Florida may be closing in on its next recruiting victory

The Gators have surged up the leaderboard in recruiting lately and are eying a top-five spot when all is said and done. Florida’s class of 2027, at this point, is a solid mixture of known top 100 guys with some upside prospects thrown in there.

And the momentum doesn’t seem to be stopping as Florida has his eyes on another upside prospect that it appears to be closer to landing.

Florida gains prediction for Loia Valade

Loia Valade is a safety listed at 5’11” and 180 pounds. Originally from Canada, he spent last season in Chattanooga, TN, but has since moved to Boca Raton. Valade is a three-star with both Rivals and 247, while ESPN has him unrated.

So while his Rivals Industry Ranking is 721st, his film paints a picture of someone who has much stronger ball skills than most lower-rated three-stars. His calling card is his willingness to fight for every ball that is even close to his vicinity. Even when he doesn’t make the interception, he still works hard to make a pass breakup. That doesn’t mean he is afraid of contact, and he is willing to lay the boom as needed. He’s also a solid receiver who racked up 456 yards and five touchdowns last season.

He has speed as well and last year ran the 100-meter dash in 10.90 seconds.

Valade has official visits lined up for Miami, Kentucky, Louisville, and Florida. FSU and Indiana are among the schools that have also made Valade an offer.

Florida appears to be in the driver’s seat to land Valade, as Steve Wiltfong of Rivals logged a prediction this week that the Gators would be the team that ultimately lands Valade. 

As it stands right now, the Gators have 13 total commits and rank 6th in both the 247 and Rivals rankings.

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