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Florida Football: 3 incoming freshmen who’ll have major impacts in 2022

By Connor Muldowney

IMG Academy's Kamari Wilson (24) celebrates his interception against Ravenwood with IMG Academy's Oj Burroughs (3) tduring the second half at Ravenwood High School in Brentwood, Tenn., Friday, Sept. 25, 2020.Rhs Img 092520 An 028
IMG Academy's Kamari Wilson (24) celebrates his interception against Ravenwood with IMG Academy's Oj Burroughs (3) tduring the second half at Ravenwood High School in Brentwood, Tenn., Friday, Sept. 25, 2020.Rhs Img 092520 An 028 /
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Florida football signed the No. 19 recruiting class in the country for 2022 and these incoming freshmen could have an immediate impact.

The Billy Napier era has officially begun in Gainesville. No one expected 2021 to be Dan Mullen’s last season with Florida football after making the SEC title game a year ago, but there was just too much to fix within the program after a tumultuous campaign.

Now, with the former Louisiana coach at the helm, Florida can move forward and hit that reset button that was desperately needed the second the Gators lost to UCF in bowl season.

Napier’s first recruiting class with the Gators finished 19th in the country and No. 9 in the SEC so there’s talent but not quite the same level of Texas A&M, Georgia, or Alabama, but this is a good start for the new coach.

Which incoming freshmen will have a major impact in 2022?

Not many position groups on the roster suffered as much of a hit as the defensive line this offseason. Zachary Carter is gone to the NFL draft along with Antonio Valentino, Daquan Newkirk, and Tyrone Truesdell. This position group has been absolutely gutted and that means the Gators’ top defensive line signee will have to step up.

That top signee is Chris McClellan who also happens to be an early enrollee.

Getting McClellan on campus early is a positive sign for Florida which will need him to have a major impact in 2022 with all the attrition up front and I think he’ll be up to the task.

McClellan is a mountain of a lineman, standing 6-3 and weighing in at 295 pounds so he’s built for the interior. He’s the No. 113 overall recruit and 16th-best defensive lineman in the class, according to the 247Sports Composite. Gabe Brooks of 247Sports evaluates him as a future Day 2 NFL draft pick and I think he has the potential to be a three-year starter, beginning in 2022.

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