Florida signed T.R. Miller (Brewton, Alabama) linebacker Myles Johnson and Brentwood Academy (Humboldt, Tennessee) defensive lineman Stephon Shivers on Wednesday, the first day of the early signing period.
Johnson, a former Alabama commit who backed off that pledge once the new staff took over and flipped to Florida in July, signed at 8:18 a.m. ET, and Shivers, a former Georgia commit who flipped just over two weeks ago, signed at noon ET.
Shivers got looks from Texas, Oregon, USC and Vanderbilt after his commitment from Georgia, but decided to go with Florida after seeing the Gators upset LSU in November. The Gators already led his recruitment, but the win helped him make up his mind. He’s likely to play both nose tackle and the 3-technique defensive line position.
Johnson received some interest from Ole Miss and Georgia after making his pledge to Florida, but he’s held firm in his commitment all year. Florida is likely to play Johnson up the middle at MIKE or WILL linebacker. He plans to enroll over the summer.
Recruiting Summaries
Myles Johnson
Johnson is a three-star recruit according to 247Sports, On3 and Rivals, but ESPN grants him a fourth star and ranks him 11th among inside linebackers in the class of 2025. The 247Spors composite, which considers all four major recruiting services, has Shivers ranked No. 593 nationally and No. 63 among linebackers in the class, while the On3 industry ranking puts him at Nos. 692 and 75, respectively.
A 6-foot-1-inch, 280-pound two-way player with experience at running back, Johnson has good speed for his size and can stack the box on defense. He reads play-action well and has strong tackling skills. He has 1,293 rushing yards and is one of his team’s leading tacklers. Johnson’s relatively low ranking may have to do with him missing all of 2023 with a torn ACL. He’s looked solid all year long, though, and could be a sleeper signee in the class.
Stephon Shivers
Shivers is a three-star recruit according to 247Sports, On3 and Rivals, but ESPN grants him a fourth star and ranks him 24th among defensive tackles in the class of 2025. The 247Spors composite, which considers all four major recruiting services, has Shivers ranked No. 501 nationally and No. 55 among defensive linemen in the class, while the On3 industry ranking puts him at Nos. 473 and 45, respectively.
Shivers has massive size at 6-foot-4.5-inches and 380 pounds, profiling as a space-eating tackle similar to Desmond Watson. Despite his size, Shivers plays light on his feet. There’s work to be done to develop him into a key piece of the rotation, but he could end up more effective than Watson in many ways.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Pair of ESPN 4-star defenders sign with Florida on early signing day
