Mississippi native Mario Nash , a four-star offensive tackle out of Kemper County High, committed to the Mississippi State Bulldogs in June, but Billy Napier and the Florida Gators are still pushing forward.
Napier and Co. offered Nash a week ago despite his verbal pledge. It’s well-accepted in the modern recruiting era that no player is guaranteed to end up a school until a national letter of intent is signed. Even then, it doesn’t always work out the way it’s supposed. Look no further than the Jaden Rashada debacle that went down two years ago.
“Well, I’m pretty solid with Mississippi State, but I’m just making sure everything is what it needs to be,” Nash said to Keith Niebuhr of Gators Online . “I’m pretty much watching everybody this season. Still just watching all the schools. I want to make sure I’m where I’m supposed to be. … The thing is, until everything is signed everyone is still going to be recruiting me.”
The other major in-state school, Ole Miss, is the major contender to force a flip, but Clemson and Florida State are also pursuing him. Florida might not be one of the heavy hitters yet, but Nash is hearing from the staff somewhat regularly.
Neither offensive line coach at Florida has reached out much. That’s the next logical step in the recruiting process, and then it’s time to get him on campus for an official visit. That’s where flips are made.
“I’ll talk to Coach Sale and we’ll see,” Nash said when asked about when he’d return to Florida. “Maybe a game during the season. Or an official visit during the season. An OV is still possible. It’s a beautiful place. Beautiful campus. Nice facilities. Everybody is very nice there. (What stands out with Florida) is just the tradition. And it’s my dad’s favorite school. He’s always been a big fan.”
There’s also a chance Nash attends the Florida-Mississippi State at Davis Wade Stadium.
Recruiting Summary
Nash is a four-star recruit everywhere but On3. The 247Sports composite pouts him at No. 272 nationally and No. 15 among interior offensive linemen in the class of 2025. The On3 industry ranking has him at No. 263 overall and No. 22 among offensive tackles.
There’s some versatility here, but most hybrid linemen end up moving to the interior long-term.
Mississippi State leads the On3 recruiting prediction machine for Nash with 75.8% following his commitment. Ole Miss (6.2%), Florida State (5.3%) and LSU (2.8%) round out the top four.
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