IMG Academy linebacker Gavin Nix wants to play for one of the best defenses in the country, and Florida’s recent surge of blue-chip commitments isn’t scaring him off by any means.
Nix, a class of 2025 graduate, would come in behind a Florida class that currently holds commitments from four of the top-10 linebackers in the class of 2024 — Myles Graham, Adarius Hayes, Jamonta Waller and Aaron Chiles — but he embraces that kind of competition.
“Everybody is different but as far as me, that’d be great,” Nix said to On3’s Keith Niebuhr. “Because I want to go somewhere like that. When you’re around great guys you’re going to get pushed. It’ll attract me because I know (coach Jay) Bateman is doing something right.”
Nix’s logic is sound. If he’s coming behind an elite class, that should mean the team is better and the coaching staff has another year of developing blue-chip talent before he gets to campus. He believes Florida is on an upward trajectory and will show great improvement on defense this season.
Hopefully, he’ll be in town for one of those games.
“Trying to lock in the Florida-Florida State game,” he said. “If we don’t have a game, I’ll be at that game for sure. If I can get to more than one, I will.”
Florida is the current leader of Nix’s recruitment, according to the On3 recruiting prediction machine, which gives the Gators 44.5% odds to land him. The other three major powers in Florida are behind the Orange and Blue. Florida State (22.5%) and Miami (14.6%) are threatening more than UCF (4.3%) right now, but a lot can change in over a year.
Nix is a consensus four-star recruit, ranked highest by Rivals.com at No. 96 overall and No. 5 among linebackers in the class of 2025. The On3 industry ranking, which uses a weighted composite score, places him at No. 212 nationally and No. 21 at his position.
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