The focus of late has been college football’s 2025 recruiting class, which wrapped up its summer official visit schedule last month. Now, they are preparing for the upcoming fall, when those who have not made their commitment yet will make a few more OVs ahead of their final decision.
But beyond that cohort is the 2026 class, which is slowly growing in the background as rising high school juniors begin to make their verbal pledges. One of the programs that have had a hot start to the cycle is the Florida Gators, who rank No. 10 in ESPN’s recent top recruiting class rankings.
“Coming off the key signing of five-star quarterback [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag] this past cycle, the Gators don’t currently have a passing prospect in their 2025 class but have struck early in the 2026 cycle by landing ESPN Junior 300 QB [autotag]Will Griffin[/autotag]. A passer with a sturdy build and big hands, he has a strong arm and can drive the ball downfield and into tight windows.
“On defense, rangy cornerback prospect [autotag]Jaelen Waters[/autotag] was a one-time commit to in-state rival Florida State.”
Other notable teams in ESPN’s top 10
Speaking of FSU, the Seminoles are the top-ranked program in Haubert’s rankings, followed by newly-added Southeastern Conference foe, the Oklahoma Sooners. The Texas Longhorns, another recent addition to the SEC, rounds out the top five.
The Miami Hurricanes, LSU Tigers and Mississippi State Bulldogs are ranked seventh through ninth, respectively, and are all on Florida’s fall schedule.
Florida’s 2024 season opener
The Florida and the Miami Hurricanes open their schedule on Aug. 31 in Gainesville, Florida. Kickoff time is slated for 3:30 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ABC Sports.
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