Florida football recruiting: Gators offer top-15 safety in 2024 class

Florida football recruiting and Billy Napier continue to go after elite defensive players on the recruiting trail, looking to put together one of the best defensive classes for the Gators in recent history.

A few days ago, the Gators extended an offer to Dashawn McBryde, a 4-star safety out of Denham Springs, Louisiana.

247 Sports has McBryde ranked as the 170th-best player in the class of 2024 and 15th-best safety, and the 4th-best player coming out of Louisiana.

McBryde is a great athlete who has all of the characteristics needed to be an elite safety at the college level, but he has some things he needs to develop before he can get there.

While watching his film, one thing I noted is that he plays somewhat flat-footed, and doesn’t always look ready to make a quick play or snap movement.

If he wants to play at an SEC program, he won’t be able to get away with being flat-footed very often, as those receivers will take advantage and be gone before he can even turn around.

To this point, McBryde’s speed and athleticism have made it so he’s able to gain ground and catch up to receivers if they get past him downfield.

Dashawn is also a track athlete, aiding him on the football field. He began his junior track season with an 11.09 100m and placed third in the long jump (21-10.5) at the Louisiana State Indoor Championships.

In his junior year on the field, he primarily played deep downfield and totaled nine interceptions. He’s a very willing tackler and is physical at the point of contact.

I’d expect the Gators to make a solid run at McBryde, but I don’t think he’ll be a high-priority target. It’s hard to turn down a top-15 player at their position, and the Gators would benefit from his commitment.

We’ll see how hard the Gators press for him, and if Florida ends up winning his recruitment.

Keep up with Florida football recruiting at Hail Florida Hail.