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College  | Recruiting  | 11/17/2020

Head of the Class: No. 1 Florida

Jheremy Brown     
Photo: Andrew Painter (Perfect Game)
Recruiting Rankings |  2021 High School Player Rankings | Recruiting Database


1. Florida



Full 2021-2022 Recruiting Class
 Head Coach: Kevin O'Sullivan | Recruiting Coordinator: Craig Bell
 
Top 5 Recruits:

Rk. Name POS. HT WT B-T High School Hometown ST
3 Andrew Painter RHP  6-7 230 R-R Calvary Christian Academy Pompano Beach FL
10 Chase Petty RHP 6-1 185 R-R Mainland Regional Somers Point NJ
35 Jay Allen OF 6-3 190 R-R John Carroll Catholic Fort Pierce FL
55 Pierce Coppola LHP 6-8 215 L-L Verona Verona NJ
68 Jac Caglianone 1B 6-5 210 L-L Plant Tampa FL

*Rk. Denotes National Rank in PG HS Class of 2021


Over the years in Gainesville a top recruiting class has become the norm under Head Coach Kevin O’Sullivan and his 2021 class may be one of the best yet that he and his staff has assembled. A quick look at the overall class from the link above reveals an overview of the class and the first six players all wearing the same blue uniform, representative of the East club from the 2020 PG All American Classic. In what’s typically a bigger class than normal for the Gators with 22 players set to call the Swamp their next home, the sheer talent and depth of this group not only against the rest of the classes around the country, but also some of the top classes from recent memory. 

That said, anytime you have a collection of talent like O’Sullivan has incoming, there’s always the risk of losing guys to the MLB Draft, something that all classes are hit by though there’s plenty of time from now until next July. Right-hander Andrew Painter, ranked No. 3 overall and the top arm in the country, has immediate weekend rotation piece written all over him as his athletic 6-foot-7 frame produces easy mid-90s heat which has been upwards of 97 mph this summer. If the velocity wasn’t enough, Painter also shows a pair of breaking balls, one of which is a slider that’ll show plus, alongside a changeup which will also show plus, quickly supporting the young Floridian’s lofty ranking. 

The 97 mph on the radar gun is certain to attract one’s attention but it was right-hander Chase Petty who became the first ever pitcher to touch triple digits at a Perfect Game event, topping out at 100 mph during the 17u WWBA this past summer. The arm speed is obvious for the New Jersey native and simply put, it isn’t a very fun at-bat for opposing hitters as the ball explodes onto you all the while keeping in the back of your mind that Petty also possesses one of the better sliders from the prep ranks. 

Followed by a pair of hard throwing right-handers are a duo of left-hander in 6-foot-8 Pierce Coppola and strongly built Philip Abner, both of whom were up to 94 mph during the summer while missing plenty of bats throughout the circuit. Coppola uses his length to his advantage, generating steep plane with which hitters have a difficult time picking up while Abner creates some serious angle to his fastball while spinning a hard slider with late biting life. Listed as a primary first baseman, Jac Caglianone is a legitimate two-way option at the collegiate level with intriguing juice from the left side but also a pretty easy operation on the mound which led to a top bolt of 94 mph of his own. 

The depth on the mound continues as one goes down the list: right-hander Kyle Larsen has been up to 95 mph, Brandon Neely and Fisher Jameson have both been up to 94 mph and the trio of Anthony Ursitti, Karl Hartman, and Samuel Sloan have all topped out at least 92 mph while left-hander Carsten Finnvold makes for a difficult at-bat given his numbers and overall pitchability. 

Both Jay Allen and Rene Lastres are key pieces to this class as well as Allen, a highly touted football prospect, has the type of athleticism and skill to make an impact both at the top of a lineup as well as in center field from the moment he arrives on campus. Lastres is one of the more refined receivers in the country and has shown no qualms with handling the premium stuff he saw all summer on the circuit from the arms on Canes National while showing off a plus arm of his own. At 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, the Hialeah Gardens native has continued to grow into his right-handed swing, showing flashes of what his power potential could ultimately be at the end of the day. 

Infielders Jake Fox and Deric Fabian are the two top ranked infielders in the class which also features Jorge De Goti and Jonah Diaz as O’Sullivan stayed in-state for all of his players in the dirt. Fox showed off a natural handle for the barrel from the left side throughout the summer, hitting .333 on the circuit while Fabian, the younger brother of Jud, impressed with his overall skill and athleticism up the middle. Any one of Ty Evans (6.46), Michael Robertson (6.30) or Corey Robinson (6.32) could seemingly cover the entire outfield by themselves given their foot speed, a tool at the forefront of all their skillsets. Evans is the most physical of the group and already shows pretty significant strength at impact while both Robertson, a left-handed hitter, and Robinson show the ability to shoot the gaps and let their speed go to work. Another outfielder to keep an eye on is Matthew Prevesk who shows 6.6 speed of his own with nice whip through the zone and strength to his pull side. 
 
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