The initial Rivals250 for the class of 2023 was released on Tuesday, and as expected, UF commits Raymond Cottrell and Mac Markway were included in the group.
Markway, a 6-foot-4, 250-pound tight end out of St. Louis (Mo.) De Smet, checks in as the 95th-ranked player in the 2023 class. He is the seventh-ranked prospect at his position as well.
Prior to joining forces with the Gators, Markway dished out a top seven of Florida, Alabama, LSU, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Missouri and Iowa. The Gators and Fighting Irish were garnering the most attention during the week leading up to his announcement, but it was Markway's tight-knit relationship with Tim Brewster and July 25 visit to Gainesville that ultimately pushed Dan Mullen's program over the top.
"Everything was first class," Markway told Gators Territory after visiting in June. "We were with coach Brewster all day, literally from start to finish. He's a super great guy; just a good person. He's also the best tight ends coach in the country, so being able to learn from him, I mean, it's a big deal.
"It's a college town," Markway added. "It was very nice. It's a very nice town with a ton of trees. People were super nice. Some people just drive by and say hi. It's kind of like a family environment."
In addition to the aforementioned schools, Markway possesses offers from USC, Auburn, Miami, Florida State, Michigan, Oregon, Texas and Stanford among others.
For an in-depth breakdown of Markway's skill set, CLICK HERE for GT's film review.
As for Cottrell, a 6-foot-2, 195-pound pass catcher from Milton (Fla.) High, Rivals currently lists him as the 102nd-ranked player in his class. He is labeled as the 16th-ranked wide receiver as well.
Once the Gators extended a scholarship offer, all eyes shifted in the direction of Dan Mullen's program, and understandably so.
Cottrell has been a Florida fan for as long as he can remember and tabbed the SEC school as his dream destination on multiple occasions. In fact, I submitted a Rivals FutureCast prediction just minutes after Billy Gonzales delivered the life-changing news to his family.
Cottrell, who possesses additional offers from Alabama, Georgia, Notre Dame, Florida State, Miami and Tennessee among others, committed during the evening of Friday Night Lights but logged a game-changing visit to Gainesville on July 25 as well.
There was not any drama surrounding Cottrell's recruitment once Florida got involved, and I don't expect that to change either.
"When I first got it, I didn't believe it at first, so I decided to call them to see if it was true," Cottrell told Gators Territory shortly after receiving the offer. "When coach Gonzales told me, 'Yeah, we're going to offer you,' there were a lot of things going through my mind. That changed my whole mindset when he said that. It made me want to go even harder because that's my dream school; that's where I really want to go, to be honest.
"When he first told me, I teared up a little bit because it's like a dream come true. I've been wanting this offer since I was kid. I always grew up a fan and have been watching since maybe I was five or six. My dad has always been a fan as well."
During the 2020 season, the four-star prospect hauled in 29 receptions for 360 yards and five touchdowns for the 5-2 Panthers.
For thoughts on the Rivals250 rankings from National Director of Recruiting, Adam Gorney, CLICK HERE.
