Florida Football gains upside commit from DL Joseph Mbatchou
![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_crop,w_7331,h_4123,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images%2FImagnImages%2Fmmsport%2F213%2F01j46z193eg5ph7qdvtm.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")
Under Billy Napier, Florida Football has had a knack for seeking out projects and high-upside players who otherwise are under the radar. George Gumbs, Noel Portnjagin, and Enoch Wangoy are among the recent players, and the Gators are hoping for a boom if all goes well.
Florida earned a commitment yesterday from a class of 2025 prospect who fits a similar profile. Florida hopes their willingness to offer early will pay off down the road.
Florida Football: Class Project
Joseph Mbatchou is a defensive lineman out of Suwanee, GA. He is unranked by every recruiting service, but that is because he has never played football prior to 2024. Mbatchou has focused on basketball prior to this year but is looking to make the switch.
Listed at 6'6" and 285 pounds, Mbatchou has all the size one could want from a class of 2025 defensive lineman. Florida was the first Power Five team to offer Mbatchou, and apparently, that is all it took to earn his commitment as he announced his plans last night.
Now, given that he will be playing his first-ever organized downs of football this fall, we have a feeling his recruitment process is far from over. If he steps on the field and is dominant, it wouldn't be shocking to see the rest of the SEC come after Mbatchou. Likewise, if he steps on the field and isn't what Napier and crew hope he is, it wouldn't be shocking to see Florida quietly move on.
Time will tell, but he will be a player to keep an eye on this fall.
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