Todd Golden lands a big fish: CJ Ingram commits to the Gators

Todd Golden’s goal of turning the Florida basketball roster into one capable of sustaining greatness at the highest levels got a shot in the arm Monday when CJ Ingram (6-6, 195, Hawthorne, FL) committed to the Gators. The son of former Gator football star Cornelius Ingram, CJ took only one official visit and that was to UF although he had more than 20 offers including Kansas, Michigan, Texas A&M and Georgia.

A consensus 4-star prospect, Ingram is the No. 26 prospect in the nation per On3, which makes him borderline 5-star. Ingram joins another 4-star, Alexander Lloyd (6-4, 170, Miami, FL Westminster Academy) in the 2025 recruiting class. Lloyd is currently the No. 58 player in the On3 rankings.

Per Joe Tipton of On3, Ingram chose the Gators because “It always felt like home,” he said. “The atmosphere is just different with the fans. My visit just felt almost perfect and I’m doing at home in front of friends and family. Coach Todd (Golden), Coach Taurean Green, Coach (Carlin) Hartmann and Coach (Jordan) Talley, they tell me every day what I can be in the future, how I can develop, and how I fit in the system.”

Jamie Shaw, the On3 basketball talent evaluator, wrote this about CJ after watching him at the prestigious Pangos All-American camp: “Throughout the camp, Ingram showed a high-flying arsenal of dunks. His ability to make a move and get downhill toward the rim was as impressive as his vicious and purposeful play above the rim, in traffic. He finished the camp with multiple dunks that were among the top five for the week.

“However, for me, moreso than the high-flying athleticism, Ingram consistently made some impressive passing reads. Not only processing the play on the ball, but delivering passes with pin-point accuracy to open teammates for easy baskets. There is a real scenario where Ingram could play on ball as a primary initiator in the future. At the very least, a team should be able to run some fun actions with him as a secondary guy in the half-court.”

CJ Ingram has the same traits as his dad, who was a two-sport All-American at Hawthorne who actually played basketball at Florida his freshman year in 2004-05. Cornelius was a 6-5, 225-pound all-purpose player who could dominate inside or outside. He had a lethal step back three and was a power dunker off the bounce. CJ’s game is virtually a clone of his dad. At Hawthorne last season he averaged 24 points, 3.7 rebounds, 8.5 assists and 3.7 steals per game.

CJ quarterbacked Hawthorne to back-to-back state championships in football. In 2023 he threw for 38 touchdown passes with only seven interceptions while running for six touchdowns. He also led the Hornets to back-to-back final fours in basketball, and played for the Florida Rebels on the Nike EYBL circuit where his recruiting blew up this summer.

The Gators were recruiting CJ as a wide receiver in football, but he chose to give up football to concentrate on basketball.  

“I know it was always a dream of his to play basketball, and I wanted to give him that,” Cornelius Ingram told Mike Ridaught of the Mainstreet Daily News recently. “So, this past spring, he really locked in with his trainer and just focused on basketball. I can’t even imagine what he’ll become in the near future, because he’s still only 16.”  

With Ingram and Lloyd committed and the scholarship limits for all NCAA teams to rise to 15 in 2025, Todd Golden still has two scholarships to give based on every eligible player returning. Currently the Gators are considered the leaders for twins Cameron Boozer (6-9, 205, Miami, FL Christopher Columbus) and Cayden Boozer (6-3, 190, Miami, FL Christopher Columbus). Cameron is a power forward ranked as the nation’s No. 2 recruit while Cayden is a point guard, ranked No. 17. The two of them led Christopher Columbus to the Florida class 7A championship last year.

POTENTIAL 2025-26 ROSTER

Big guys (7): Sam Alexis 6-9, 240, JR); Micah Handlogten (7-1, 235, RJR); Alex Condon (6-11, 240, JR); Thomas Haugh (6-9, 220, JR); Rueben Chinyelu (6-10, 250, JR); Olivier Rioux (7-9, 290, SO); Viktor Mikic (6-11, 240, SO)

Perimeter guys (6): Denzel Aberdeen (6-5, 190, SR); Kajus Kublickas (6-2, 171, JR); Isaiah Brown (6-4, 190, SO); Urban Klavzar (6-1, 190, SO); Alexander Lloyd (6-4, 170, FR); CJ Ingram (6-6, 195, FR)