio State: Two weeks after Carter committed to Ohio State, he was at Florida’s Grill in the Ville recruiting event. And now, he’s likely to attend some games this season at The Swamp. Should Florida 1. look good and 2. display the aggressive style of defensive line play Carter likes, we think the Gators will have a realistic chance to flip him.

* DJ Pickett , CB, Zephyrilles (Fla.) — LSU : Pickett, the No. 1 corner in the country, committed to the Tigers in July but Florida has made it clear to him it won’t stop recruiting him until the very end. Pickett told Gators Online last week he will attend the Florida-Miami game Aug. 31 at The Swamp. He plans to watch the Gators closely this season. If the wins pile up, never say never.

* Hylton Stubbs , S, Jacksonville (Fla.) Mandarin — Miami: Stubbs is on his second commitment. His first was to Southern California. Now, he’s a Miami verbal. Earlier this summer, there seemed to be great optimism in Gainesville. However, everything we’ve heard lately is that Stubbs is locked in with the ‘Canes. Now, let’s see if he attends any games at The Swamp this season.

* Malik Autry , DL, Opelika (Ala.) — Auburn : Autry has made more visits to other schools than just about any committed recruit we can recall, and that includes seven or eight trips to Gainesville. The Gators think he has genuine interest in them. But … so does Ohio State. We believe there’s a good chance Autry is back in Gainesville this fall. That said, Auburn remains optimistic about keeping him. Florida probably needs a strong season to have a chance.

* Solomon Thomas , IOL, Jacksonville (Fla.) Raines — FSU : In recent interviews, the 5-star lineman has said he’s locked in with FSU. Meanwhile, many have viewed LSU as being the ‘Noles’ biggest threat. At the same time, there has been chatter Thomas wouldn’t visit Florida again. But he actually has not shut the door on making a return trip to Gainesville. Could an eye-opening season give the Gators a boost?

* Tavaris Dice , OT, Fairburn (Ga.) Langston Hughes — Auburn : Dice is near the top of Florida’s flip target wishlist. It’s our understanding the Gators simply won’t go away and remain under consideration. At this time, it’s likely Dice will attend a game at The Swamp this season. As long as he doesn’t shut things down, Florida probably will keep its foot on the gas.

* Tramell Jones , QB, Jacksonville (Fla.) Mandarin — FSU : Jones re-affirmed his commitment to Florida State this summer. Game over? Maybe. But the reality is, prospects have shut down recruitments before and still continued to talk with and visit other programs. For now, we believe Jones is locked in with the ‘Noles. But let’s see if he ends up at The Swamp for a game this season.

* Dallas Wilson , WR, Tampa Bay Tech (Fla.) — Oregon : The 5-star recruit was supposed to officially visit the Gators on June 14, but he cancelled and went to Miami instead. But just last week, he told Gators Online that Florida is one of the two schools recruiting him hardest in hopes of getting him to flip. It’s possible he could be in Gainesville for the Florida-Miami game. Meanwhile, the Ducks remain confident they’ll keep him in the class

* Javion Hilson , Edge, Cocoa (Fla.) — FSU : After Hilson officially visited the Gators on May 31, he said they were right behind the ‘Noles. But then, he visited Texas and said that program had opened his eyes. Finally, Hilson was in Tallahassee in late June and afterward claimed he was shutting things down. Because he tends to say different things after each visit, we’ll continue to track him.

* Evan Noel , PK, Bay Saint Louis (Miss.) St. Stanislaus — Arkansas : Noel visited the Gators earlier this summer and then they offered him a scholarship in late July. Since Florida doesn’t offer many kickers, one can reasonably speculate the Gators have a strong interest in Noel and that he’s probably listening. Now, let’s see if he makes it back to Gainesville for a game. That’s when we’ll know for sure Florida has a shot. He’s the No. 2 kicker nationally for Kohl’s.

* Tavion Wallace , LB, Jesup (Ga.) Wayne County — Arkansas : While the 4-star backer seems solid to the Razorbacks, he has said it’s possible he attends a Florida game this season. Staff stability at both Arkansas and Florida is something he’ll closely track.

* Derry Norris , DL, Port Orange (Fla.) Spruce Creek — Georgia Tech : The Jackets are putting together a nice class and Norris is one of their top defensive commits. But at last check, Florida was continuing to recruit him. In fact, the Gators expected him to visit July 27 but he didn’t make it.

* Floyd Boucard , DL, Miami (Fla.) Central — Oklahoma: Boucard committed to the Sooners on July 20 but Florida hasn’t thrown in the proverbial towel. And there is hope in Gainesville that the 3-star recruit makes it to The Swamp for a game.

* Jakaleb Faulk , ILB, Highland Home (Ala.) — Auburn : Faulk officially visited the Gators in June and as of Saturday still hasn’t shut down his recruitment. He’d like to make it back to Gainesville for a game. But his brother plays for Auburn, so a flip seems like it will be difficult to achieve.

* Mario Nash , OT, De Kalb (Miss.) Kemper County — Mississippi State : Nash told Gators Online earlier this week he continues to hear from the Florida staff but it is not clear if he will visit the Gators. Florida plays at Mississippi State early in the season so that will give him a chance to watch the Gators in person.

* Damola Ajidahun , OT, Duluth (Ga.) — Georgia Tech : The 4-star Jackets commit told Gators Online this week he’s in the process of setting up an official visit with Florida. That’s a significant development in his recruitment. He previously visited the Gators this spring.

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