The Florida Gators have flipped another four-star recruit, Mill Valley (Shawnee, Kansas) edge defender [autotag]Jayden Woods[/autotag], just five days out from the early signing period.
Woods’ change of heart comes after an official visit to the Swamp over the weekend to see the Gators defeat the Ole Miss Rebels for a second upset win in as many weeks. His pledge to the Nittany Lions came back in June, over Purdue and Tennessee, but Florida has been on him since the spring.
A big jump up the recruiting rankings had the Gators all over him in recent months, but Woods is still somewhat of a surprise flip. Florida views Woods as a JACK linebacker.
Recruiting Summary
Woods is a consensus four-star recruit, ranked the highest by 247Sports at No. 75 overall in the class of 2025. The 247Sports composite, which considers all four major recruiting services, puts him at No. 130 nationally and No. 10 among edge defenders, while the On3 industry ranking is a bit more bullish on him at Nos. 116 and 14, respectively.
“Good-sized standing edge player with the physical tools to put a hand on the ground, whether as a scheme-versatile puzzle piece or as a long-term projection to a more traditional D-line role,” 247Sports scouting analyst Gabe Brooks said.
“Plays with obvious strength at the point of attack. Puts hands to use and shows stack-and-shed ability vs. the run. Displays encouraging linear pursuit speed to close on the ball. Physical tackler who shows some quick uncoiling pop that also punishes lead blockers in the run game.
“… Bit of a one-speed rusher who’s still developing his move set. Flashes an effective inside move. Segmented mover at times with some lower-half tightness when redirecting. Can improve dip-and-bend flexibility around the edge and present more of a speed threat on obvious passing downs. Projects as a high-major defender who may wind up more of an interior defensive lineman than a true edge.”
Florida jumped two spots to No. 15 in the 247Sports team rankings and is up to No. 15 in the On3 industry team rankings as well, up from No. 18.
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