Florida football recruiting: Gators lock in official visit with elite Big Ten commit
By Will Thomas
![Gator fans cheer as the flags are brought onto the field during the first half of the University of Florida Orange & Blue game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Thursday, April 13, 2023. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]Ncaa Football Orange And Blue Game](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2Ff8ddf69d11ae2e12fb4b50f980ed131402fc2b57f0829f35e1f6b1bc43a1d065.jpg "Gator fans cheer as the flags are brought onto the field during the first half of the University of Florida Orange & Blue game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Thursday, April 13, 2023. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]Ncaa Football Orange And Blue Game")
Florida football recruiting is on a mission to purge the Big Ten of all its recruiting prowess. Or at least that’s what it feels like.
Billy Napier and the Gators are on the tail of multiple Ohio State commits, and have now locked in an official visit with a 4-star Michigan State DB commit.
We’re talking about Jamari Howard out of Hialeah, Florida.
Howard, a current Spartan commit, has long been a flip target for the Gators given that he’s an in-state prospect, and would be a major win on the trail for Napier.
247 Sports has Jamari ranked as the 75th-best player in the country, the 8th-best corner in the ’24 class, and the 11th-best player coming out of Florida.
Being a top-ten corner in the country isn’t something you just stumble upon, you earn it. Howard has great ball skills and a good frame to pair with great footwork and physicality.
He’s been shutting down his half of the field for years at Westland Hialeah, and his build shows major college potential.
In 2022 he recorded 33 tackles and 15 pass breakups, as well as two forced fumbles, an interception, and a house call on a punt return.
Like a few other guys that the Gators are recruiting, Jamari shows a lot of flash on special teams. Having one or two guys that can change the game on a return is invaluable, and something that the Gators were missing last season.
Howard is taking his official visit to Gainesville on June 2nd, which is becoming a fantastic weekend on campus for recruiting.
The following week he’s making his return to Michigan State, but there’s a wide belief that this will become a Big 3 battle between Florida schools.
In-state recruiting has been a priority for Napier since he got here. Taking back a Florida prospect from the Big Ten, and beating out FSU and Miami would be a big win on the trail.
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