Recruiting double whammy bolsters Florida’s secondary class

Several schools in the country have tried to stake their claim to the “DBU” moniker in recent years, and Florida put its name in that hat once again Thursday.

The Gators landed Bryce Thornton, a three-star safety from Alpharetta, Georgia, and Tampa cornerback Dijon Johnson, the number 88 overall recruit. The team still has its eyes on Lakeland cornerback Cormani McClain, who would be the crown jewel of a strong secondary class.

Florida has assembled arguably the best DB class in 2023

Dijon Johnson (CB)
Ja’Keem Jackson (CB)
Jordan Castell (S)
Sharif Denson (CB)
Aaron Gates (S)
Bryce Thornton (S)

And one more top target on the board, Five-Star CB Cormani McClain (No. 2 NATL, No. 1 CB)

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) October 13, 2022

More Money, No Fear

Johnson had previously committed to Ohio State before reneging on his commitment during the summer. He visited Florida during Friday Night Lights before deciding to play his college ball in his home state. Wharton, Johnson’s school, is 5-1 this season. Max Preps named the cornerback its player of the game during Wharton’s win over perennial powerhouse Armwood.

Thornton had garnered interest from both sides of the Iron Bowl rivalry. The Gators beat out both Alabama and Auburn to secure Thornton’s signature. The safety starred for Milton High School’s 2020 team, which went 11-1 before losing in the state tournament to five-time state champion Valdosta Lowndes. Milton is 3-3 this season.

https://twitter.com/DijonJohnson13/status/1580698419869667329?s=20&t=Hk262a5wRLY1qKW9BaL4xA

Corey in the House

Corey Raymond, Florida’s cornerbacks coach, left LSU to join Napier’s staff. Since then, recruits have been excited to suit up in orange and blue to play under Raymond. Johnson mentioned Florida’s scheme as one of the main reasons he committed, and said he plans to reach out to other top recruits in the state.

Johnson is Florida’s fourth four-star recruit at defensive back for 2023, joining Ja’Keem Jackson, Sharif Denson and Jordan Castell. Both he and Thornton, along with Napier and Raymond, will hope for one more big commit.

The team is competing with Miami and Alabama to secure five-star cornerback Cormani McClain’s signature. Whether McClain commits or not, Raymond will have plenty of toys at his disposal.