Billy Napier's Florida flips three-star IOL from Florida State to the Class of 2025

By Maliha

Modified Nov 20, 2024 13:11 GMT

Three-star interior offensive lineman Daniel Pierre Louis flipped his commitment from Florida State to Florida's 2025 class. The Loxahatchee, Florida, native had been committed to the Seminoles since Oct. 15 but announced his decision on Tuesday following an official visit to Gainesville over the weekend.

The flip wasn’t entirely unexpected, as Pierre Louis attended Florida’s 27-16 victory over LSU and sounded like he was leaning toward Billy Napier's school. A big factor in his decision was the strong bond he developed with Florida’s co-offensive line coach, Jonathan DeCoster.

"He shows me development of other players like me that they brought into their program," Pierre Louis told Gators Online. "Overall, the vibes are really good. He’s been showing me what their plans for development are, like, how they go into each week and their grade-out sheets. It’s been really nice.”

Pierre Louis’s decision comes amid a turbulent season for Florida State, which has struggled to a 1-9 record. The challenges in Tallahassee were compounded by coach Mike Norvell’s decision to part ways with offensive line coach Alex Atkins, which disrupted the relationships Atkins had cultivated with several recruits.

The 6-foot-5 and 314-pound prospect is the second high-profile recruit in a week to decommit from Florida State and commit to Florida. Last Friday, quarterback Tramell Jones announced his decommitment from the Seminoles and pledged to the Gators just two days later.

With Daniel Pierre Louis now out of the picture, the Seminoles are down to 12 total commits, including three offensive linemen: Solomon Thomas, Peyton Joseph and Mario Nash Jr. The Seminoles might work to retain Thomas, as On3's Steve Wiltfong noted this week that LSU and Florida are working strongly to flip him.

Florida's 2025 class update following Daniel Pierre Louis' commitment

Daniel Pierre Louis becomes the lone offensive line commit for Florida after Enoch Wangoy, who was originally part of the 2025 class, reclassified to 2024. His reclassification left Florida without any offensive line commitments for 2025, but fortunately for the school, Pierre Louis will fill the gap now.

Pierre Louis is the 14th commit in Florida's 2025 class, ranking No. 24 in the nation and No. 13 in the Southeastern Conference. His commitment comes just days after four-star defensive lineman Stephon Shivers also pledged to the Gators.

While the class does not yet include any five-star prospects, it remains strong with several notable four-star recruits, such as wide receiver Vernell Brown III, cornerback Ben Hanks Jr. and defensive lineman Jalen Wiggins.