UF adds another DB to 2020 class, flips Tennessee pledge Mordecai McDaniel

On Friday, the Florida Gators continued to load up on defensive backs in their 2020 recruiting class.

The program received good news today when former Tennessee Volunteers pledge Mordecai McDaniel announced his decision to flip to UF.

McDaniel, the 32nd-ranked safety in the 2020 cycle, put Florida in his top five back in the spring, but ended up committing to UT in August.

The Washington (D.C.) product also took an official visit to the Swamp in April, and was all smiles when discussing that trip with GatorsTerritory.

OFFER: $75 worth of FREE NIKE gear + 25% off a new annual subscription using promo code "Nike"

“I love it out here, I love the people, I love the coaching staff and all that,” McDaniel previously told GT. “I thought it was a wonderful experience to be out here. It felt really comfortable to be out here as well.”

While he was on his OV, McDaniel had the chance to get an up-close look at the team in a game-like environment during their annual Orange and Blue Game.

The 6-foot-1, 195-pounder keened in on their secondary, but told us that the staff would utilize him in multiple roles with the Gators.

“I liked the ‘DBU’ out there,” McDaniel said of the spring game. “I like how they run things and how they run their defense.

“Defense, free safety and on the special teams,” McDaniel said of where UF envision him at. “[They like] my speed, my size and how I could see the field and that I like to hit.”

Now that McDaniel in the fold, Florida currently has a trio of safeties — Marc Britt and Rashad Torrence being the other two — committed in this class.

This will not affect their pursuit of Avantae Williams, however, as the program will continue to heavily court the top-60 overall prospect in the nation.

If the Gators end up flipping Williams from Oregon, then they will have some options to work with. One of those possibilities is moving Britt back to wide receiver, which is another position he played in high school.

With McDaniel's announcement today, Florida now has eight out-of-state prospects pledged in their 2020 class. McDaniel is also the first recruit from Washington (D.C.) to commit to the Gators since Jalen Tabor in 2014.

UF fans, get accustomed to McDaniel's style of play by checking out his junior highlight reel below.

Stay tuned to GatorsTerritory.