With the Navy All-American Bowl on the horizon on Jan. 11, offensive tackle Gabriel Osenda is inching closer to announcing his college commitment. Among the schools vying for his signature, the University of Florida and the Tennessee Volunteers have distinguished themselves as frontrunners.
Osenda, a towering figure at 6 feet 7 inches and 320 pounds, has expressed a strong affinity for both programs, citing the relationships he’s built with their coaching staffs as a critical factor in his impending decision.
“It’s going to come down to my relationship with the coaches, how they’ve been communicating with me and how they have been recruiting me,” Osenda told Chad Simmons of On3 Sports. “It’s going to come down to who I feel like I have the best relationship with and where I have the best chance to go into the school and for it to feel like home.”
The Gators have made multiple overtures that resonate with Osenda, emphasizing their commitment to him as a priority recruit.
“They’ve (Florida) been with me from the start,” Osenda said. “Talking with coach Billy Napier and coach Jonathan Decoster, whenever I call them or text them, they make me feel like I’m a top priority for them. Florida is a great place. I played there for one year in high school. I have a lot of connections there and I have a lot of people I know there.”
Osenda continued, “It feels like a great environment and has a lot of great opportunities, even outside of football. When I was up there talking with Coach Napier and Coach Rob Sale, they made me feel known. Being able to talk to the head coach easily on the visits, it gets you excited for the type of program they’re running. They’re building something special up there.”
As decision day approaches, Osenda remains contemplative about where he will best be able to flourish both on the field and as a student. With Florida and Tennessee leading the charge, the race to secure his commitment continues to be closely contested by other notable programs, including Alabama, Georgia and Ole Miss.
Recruiting Summary
Osenda is a consensus three-star recruit out of Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tennessee. According to 247Sports, he is the No. 31-ranked offensive tackle, No. 11-ranked prospect in the state of Tennessee and No. 386 overall in the 2026 recruiting class.
On3 has Osenda as the No. 25 offensive tackle, No. 10-ranked prospect in Tennessee and No. 364 overall in the class. Also, according to the On3 recruiting prediction machine, Tennessee is the favorite to land Osenda (94.1%) followed by Ole Miss (2.8%) and Florida (<1%).
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