Florida Football: Top 5 remaining targets for 2018 National Signing Day

Keeping all top recruits from the state of Florida close to home just isn’t possible. The state is loaded with talent and guys like William Barnes get away. There’s still a chance the Florida Gators could convince him to stay home to play college ball, but he’s leaning heavily toward North Carolina.

In fact, he visited Chapel Hill on Jan. 12, just a week before his official visit to Ole Miss. The Gators have been in contact with him, but it looks like he’ll be headed to the ACC rather than the SEC.

Barnes is an imposing presence at 6-foot-4 and 325 pounds. Lining up across from him had to seem like a lost cause for opposing prep defensive linemen. He stood tall and wide like a brick wall and there was simply no getting past him without paying the price.

While the Tar Heels are leading for him, there is a slight hope that he will pick the Gators and Dan Mullen. That short-lived relationship may cost them, though. He’s ranked the No. 53 overall recruit and fifth-best offensive tackle, per 247Sports.