![Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier gives fist bumps to fans during Gator Walk at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 25, 2023 befoe the game against the Florida State Seminoles. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_1265,w_6578,h_3700/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/213/01k0pd0fve8mmpxm9pam.jpg "Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier gives fist bumps to fans during Gator Walk at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 25, 2023 befoe the game against the Florida State Seminoles. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]")
One of the hallmarks of Billy Napier's time with the Gators has been his knack as an evaluator. While he doesn't always close on that talent, he seems to pick up on guys before everyone else does.
So it's with that in mind that these are the biggest recruiting gems Napier has had commit to Florida during his time with the Gators.
Rankings will be using the 247 Composite ranking from the year they enrolled.
Jack Pyburn - 435th overall - Class of 2022
The class of 2022 was a hastily put-together class in the wake of the transition from Dan Mullen to Napier, and in retrospect, the class didn't hold up well at all. Outside of Shemar James and Trevor Etienne, there haven't been a ton of success stories from the group.
And while Jack Pyburn is going to get no love from Gator Nation after bolting to LSU, he was a very capable run stopper in 2024, and considering he was just a three-star coming out of high school, Pyburn has outplayed his star ranking.
Bryce Thornton - 405th overall - Class of 2023
Napier's class of 2023 was small, but the bulk of the guys he signed were four-star guys. Bryce Thornton barely made the cut as a four-star, but has morphed into an entrenched starter for the Gators.
In fact, he is just one of four players from the class of 2023 to take at least 100 snaps last season AND have a PFF grade of at least 70.
Jadan Baugh - 379th overall - Class of 2024
It is easy to forget that Jadan Baugh wasn't seen as a high-leverage prospect when he committed to Florida late in the class of 2024 cycle. Most of us had our eye on KD Daniels, and then Baugh flipped from Arkansas.
But after his massive spring game last season, there were high hopes for Baugh for the 2024 season, and when injuries piled up, he kept the ship afloat in the backfield and is poised for a massive year in 2025.
Micah Jones - 659th overall - Class of 2025
Obviously, we won't know about the class of 2025 for a year or two, but if you want a player to keep an eye on, that could be a hidden gem: it's tight end Micah Jones.
At 6'4" and 254 pounds, he is already Florida's third-largest tight end on the squad and is just six pounds behind Tony Livingston to be the second largest.
Jones probably redshirts in 2025, but as he adds size, don't be shocked to see him down the road.