Florida has ceased its transfer portal pursuit of Southern California Guard Desmond Claude, according to On3's Joe Tipton. The surprising news comes following Claude's completed official visit with the Gators, who were viewed as the clear frontrunners for his services.
Florida Gators no longer in the mix for Desmond Claude
Heading into the weekend, the Gators were widely viewed as the stand-alone favorite to add Claude to their roster, especially after finalizing an official visit, the only one confirmed thus far. Buzz gained further traction this weekend as Florida fans eagerly awaited a commitment post from Southern California's star guard, one that would help make up for a notable group of departures.
The visit came and went, but a commitment post was never uploaded.
Still, nothing had been reported regarding a change in interest between the two parties. Florida was still likely destined to be Claude's choice, and the Gators appeared as if they were going to add one of the most talented prospects in the portal.
That didn't go to plan.
On Monday, On3's Joe Tipton reported that Florida was no longer planning to pursue Claude as a potential addition. It has since been rumored that Florida's staff wanted a secure verbal commitment this weekend, but Claude still desired to visit other schools and continue the transfer portal recruiting process.
Claude's final destination is unknown, but he has previously been linked to Gonzaga, Ole Miss, Virginia, and North Carolina, though, Tipton reported that the Tar Heels were not "in the mix" for his services.
Target to Monitor
Now, Head Coach Todd Golden and his staff will need to head in an opposite direction to add to next season's roster, which currently consists of four additions.
Highly-coveted high school prospects CJ Ingram and Alex Lloyd have already signed with Florida, while former Princeton guard Xaivian Lee also made his transfer official on paper. Ohio guard AJ Brown, brother of current Florida guard Isaiah Brown, verbally committed to Florida almost two weeks ago, but has yet to put pen to paper.
Despite an impressive collection of incoming players, Todd Golden and his staff would love to add another talented transfer portal prospect, and there's one to keep on the monitoring list in star Arkansas transfer guard Boogie Fland. Fland, a former five-star recruit, is planning to head to the NBA after he finished his freshman season at Arkansas, but has entered his name in the portal to "keep his options open," according to CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein.
Despite his likely NBA-bound status, Florida has been the team most commonly linked to Fland, who is currently projected as a late first-rounder or early second-round selection in most NBA mock drafts. Florida may be a competitive player for his talents, especially if his draft value is not where he wants it, potentially causing him to opt to return to college to increase his top selection likelihood.