Tag: 2026 Football Recruiting

Two Gators commits ranked inside ESPN Junior 300

Florida has two of the top 300 recruits from the class of 2026 under commitment, according to ESPN’s latest update to the Junior 300.

A pair of Florida Gators commits — Jesuit (Tampa) quarterback [autotag]Will Griffin[/autotag] and Armwood (Seffner) cornerback [autotag]Jaelen Waters[/autotag] — are ranked inside the ESPN Junior 300 following a recent fall update.

Griffin is the higher-ranked of the two at No. 58 nationally with a scout grade of 83 (four stars). He is also ranked sixth among pocket passers from the class of 2026, 12th in the state of Florida and 34th in the Southeast region.

“Griffin will bring many of the same traits to Florida’s scheme that Graham Mertz provided over the last two years,” ESPN Analyst Tom Luginbill wrote. “We’ve seen that the Gators’ scheme is adaptable to athleticism based on how they’ve used DJ Lagway, so Griffin doesn’t have to be a dynamic runner in this offense. Griffin is a strong-armed, deep-ball passer and Florida loves to push the ball vertically off play-action.”

Waters is ranked No. 222 in the class of 2026 with an 80 scout grade, which is good for a four-star rating. ESPN has him at No. 21 among cornerbacks, No. 38 in Florida and No. 116 in the Southeast.

Florida has held Waters’ commitment since June, but in-state rival Miami is pushing strongly for him. Waters has already attended three Hurricanes games this season and has a history of flipping — the Gators flipped him from Florida State over the summer.

“Florida, that’s still my school,” Waters recently told Gaby Urrutia of 247Sports. “I still represent that school 100 percent, but other schools are impacting my recruitment. I love Florida. I love the city. That’s my school. My parents love it.”

Florida only has one more player under commitment from the class of 2026, three-star safety Devin Jackson out of First Academy in Windermere. ESPN has not formally ranked Jackson just yet.

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Elite class of 2026 TE talks first visit with Florida Gators

The Gators are firmly in the mix for one of the top tight ends in the class of 2026. Four-star recruit Kaiden Prothro recently made his first visit to The Swamp.

One of the class of 2026’s top tight-end recruits, [autotag]Kaiden Prothro[/autotag], made his first trip to The Swamp last weekend to watch the Florida Gators defeat the Kentucky Wildcats, 48-20.

Prothro got some face-to-face time with Florida tight ends coach Russ Callaway and saw DJ Lagway lead a young Gators offense to a dominant win. As a result, Prothro is high on Florida and considers them a contender moving forward in his recruitment.

“I feel like Florida is going to be one of those top programs in my recruitment,” Prothro told Gators Online. “They’ve always been up there in the top and they have a pretty good offense going on right now.”

The Gators will host Prothro again in November when the LSU Tigers come to town. However, he also has plans to visit Florida State and is high on Auburn, Alabama and Georgia, too.

Recruiting Summary

Prothro is a consensus four-star recruit, ranked the highest by ESPN at No. 13 overall. The 247Sports composite puts him at No. 27 overall and No. 3 among tight ends in the class of 2026, while the On3 industry ranking is slightly less bullish on him at Nos. 50 and 3, respectively.

The On3 recruiting prediction machine gives Georgia the best odds to land Prothro at 25.4%, followed by Auburn (17.9%), Ole Miss (15.3%) and Georgia Tech (6.5%).

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On3 predicting LSU to land 5-star 2026 offensive lineman

LSU is making progress with one of the top recruits in the 2026 class.

LSU’s 2025 class is one of the nation’s best. It’s loaded with five stars at the top and LSU is hoping to do the same thing with its 2026 class.

The Tigers are on their way, with On3’s Steve Wiltfong listing LSU as the projected destination for five-star offensive lineman [autotag]Lamar Brown[/autotag].

“The local University Lab five-star has spent a lot of time on the nearby campus and it’s hard to imagine him playing elsewhere in college,” Wiltfong wrote. 

According to the On3 Industry Rankings, Brown is the No. 5 overall prospect in his class and the top interior offensive lineman. On3, 247Sports, and Rivals consider Brown Louisiana’s top 2026 prospect after defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart reclassified to 2025.

Brown was visiting LSU when the Tigers took down No. 9 Ole Miss on Saturday. Brown said the atmosphere “stood out.”

LSU’s 2026 class already has four prospects on board. All Louisiana products and all from New Orleans. The top-ranked 2026 commit is safety [autotag]Aiden Hall[/autotag] out of Edna Karr High School.

LSU offensive line coach [autotag]Brad Davis[/autotag] is a strong recruiter and a Baton Rouge native. It would be surprising to see LSU miss on Brown with Davis leading the charge.

Brian Kelly’s programs have a history of developing offensive linemen and that trend is continuing at LSU.

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LSU offers 4-star safety from Jacksonville, Florida

Simeon Caldwell has received no crystal ball projections, but Notre Dame is a 27% favorite to land him per On3.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] and his recruiting staff traveled to Jacksonville, Florida, to extend a scholarship offer to a 2026 safety.

[autotag]Simeon Caldwell[/autotag] is a 6-foot-3, 185-pound, four-star safety from Jacksonville where he plays for Bolles High School. The Bolles Bulldogs are 6-1 this season after a win over Andrew Jackson last Friday night.

Caldwell has received no crystal ball projections, but Notre Dame is a 27% favorite to land him per On3.

Ratings

Stars National Position State
247 4 97 5 12
Rivals 4 199 12 33
ESPN 4 28 4 4
On3 4 48 4 9
247 Composite 4 81 6 12

Vitals

Hometown Jacksonville, Florida
Position S
Height 6’3
Weight 185
Class 2026

Recruitment

  • Offered on October 9, 2024
  • No visits yet

Offers

Recruitment Projections

  • Notre Dame is a 27% favorite per On3.
  • There are no crystal ball projections at this time.

Twitter

https://twitter.com/Sim_C24/status/1844215174183752081

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Five-star EDGE says the Swamp was ‘real loud’ in visit with Florida

One of the highest ranked EDGE prospects in college football has a great first visit with the Gators.

Five-star EDGE Anthony Jones in the 2026 cycle visited Gainesville and watched Florida football defeat the UCF Knights, 24-13, in the Swamp last weekend.

Jones, a prospect out of St. Paul’s Episcopal School in Mobile, Alabama, and the second-ranked recruit in the state according to 247Sports, was pleased to see the Gators’ defense perform well against the Knights.

“It was great to see the home team get the win,” Jones told Swamp247 after the game. “I haven’t been to a lot of home games this year that the team I was visiting got the win. It was great to see their D-line getting in the backfield and all the blitzing they were running. It was great to see, and I could definitely see myself fitting into one of those spots on the D-line.”

Jones also credited the fans at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium for bringing the energy.

“It was crazy in there. Real loud,” Jones said. “That is what you expect The Swamp to sound like for sure.”

Jones met some of the Florida coaches in person for the first time during his visit.

“I’ve never met them in person, so I got to do that while I was here,” Jones said. “It was good to put a face to the name, and start building a relationship.”

Jones went on to say, “They want me to come back for another game, and build a relationship. I was with coach (Larry) Williams, coach (Cannon) Gibbs, talked with coach (Billy) Napier, and was around coach Mike P (Peterson). It was a good time around all them, and meet all of them for the first time. Good conversations.”

Jones says the Gators are among several of his other top schools on his list, but it’s still early to tell.

“They’re up there, but I got to come back for more visits. So I can actually get real comfortable with everyone and the school more,” Jones said about Florida.

Jones has other football program visits on his schedule such as the Texas Longhorns, Florida State Seminoles and Alabama Crimson Tide. But the five-star prospect did say that he wants to try and come back for another Florida game later this season.

“I got Texas for the Georgia game, I got Miami vs. Florida State, probably Alabama vs LSU, and I think I want to try and get to Oregon,” Jones said about his scheduled visits. “I want to try and get back for another Florida game later this season. Maybe the LSU game or something like that, but not sure just yet. I want to though.”

Up next for the Gators

Florida travels on the road to Knoxville to play the Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday, Oct. 12. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ESPN.

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LSU offers 4-star wide receiver from Knoxville, Tennessee

The Tigers are looking to steal a 2026 wideout from Tennessee’s backyard.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] and his recruiting staff traveled to Picayune, Mississippi, to extend a scholarship offer to a 2026 defensive lineman.

[autotag]Tyreek King[/autotag] is a 6-foot, 165-pound, four-star wide receiver from Knoxville where he plays for Knoxville Catholic High School. The Knoxville Catholic is 3-3 this season after a loss to Montgomery Bell Academy last Friday.

King has received no crystal ball projections, but Tennessee is a 51% favorite to land him per On3.

Ratings

Stars National Position State
247 3 – 44 6
Rivals 4 94 19 3
ESPN 4 166 29 3
On3 3 272 40 9
247 Composite 4 183 31 6

Vitals

Hometown Knoxville, Tennessee
Position WR
Height 6’0
Weight 165
Class 2026

Recruitment

  • Offered on September 27, 2024
  • No visits yet

Offers

Recruitment Projections

  • Tennessee is a 51% favorite per On3.
  • There are no crystal ball projections at this time.

Twitter

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LSU offers 3-star defensive lineman from Indianapolis

JJ Finch has received no crystal ball projections, but Wisconsin is a  65% favorite to land him per On3.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] and his recruiting staff traveled to Indianapolis to extend a scholarship offer to a three-star defensive lineman.

[autotag]JJ Finch[/autotag] is a 6-foot-3, 260-pound, three-star defensive lineman from Indianapolis where he plays for Warren Central High School. The Warren Central Warriors are 6-1 this season after a loss to Lawrence North last Friday.

Finch has received no crystal ball projections, but Wisconsin is a 65% favorite to land him per On3.

Ratings

Stars National Position State
247 3 – 47 1
Rivals 3 – 23 1
ESPN – – – –
On3 3 – 25 1
247 Composite 3 455 40 1

Vitals

Hometown Indianapolis, Indiana
Position DL
Height 6’3
Weight 260
Class 2026

Recruitment

  • Offered on October 5th, 2024
  • No visits yet

Offers

Recruitment Projections

  • Wisconsin is a 65% favorite per On3.
  • There are no crystal ball projections at this time.

Twitter

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

LSU offers 4-star athlete from Billings, Montana

Matt Ludwig has received crystal ball projections to play at Nebraska.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] and his recruiting staff traveled to Billings, Montana, to extend a scholarship offer to a four-star Athlete.

[autotag]Matt Ludwig[/autotag] is a 6-foot-4, 230-pound, four-star Athlete from Billings where he plays for Billings West High School. The Billings West Golden Bears are 5-0 this season after beating Skyview last Friday night.

Ludwig has received crystal ball projections to play at Nebraska and the Cornhuskers are a 95% favorite to land him per On3.

Ratings

Stars National Position State
247 3 – 21 1
Rivals 4 – 18 –
ESPN 4 254 21 1
On3 3 200 15 1
247 Composite 4 251 16 1

Vitals

Hometown Billings, Montana
Position ATH
Height 6’4
Weight 230
Class 2026

Recruitment

  • Offered on September 30, 2024
  • No visits yet

Offers

Recruitment Projections

  • Nebraska is a 95% favorite per On3.
  • There are crystal ball projections for Nebraska.

Twitter

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Florida enters race for UNC defensive back commit

Florida already has one recruit under commitment from First Academy in Orlando, and now the Gators are pursuing defensive back Danny Odem.

Florida offered First Academy (Orlando) cornerback [autotag]Danny Odem[/autotag] this week, according to Swamp247’s Blake Alderman.

The Gators already have one First Academy defensive back under commitment, three-star safety Devin Jackson, and secondary coach Will Harris extended the offer after visiting the in-state program on Monday.

“This was really a surprise and out of nowhere,” Odem said. “That was my first time seeing him, and later in the day, it was my first time talking to him on the phone. It was a great talk with him. Looking forward to going up there for a visit.”

Odem committed to the University of North Carolina earlier this month, but an SEC offer is a game-changer for a relatively unknown recruit more than a year out from the class of 2026 signing period.

Harris and Jackson have been trying to get Odem to Gainesville for a visit, and he’s now planning on attending Florida’s Week 5 matchup against UCF.

“I’ve been up there once before in the summer with my team for a tour, but I want to go see more,” he said. “I want to get up there and get to know the coaches a little better. Stuff like that.”

Recruiting Summary

Odem hasn’t earned a grade from 247Sports or On3 yet, but ESPN and Rivals both list him as a three-star talent. He’s ranked No. 292 overall on the ESPN 300 and is No. 44 among receivers in the class of 2026.

The On3 recruiting prediction machine favors North Carolina to sign Odem by 83% because of the commitment, but Florida joining the race could change those odds. Jacksonville State (6.6%), Ole Miss (5.7%) and UCF (4.7%) are the other teams in the hunt.

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No. 1 2026 prospect visiting for LSU’s Week 4 contest against UCLA

Jahkeem Stewart is back in Baton Rouge for LSU’s Week 4 matchup.

The top overall prospect in the 2026 recruiting class hails from the state of Louisiana, and LSU is certainly taking advantage of its proximity.

Five-star New Orleans defensive lineman [autotag]Jahkeem Stewart[/autotag], the top player in next year’s class according to On3, Rivals and ESPN, is on campus once again for the Tigers’ Week 4 contest against UCLA in Death Valley.

Stewart began his high school career at St. Augustine but transferred to Edna Karr ahead of his senior season. LSU is a heavy favorite to land the elite 6-foot-6, 270-pound in-state prospect according to the On3 recruiting prediction machine.

There are no crystal ball projections at the moment from 247Sports while Texas leads Rivals’ forecast.

LSU’s 2026 class currently features four players, two of which rank in the top 150 nationally, and is the No. 6 class in the nation per 247Sports.

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