Two Florida commits land in Rivals100; LB Derek Wingo earns fifth star
It had been rumored that Derek Wingo was a strong candidate to receive a fifth star by Rivals' National Recruiting Team, and now it's official, Florida fans.
The updated Rivals100 was released to the public on Tuesday afternoon, with multiple Florida commits being awarded spots as well, with Wingo obviously included as a five-star prospect.
Wingo, a product of powerhouse Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas, climbed 16 spots and is now labeled as the 19th-ranked player overall regardless of position.
The 6-foot-1, 215-pound inside linebacker was previously committed to Penn State and then flipped his commitment to the Gators in late June.
The likes of Todd Grantham and Christian Robinson have been pushing all the right buttons with Wingo and his family, with no drama surrounding his recruitment whatsoever. Multiple staff members, including Dan Mullen, are scheduled to stop by St. Thomas Aquinas on Tuesday as well.
Wingo, who is officially visiting the Gators this weekend, will be making everything official during the early signing period but will be graduating high school next year.
"Linebackers don't come more athletic than the hyper-nimble Wingo, a middle linebacker with a gymnast's agility. He's as versatile a defender as there is in this class and can seemingly do it all.
"The Florida commit is the leader of one of the best high school defenses in the country and has long proven his game holds up against top-flight competition. His combination of size and quickness is extremely rare." -- Rob Cassidy, Florida Recruiting Analyst
Wingo may have been awarded a fifth star, but Gervon Dexter made the bigger leap in terms of how many spots were climbed.
Dexter, a 6-foot-6, 276-pound defensive lineman from Lake Wales (Fla.) High, is now in the Rivals100 after climbing 51 spots up to No. 68 in the country.
The versatile senior oozes with long-term potential, possessing the skill set and physical makeup to wreak havoc at multiple positions. He will be used primarily in the interior, but possesses the get-off to slide out to strong-side defensive end from time to time as well.
Dexter is at his best when pushing up-field and relying on his strength, but has improved in terms of flashing some finesse as well. I watched him live earlier in the season and was impressed by his pursuit and overall effort level as well.
Through 13 games for the 12-1 Highlanders, Dexter racked up 114 tackles (93 solo), 18 sacks, 35 tackles for loss, seven forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, blocked punt and field goal, and three pass deflections.
If all goes as planned, Dexter will be officially visiting the Gators next weekend. Dan Mullen's staff is expected to conduct an in-home visit on Wednesday as well.
Several Florida commits are expected to land in the Rivals250 later this week, so stay tuned to GatorsTerritory