Rivals250 DE Francois Nolton says yes to the Florida Gators

A Rivals250 prospect in the class of 2022 has taken the next step with Dan Mullen and the University of Florida.

Francois Nolton, the 11th-ranked strong-side defensive end on Rivals, just committed to the Gators over additional offers from Alabama, Florida State, LSU, USC, Miami, Texas A&M, Tennessee and Penn State among others.

Roughly two weeks ago, Nolton told GT that the Gators were the program pushing the hardest for his services in the trenches; now, the 6-foot-5, 234-pound junior is off the market and slated to showcase his skill set in the SEC.

"The tradition and just how they play," Nolton recently told GatorsTerritory. "In the SEC, they play tough football and I just like how they go and play big-time games, like when they played Alabama and they play Georgia every year; I like those type of games.

"With Florida, it's not like they are getting blown out or anything like that. They're either winning or competing."

A product of Miami (Fla.) Edison, Nolton is also teammates with fellow 2022 Gators commit and four-star wide receiver, Syveion Ellis.

Alongside former teammates, Nolton toured Gainesville during the first half of his freshman year and was then invited to camp last summer after impressing the Gators during spring football. If all goes as planned, he will be returning to the Swamp as soon as the recruiting dead period is lifted as well.

"I talk to coach Turner a lot, coach Dan Mullen," Nolton said. "They are always seeing how I'm doing, how my family is doing and telling me how much they can't wait for me to get up there after the dead period. I talk to them almost every day, every two days. I talk to them the most.

"He's cool, man," Nolton added about Turner. "He knows what I'm looking for in a football team. We may talk football sometimes, but we don't talk football all the time. He talks about my grades and how I'm living. It's not just about football."

Assistant director of player personnel, John Herron, also played a pivotal role in Florida's pursuit of the nation's 149th-ranked junior.

Joining Ellis, Nolton becomes the second prospect to team up with UF's 2022 class.

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