Florida Football Recruiting: Gators make final five for tight end Hayden Bradley

One of the areas that has been a sore spot for Florida Football since the departure of Kyle Pitts has been at tight end. Arlis Boardingham is starting to emerge, but there are not a ton of proven options waiting in the wings.

One tight end prospect the Gators have their eye on is set to make his decision this weekend.

Florida Football: Blocking Tight End

Hayden Bradley is listed at 6'5" and 215 pounds and is out of Buford, GA. Playing for Buford High, he was notably teammates with five-star QB Dylan Raiola last season.

Bradley is considered a mid level three-star by three of the four services with ESPN having him unranked.

On film he is a predominately blocking tight end, which given he was in an offense led by Raiola felt like an underutilization of his abilities. On the rare occasion he was thrown the ball, he showcased good burst off the line and given his size was able to win 50/50 battles.

So he probably could be viewed a bit higher than he gets credit for given he is able to overpower defensive lineman and racked up some pancake blocks throughout his highlights. His leverage does get a bit high at times, but as he continues to bulk up he should have the size to be a competent blocking tight end at worst in the SEC.

Florida is in his final five along with Ole Miss, Michigan, Penn State, and South Carolina. Hayden was in Gainesville in March for an unofficial visit, but there is no formal prediction logged that gives the Gators the edge. On3 has Ole Miss in the lead, in part because he has multiple high school teammates also in Oxford.

Hayden has indicated he still plans to take official visits this summer even after he commits, though he doesn't have any with the Gators lined up.