The end-of-summer Grill in the Ville cookout is an unofficial turning point on the recruiting calendar where the focus begins to shift away from the senior class (2025) and more toward the juniors (2026).
One of the juniors in Gainesville for the event was South Pointe (Rock Hill, South Carolina) defensive back [autotag]J’Zavien Currence[/autotag], who also attended last year’s cookout as a rising sophomore, according to Swamp247. Now one of the top safeties in his class, Currence is starting to take a serious look at which schools are standing out.
“Florida has put themselves in the mix with the way they have been recruiting me this summer,” Currence said to 247Sports. “I hear from Florida every other day now. I don’t question where I stand with them. I grew up a Gator fan so that plays a part in what I like about Florida. Each time I come, I get a good vibe and knowing I’m a priority recruit for them is big.”
That’s a fine endorsement for Florida from Currence, but the Gators are going to need to beat out several power-conference programs, including in-state rival FSU.
The Gators have already overcome the coaching change at his position with this recent visit. Currence got to meet with Florida’s new defensive backs coach Will Harris and assistant coach Beyah Rasool in person this weekend.
Recruiting Summary
Currence is a consensus four-star recruit, ranked the highest by ESPN at No. 85 overall in 2026. The On3 industry ranking puts him at No. 97 overall nationally and No. 10 at his position, while the 247Sports composite has him even higher at Nos. 80 and 7, respectively.
The On3 recruiting prediction machine thinks in-state South Carolina has the best odds to land Currence at 23.9%, but Florida is closing in at 18%. Georgia (7.8%) and Virginia Tech (6.5%) round out the list; however, Currence mentioned Clemson and FSU recently when asked about teams pushing the hardest.
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