Bowdon (Georgia) tight end [autotag]Kaiden Prothro[/autotag] is one of the class of 2026’s top tight ends, and Florida continues to push for the Peach State product with all eyes in the recruiting world turning to the juniors.
Approaching 6 feet 7 inches and a sturdy 210 pounds that’s leaned down through high school, Prothro could be the next great pass-catching tight end in the Southeastern Conference. Florida is pitching the [autotag]Kyle Pitts[/autotag] comparison, and Georgia is likely invoking Brock Bowers in its own pitch to Prothro.
After standing out as an underclassman during the Under Armour All-American Bowl practices, Prothro’s next trip will be to Gainesville for a second look at the Florida Gators on Jan. 11.
“(Tight ends) Coach (Russ) Callaway actually called me the other day,” Prothro said to Gators Online. “He texts me about every other day, just talking to me, seeing what I’m up to and when I’m coming back down. I think I’m going down there on the 11th for junior day, so I’ll be down there with them just building relationships.”
Prothro doesn’t have any other visits set up, but he’s already been to Georgia six times and Auburn and Ole Miss four times each. Florida will now own two of his four most recent trips, but Georgia and Auburn are much closer drives for him. Prothro says schools outside a four-hour radius are battling a potential dealbreaker.
He last visited The Swamp in October for Florida’s Week 8 win over Kentucky. It was DJ Lagway’s first game as the full-time starter and Florida has become a prominent landing spot for pass catchers since.
“DJ Lagway is playing well for them and they have some recruits coming in,” Prothro said to On3’s Chad Simmons after the visit. “Florida, they’re a football team that plays hard and produces tight ends like Kyle Pitts, who plays for the Falcons. That makes them a top contender for me.”
Recruiting Summary
Star Ratings
Prothro is a consensus four-star recruit ranked inside the top 75 nationally by every major service. ESPN is the highest on him at No. 17 overall.
The 247Sports composite has him at No. 22 overall and No. 2 among tight ends in the class of 2026, while the On3 industry ranking puts him at Nos. 41 and 2, respectively.
Predictions
Georgia is the favorite to land Prothro with 28.1% odds on the On3 recruiting prediction machine, followed by Auburn (16.5%), Ole Miss (14.2%) and five other teams with 6.0%, including Florida State and Miami. Florida has the worst chance of nine schools in the race with 3.2%, but that could change with the upcoming visit.
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