The Florida football program scored a victory on the recruiting front when three-star defensive lineman [autotag]Jeramiah McCloud[/autotag] — a former commit to the Mississippi State Bulldogs — pledged to join the Orange and Blue on Thursday.
The 6-foot-3-inch, 280-pound trench warrior out of Havana (Florida) Gadsden County in the 2025 cycle backed off his previous commitment last month, having pledged to the Starkville staff back in January. The Gators pounced on the in-state product and were able to prevail over schools likes of the USC Trojans, with whom he had scheduled an official visit in early June.
The key to McCloud’s recruitment lay largely in the opinion of his mother, who had a superlative experience at the university on her recent trip.
“It’s hard to impress my mom. My mom liked Florida, and that was her first time being there. She said it felt like home, and that it was a great trip,” he noted.
“My mom is definitely sold on Florida. She definitely liked it a lot. The defensive coordinator, Austin Armstrong, Coach (Gerald) Chatman, and Coach Napier did a great job talking to her and building a relationship. They definitely won her over.”
Recruiting Summary
McCloud is ranked No. 501 overall and No. 50 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking has him at Nos. 428 and 37, respectively.
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