On3 recruiting expert Steve Wiltfong issued an expert prediction for four-star running back Carsyn Baker on Thursday. Billy Napier and the Gators seem to be making a late push for the standout running back after having him on campus for an official visit from May 16-18.
Baker left Florida out of his final five schools in early April, as Clemson, Ohio State, Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida State made up the list for the Fairburn, Georgia native. Wiltfong previously predicted Baker to land at Ohio State, but swapped the projection to the Gators after Baker announced earlier Thursday that he would not be taking his official visit to Ohio State. He also canceled his visit to Clemson earlier this month.
On3 expert predicts 2026 running back Carsyn Baker will commit to Florida
You can't give Baker an open lane. If he sees one glimpse of daylight, he's got the breakaway speed to house the football. The same goes if he gets the edge. But what impressed me most on film was how active his legs stay through contact. Baker keeps his legs churning while being tackled, either making him fall forward or powering through the defender to remain upright.
He's flashed some ability to make defenders miss, often horizontally or with the spin move, but his open field elusiveness remains a skill he can continue to develop. Baker has also shown his pass-catching chops.
Commitment timeline
Baker told Florida Gators on SI earlier this month that he plans on making his decision at the end of June or early July. Considering he cancelled a pair of official visits, it seems as though Baker is down to Florida, Florida State, Georgia and South Carolina.
But with Wiltfong's prediction, the Gators can safely be considered frontrunners for the talented running back.
As it stands right now, Florida has two verbal commits for their class of 2026: QB Will Griffin and recent commit Jamir Perez, a DL from Cleveland.