PONTE VEDRA BEACH — Florida Football head coach Billy Napier is comfortable with where the UF roster stands heading into the 2024 season.
But this does not mean that the Florida alligators are completely on their feet during the spring transfer portal period.
Florida received a commitment from a portal player this spring — USC freshman offensive lineman Jason Zandamela. UF is currently at 85 scholarships, but has the flexibility to surpass that number by the start of fall camp.
“For once we can be picky,” Napier said before a Gator Caravan event in Ponte Vedra Beach. “I think we’ve probably been six or eight in the hole the last two years, so we’ve been pretty aggressive. So we had to figure out some players and see if we could find some guys who were capable – and you end up a little under 85. I think this year we’ve played with a little bit of an edge, so I think that’s been healthy.
Zandamela was a four-star recruit from Clearwater Academy who was rated as one of the top interior offensive linemen in the class of 2024 coming out of high school. He enrolled early at USC, but changed his mind and wanted to return to Florida, where he played high school football after moving from Mozambique.
Napier cannot comment publicly on Zandamela until he officially signs, per NCAA rules.
Colorado DB Cormani McClain, Arizona State WR Elijah Badger visited UF over the weekend
Two more big names in the transfer portal — former Colorado and Lakeland High cornerback Cormani McClain and former Arizona State wide receiver Elijah Badger — visited the UF campus over the weekend, according to multiple reports.
McClain was a five-star cornerback in the 2023 class, heavily recruited by Florida and Miami. He committed to Miami before flipping before the February signing period and ended up in Colorado. But it was a difficult time in Boulder for McClain, who was publicly criticized by coach Deion Sanders. McClain appeared in 13 games as a true freshman, finishing with 13 tackles and 2 pass breakups.
Badger, a junior, finished with 65 receptions for 713 yards and 3 TDs at Arizona State last season. At 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, he could sign another playmaker for Florida quarterback Graham Mertz, who is returning for his final year of eligibility.
This article originally appeared in The Gainesville Sun: Florida football remains active but selective in spring portal period
