Florida’s had notable success plucking talent from the Lakeland, Fla., area throughout the program’s recent history.
On Thursday, the Gators moved one step closer to writing another chapter in the book of talent acquisition from the region as Lakeland High School safety prospect Keon Young included UF among his top ten schools.
He named Florida, Auburn, Kentucky, Michigan State, Missouri, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas A&M, USF and West Virginia as the programs in contention for his services moving forward.
Labeled as the nation’s No. 21 safety and No. 278 overall player in the 2025 class, Young has drawn interest from a bevy of powerhouse programs during the early stages of his recruitment effort, accumulating 30 total offers.
Showcasing impressive deep zone coverage abilities, physicality at the point of attack and advanced ball skills, the 6-foot, 171-pound safety puts himself in position to frequently make plays on the ball in the air. He accounted for at least nine interceptions, including two pick-sixes, per his junior year film during a breakout campaign with the Dreadnaughts in 2023.