Gators Early Signing Period Coverage

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Coach Napier's first recruiting class started coming together Wednesday. Here is a look at the newest Gators:

7:18 pm

Gators Sign 5-Star LB James

Billy Napier said there could be more to come during his National Signing Day press conference late Wednesday afternoon.

He was right.

Less than an hour later, linebacker Shemar James made it official, signing with the Gators out of Faith Academy in Mobile, Ala.

Signed, sealed and delivered! ✍️🖊
Welcome to The Swamp, @shemar0524!#ChosenFew22 | #GoGators pic.twitter.com/EfEjUOfJAm
— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) December 15, 2021

James, ranked the top linebacker prospect in the country by Rivals.com, is the second five-star recruit to sign with the Gators on Wednesday. He finished his senior season with 10 tackles for loss, six sacks and an interception.

The Gators need help at the position and James, listed at 6-foot-1.25 and 210 pounds, fits the bill as Napier and his staff retool Florida's roster.

Here is a look at James making his announcement:

4 ⭐️ Lb Shemar James commits to Florida! Another huge get for the gators! #ChosenFew22 pic.twitter.com/gkeqo9ikdW
— Sideline2Sideline (@S2SShow) December 15, 2021

4:57 pm

McClellan Beefs Up D-Line

The latest newcomer to Florida's football program is defensive tackle Chris McClellan, a 6-foot-3, 305-pound defensive lineman out of Owasso, Okla.

McClellan stood by his commitment to the Gators and is the eighth player to officially sign Wednesday during the early National Signing Day.

Welcome to Gator Nation, @ChrisDMac10! #ChosenFew22 | #GoGators pic.twitter.com/IK5jz32Mm9
— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) December 15, 2021

McClellan was recruiting by powerhouses such as Alabama, Ohio State, USC and his native-state Sooners. He opted to join the Gators after a final prep season that earned him a spot in the 2022 All-American Bowl Game.

A four-star recruit, McClellan is ranked the second overall prospect in the state of Oklahoma by 247Sports.com and the 100th overall prospect in the country.

He sounds pumped to join the Gators.

Let's get it!! https://t.co/aEQtlfkLoR
— Chris McClellan 2️⃣🦍 (@ChrisDMac10) December 15, 2021

4:59 pm

Gators Land Elite Safety Kamari Wilson

The Gators landed their biggest catch yet under head coach Billy Napier, signing safety Kamari Wilson late Wednesday afternoon.

Devin Moore Officially A Gator

Naples High cornerback Devin Moore caused waves early Wednesday morning when he flipped from Notre Dame to announce he was signing with the Gators.

The addition of Moore provides a nice boost to Florida's first signing class with Napier as head coach. Moore is a four-star prospect according to 247Sports.com and provides a talented player at a key position of need.

"There are only three things guaranteed in life: death, taxes and that scared money don't make money,'' Moore said at his signing ceremony.

GOT 'EM@realdevinmoore3 is staying in the Sunshine State. Welcome to The Swamp!#ChosenFew22 | #GoGators pic.twitter.com/KsFrnHlYUn
— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) December 15, 2021

Moore flashed play-making ability at Naples, where he had five interceptions as a junior.

He had offers from several blue-blood programs, including Alabama, Auburn and LSU.

Former LSU assistant Corey Raymond, who joined Napier's staff last week, is familiar with Moore.

"The proximity to home," Moore said when asked about his decision. "Both are great universities. Both have the combination that I was looking for, but it ultimately came down to my family having the chance to watch every game, and being four hours away from home."

12:04 pm

DT Lyons Joins Gators

The Gators need help on the defensive front and got some with the addition of defensive tackle Jamari Lyons from Viera (Fla.) High.

Lyons is ranked the 26th overall prospect in the state of Florida by 247Sports.com. He chose the Gators over Georgia, Florida State, Texas A&M, Auburn, Penn State and others.

At 6-foot-3, 298 pounds, Lyons has has the size to stuff the run and is a good athlete for a player his size. He finished his prep career with 11 sacks.

Gator Nation, welcome @TLyons51 to The Swamp! #ChosenFew22 | #GoGators pic.twitter.com/4BIdlxFxwQ
— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) December 15, 2021

Lyons committed to the Gators in October and remained true to his pledge through the transition from Dan Mullen to Billy Napier.

For a closer look at what Lyons can do on the field, check out No. 99 in the video below:

Smack Time: Gators Sign Kicker

Kicker Trey Smack is the newest member of the UF football program, the fourth player to sign today.

Smack is ranked the No. 5 kicker and No. 15 punter in the country in the 2022 signing class according to Kohl's Kicking Academy.

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Smack is from Severna Park High in Maryland and chose the Gators over Air Force, Navy and Virginia Tech.

Welcome to The Swamp, @smack_trey! 🐊#ChosenFew22 | #GoGators pic.twitter.com/kl9Ui4K60B
— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) December 15, 2021

In addition to football, Smack played lacrosse and worked under the direction of former NFL kicker Matt Stover as he began to blossom as a potential college kicker.

You can check out Smack working on his craft in this video:

11:44 am

Napier's Patience Paid Dividends At Louisiana

At his introductory press conference 10 days ago, Gators head coach Billy Napier made clear his outlook on his first Early Signing Day and recruiting approach.

"We're going to be very patient,'' he said. "I know everybody wants the pedal to the metal here and go a hundred miles and hour. But it's the most important thing we do."

Napier used the same approach when he took over at Louisiana at Lafayette in 2018.

According to 247Sports.com, the Ragin' Cajuns signed 18 players who enrolled during Napier's first season. The class ranked 105th nationally and fifth in the Sun Belt Conference.

In Year 2, Louisiana signed 25 players and its class ranked 77th nationally and first in the Sun Belt.

Year 3: Class ranked 82nd nationally, first in Sun Belt.

Year 4: Class ranked 69th nationally, first in Sun Belt.

Most importantly: Napier's teams combined to go 40-12 and earn four consecutive berths in the SBC Championship Game, winning the title the night before Napier urged fans to show some patience as he reboots the Gators program.

"The culture precedes positive results. Champions behave like champions before they're champions; they have a winning standard of performance before they are winners." – Bill Walsh#GoGators | @GatorsFB pic.twitter.com/h2aGSybr0v
— COACH BILLY NAPIER (@coach_bnapier) December 5, 2021

10:31 am

Christian Williams Makes His Trek from Texas to Louisiana to Gators Official

Offensive lineman Christian Williams starred at Fort Bend Marshall High in Missouri City, Texas.

While there, Williams became of a target of several schools around the country, including Louisiana at Lafayette. He committed to the Ragin' Cajuns, but when head coach Billy Napier took the Gators job, Williams announced he was heading to the Sunshine State.

I first off wanna thank all the coaches at The University Of Louisiana/Lafayette for recruiting me and giving me the opportunity to play with them, but with that being said i would like to announce that i will be flipping my commitment to the Florida Gators🧡💙🐊 #GOGATORS pic.twitter.com/3zb8GkeuoR
— 𝕮𝖍𝖗𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖎𝖆𝖓 𝖂𝖎𝖑𝖑𝖎𝖆𝖒𝖘🧙🏿‍♂️ (@christosrevenge) December 11, 2021

The 6-foot-4.25, 319-pound Williams officially joined the Gators late Wednesday morning when his NLI arrived on Early Signing Day.

Williams helped Marshall High go 22-2 over his final two seasons, playing primarily at right guard.

Welcome to Gator Nation @christosrevenge! #ChosenFew22 | #GoGators pic.twitter.com/eHAj7fXgzR
— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) December 15, 2021

10:48 am

O-Lineman Conner Signs With Gators

The day is moving along about as expected as the Gators finalize the National Letters of Intent from their first group of signees since Billy Napier was named head coach.

The third player to officially join the program is Deerfield Beach offensive lineman David Conner, who is listed 6-foot-5.25 and 295 pounds.

Conner grew up in Atlanta but relocated to South Florida his senior season and helped Deerfield Beach advance to the second round of the Class 8A playoffs.

Conner chose the Gators over Maryland and Arizona, among others.

Staying home! Welcome to The Swamp, @connerdavid123! #ChosenFew22 | #GoGators pic.twitter.com/nCsb6SxoPz
— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) December 15, 2021

Conner recently made a visit to campus with his parents, and as the visual evidence shows, he adds some size to UF's offensive line.

I'm a proud Mom 🐊🐊 @connerdavid123 pic.twitter.com/DtFp9vxA6i
— Gillian Butts Conner (@G_ButtsConner) December 12, 2021

Check out FloridaGators.com throughout the day for more updates.

11:23 am

Tampa TE Livingston First Official Signee For Napier

Ten days on the job and on his first National Signing Day at Florida, new Gators head coach Billy Napier officially has signed his first player to the program.

Tony Livingston is the answer to a future trivia question.

Of course, the Gators hope the tight end from King High School in Tampa is much more than that.

The Gators announced Livingston's signing shortly after 7 a.m.

Welcome to The Swamp, @Tonylivingston_! #ChosenFew22 | #GoGators pic.twitter.com/q27xikmqVB
— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) December 15, 2021

Livingston played on the offensive line, defensive line and tight end in high school. At 6-foot-6, he also played basketball and trimmed some serious weight from his frame the past 18 months.

Livingston began his prep career at Carrollwood Day School in Tampa prior to transferring to King. He shared a message on social media later Wednesday morning.

Its great to be a gator🐊@coach_bnapier @GatorsFB @coachmhocke @MarshallMcDuf14 pic.twitter.com/QtFNGY9mVH
— Tony Livingston (@Tonylivingston_) December 15, 2021

Check back with FloridaGators.com throughout the day for more on Florida's class on Early Signing Day.

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