Early signing day: UF, FSU and UCF bolster their 2023 recruiting classes

As the sun rose on Early Signing Day, the 2023 recruiting classes for some of Florida’s biggest college football programs began to solidify.

Florida State, Florida and Central Florida each secured more than a dozen recruits Wednesday, including several from the Miami area and one program landed a premium five-star athlete.

The Florida State Seminoles secured signings from 16 recruits, including a pair of local prospects and a five-star from Fort Lauderdale.

Hykeem Williams verbally committed to FSU in September, and the five-star wide receiver never wavered. One of top 30 players in 247Sports’ composite rankings, Jackson is the site’s No. 3 overall receiver for the class of 2023. He measures out at 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, and he accumulated 1,277 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns across 21 high school games, according to MaxPreps.

FSU coach Mike Norvell praised Williams’ combination of size and speed during a Wednesday press conference.

“It’s ridiculous,” Norvell said. “Unlimited potential to what he can accomplish.”

The Seminoles also secured a letter of intent from four-star edge rusher Lamont Green Jr. The Miami standout totaled 145 total tackles and 52 tackles for loss across his three years with Gulliver Prep, and he racked up 20 sacks in eight games as a senior, according to MaxPreps. His father, Lamont Green, played linebacker for the Seminoles from 1994-98.

“It feels like all my hard work has come together now and I’m ready for a new beginning, I’m officially a ‘Nole,” said Green Jr., who finished his senior season with a career-high 20 sacks. “Back when I was younger we were always doing some kind of football work every day. I used to think he was crazy but now I see the long journey he brought me on was all worth it.”

Edwin Joseph, a three-star athlete from Chaminade-Madonna Prep in Hollywood, Fla., hadn’t committed anywhere before Wednesday morning. He visited Miami, Louisville, South Carolina and Auburn, but when it came time to choose a hat, he reached for Florida State’s garnet and gold. Joseph reeled in more than 1,200 yards of offense in high school, and he started taking snaps at cornerback during his senior season.

The Seminoles currently rank 17th in 247Sports’ 2023 recruiting rankings.

“You’re going to see a lot of versatility among positions, of what guys can do and the variety of things they can bring to our program,” Norvell said of his class. “We were able to hit on a lot of our top choices.”

Meanwhile, in Gainesville, the Florida Gators received 20 signed letters of intent of their own. The Gators rank as 247Sports’ 13th -best 2023 recruiting class.

Wide receiver Andy Jean, a four-star prospect in 247Sports’ composite rankings, signed on to play for the Gators Wednesday. The Miami Northwestern High School recruit amassed more than 700 yards and eight touchdowns in 14 games as a senior. He verbally committed to UF in July and followed through despite a late push from Florida State.

Jean joins Aidan Mizell and Eugene Wilson III as UF’s 2023 wide receiver commits, and Florida coach Billy Napier described them as three of the best receivers in the country during his Wednesday press conference.

Four-star quarterback Jaden Rashada, whom the Gators flipped from Miami in early November, signed late Wednesday afternoon.

“Jaden’s a guy who came here and fell in love with the University of Florida,” Napier said. “The ball really jumps out of his hand. He’s a junkie, he loves the game, he’s all about the work.”

The Athletic’s G. Allan Taylor reported Tuesday that former Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz plans to transfer to Florida for the upcoming season.

Florida did lose out on edge rusher Isaiah Nixon, another four-star prospect via 247Sports’ composite rankings. The Saint Petersburg native committed to the Gators in June, but he flipped to the Central Florida Knights Wednesday.

Nixon, along with defensive lineman John Walker, headlined the 14 prospects who signed with UCF on Early Signing Day.

Walker also garnered interest from the Gators, with multiple unofficial visits in September and an official visit in December, but he’d remained committed to the Knights since July. The Kissimmee local is the highest-rated recruit in school history, according to 247Sports, with a 0.9519 composite ranking.

Nixon is 247Sports’ fifth-highest UCF commit of all-time, with a composite ranking of .9089.

The Knights sit 45th in 247Sports’ 2023 recruiting rankings.