This 5-star WR ‘sees a difference’ with Florida under Napier

Florida wide receivers coach Keary Colbert has landed commitments from several elite pass-catchers during the 2023 cycle, but he’s going after a five-star when it comes to the class of 2024.

On3’s Chad Simmons caught up with the top-ranked receiver in the class of 2024 and the No. 3 overall recruit on the On3 consensus, Joshisa Trader, and the Gators were one of many teams discussed. Ohio State is currently in the lead, and Florida has a lot of ground to make up, but Trader says he’s seeing the difference in Gainesville now that Billy Napier’s group has taken over.

“I see a difference,” Trader said. “The receivers are doing better from last year. (Florida) got a better coaching staff. To me, they got a better coaching staff.”

Ohio State‘s Brian Hartline is one of two wide receiver coaches ranked higher than Colbert on 247Sports recruiter rankings. If Colbert makes Trader a priority, it could be a fun battle to watch over the next year. The only problem is that Florida hasn’t quite given Trader the attention he thinks he deserves.

“This (is) their first time really recruiting me,” he said. “At first, when they (weren’t) recruiting me, they didn’t really pay attention to me, but I noticed that. They did pay attention to other people they had to recruit to get them there, so I noticed that. I understood that. Going on now, they’ve been better recruiting (me), but I feel like they could do more.”

Whether the Gators answer that call remains to be seen, but Trader has made it known that he wants the Gators to step up. Landing him would be quite the statement by Colbert. Hartline and OSU have created a wide receiver factory that’s routinely brought in some of the best names at the position around the country. Keeping the Florida kid at home that Hartline wants is how top-five classes are built.

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