Tag: 2026 Football Recruiting

Blue-chip 2026 quarterback recruit details visit with Gators this week

Billy Napier and his army of coaches continue to grind away on the college football recruiting trail in search of the best the nation has to offer from the prep ranks. Much of the focus of late has been on the 2025 class but Florida has not been …

Billy Napier and his army of coaches continue to grind away on the college football recruiting trail in search of the best the nation has to offer from the prep ranks. Much of the focus of late has been on the 2025 class but Florida has not been neglecting the following cycle either.

One of the top quarterbacks among the sophomore high school ranks is four-star passer Brady Hart from Cocoa (Florida) in the 2026 class. The 6-foot-4-180-pound signal-caller recently made a two-day visit to Gainesville and came away with a much better understanding of where he stands with the program early in his recruitment.

Hart spoke with Swamp247’s Blake Alderman after the visit and provided the following details.

“So I got in on Thursday and flew from South Bend right to the Gainesville airport at like 11:30 and went right straight to the facilities,” Hart told Swamp247. “I met with Coach (Ryan) O’Hara for a while, and just walked around and talked with him. He introduced himself to my dad, and then we got to tour the facilities.

“Talked with the nutritionist, strength and conditioning coach, and then went to quarterback meetings, team meetings, and then went to practice. I was on O’Hara and Coach (Billy) Napier’s hip the whole time at practice following them around. They would walk me through their plays and tell me the read before they called them. It was pretty sweet seeing the whole script.

“Got some time to talk with Napier after practice, and we got to really get to know him on a personal level. My dad enjoyed it a lot, and Coach Napier basically told us he wants us to be there and to be the quarterback in this class. That was surreal because it’s like a dream come true for me.”

“Friday was more on an in-depth meeting with Coach O’Hara. We talked about quarterback development and watched a lot of my film, and their film. It was sort of spliced together to show how I would fit into the system. I thought it was awesome, and a really cool experience. Seeing Coach O’Hara talk about all the different situations and plays. We run a similar system at my school that Florida does.”

“I thought it was really awesome to get to pick their brain about the game. They would challenge me too and my knowledge of the game. It was just awesome. I think it also spoke to their knowledge by seeing how guys like DJ [Lagway] and Graham [Mertz] have grown in their game from being there. It was cool to learn from them, and take little things from each of these visits to use in my game and push myself. You want to be valued, and get in-depth coaching, and they do that at Florida.”

“It was definitely a valued visit that I enjoyed a lot,” he said of the UF visit. “I am just going to keep going on these next couple of visits, and soak everything in. We are going to go back for another round of visits probably. Get like a top three, four, or five schools that we are really serious about, and then go back again. Then make the decision.”

“They definitely answered that question I had for them,” he said. “Really important to see that they are serious about me. Real cool visit. We are going to see these next several weeks. We are going to see if the effort put in. We are going to see how things build and where I stand on their board.”

Hart is ranked No. 110 overall and No. 9 at his position nationally according to the On3 industry ranking while Rivals has him rated at Nos. 49 and 4, respectively. On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine gives the Notre Dame Fighting Irish an overwhelming 95.3% chance of signing him, followed by Florida (1.4%) and the Miami Hurricanes (1.2%).

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LSU makes top 12 for 4-star 2026 cornerback from Georgia

Georgia is a 20% favorite to land Dorian Barney per On3.

One of the top cornerbacks in the 2026 recruiting class has narrowed his list of finalists down to 12 schools. Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers have made the list.

LSU joins Alabama, Ohio State, Florida State, Oklahoma, Clemson, Colorado, Georgia, Tennessee, Notre Dame, USC and South Carolina in the running for a four-star cornerback from Suwanee, Georgia.

[autotag]Dorian Barney[/autotag] is a 6-foot-1, 170-pound, four-star cornerback from Suwanee, Georgia, where he plays for Peachtree Ridge High School. The Peachtree Ridge Lions finished the 2023 season 10-2 with a loss to Mill Creek in the second round of the GHSA 7A playoffs.

There are currently no Crystal Ball projections for Barney but Georgia is a 20% favorite to land him per On3. The LSU Recruiting class for 2026 currently does not have any commitments as Kelly and his staff are focused on trying to bring in one of the best classes in history for the 2025 recruiting class.

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Gators ‘will definitely be’ in top 5 for this 2026 5-star safety

There is still a lot of time remaining on this recruit’s clock but the Gators are making inroads with one of the best safeties in the prep ranks.

Florida football’s recruiting focus in recent weeks has primarily been on the 2025 cycle but Billy Napier and Co. are also working hard on the following class as well.

Five-star safety [autotag]Zelus Hicks[/autotag] out of Carrollton (Georgia) in the 2026 cycle wrapped up his second trip to the Swamp on Tuesday to get another look at what the Orange and Blue have to offer. The 6-foot-1.5-inch, 180-pound defensive back had previously visited for the Vanderbilt game in 2023 when he received his scholarship offer from the University of Florida.

“It was great getting to see and talk with the coaches again,” Hicks told Swamp247. “We had some good talks, and I got to see the facilities they have there with my family this time.”

Acclimating with a new coach

This time around, there was a coaching change for him to adjust to after secondary coach Will Harris took over for Corey Raymond during the offseason.

“I thought it really smooth talking with (Harris),” Hicks begins. “We talked about defense a little bit. He was telling me some of the ways he would want to use me if I were to go there. He saw me fitting in the same way a lot of coaches have said they want to use me. He saw that I am really versatile in the secondary. He said he really likes how I can tackle, how I cover a lot of ground, and how I am a ballhawk. He wants to use me all over the field basically.”

Hicks’ overall thoughts on Florida

“I just like the environment at Florida,” he noted. “It’s great there, and my family likes it. The coaching staff is great, and I can tell they all have good wisdom on the game. They have some coaches who have experience with the NFL, like their strength coaches and Coach Harris. That is all appealing to me.”

Hicks also offered that he thinks the Gators “will definitely be in my top five.”

Recruiting summary

Hicks is rated at five stars and ranked No. 12 overall and No. 2 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking rates him at four stars and has him at Nos. 17 and 2, respectively.

On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine has the Auburn Tigers on top of his recruitment with an 81.8% chance of signing him, followed by the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (4.7%), Georgia Bulldogs (3.0%) and Florida (1.7%).

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Gators offered this 2026 blue-chip offensive lineman last weekend

Saturday was a big day for this high school sophomore standout.

Florida football hosted a handful of prep prospects this past weekend as the program held its first team scrimmage of the spring season. Representatives from multiple recruiting classes were on hand to witness the early practice game, including one big name in the 2026 cycle.

Four-star offensive tackle [autotag]Johnnie Jones[/autotag] out of Tampa (Florida) Berkeley Prep was on hand Saturday to get a gander at what the Gators are currently up to. The 6-foot-6-inch, 260-pound lineman was not only able to acclimate with the staff and get more familiar with the campus during his stay, but he also received a scholarship offer from the Orange and Blue.

“It means a lot,” Jones told 247Sports’ Donavon Keiser of the offer. “I’m from Florida, and I got some loved ones that go here and some teammates that have gone here.”

Talking with the coaching staff

“Coach (Rob) Sale and all the O-line coaches,” were the members of the program he spent the most time with. “They’re great coaches, and they know what they are doing. It’s important that I see with them, that all the time they are with their guys. They’re not all over the place. They are specifically with their guys.”

And there is more to it than just those coaches on the football field.

“Just the overall aspect of the school part. What they focus on the most with their players, and making sure that once they are done here, they’re successful in life.”

Taking in the team’s scrimmage

“It was amazing,” Jones gushed. “It was contact, it was everything I liked seeing. (Damieon George) stood out. He moved from right tackle to guard this year. He was able to move on his feet lightly, and make sure there was paths for the running back. Right before they went to the scrimmage, they did one-on-ones. Just them dominating and not letting the quarterback get touched.”

Recruiting summary

Jones is rated four stars and ranked No. 214 overall and No. 18 at his position nationally according to the On3 industry ranking while Rivals has him rated at three stars and ranked No. 34 at his position nationally; the 247Sports composite has no data for him yet.

On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine gives the Gators a strong 72.7% chance of landing Jones early on, followed by the UCF Knights (5.8%), Florida Atlantic Owls (5.0%) and Tulsa Golden Hurricanes (4.1%).

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Gators making early impressions on blue-chip defensive back

The Gators got this four-star in-state DB on campus recently, and he enjoyed what he saw.

The Florida Gators are preparing for the upcoming Orange and Blue game on April 13 and during the team’s spring practice sessions there’s usually a plethora of highly touted recruits from the 2025 recruiting cycle.

Although there’s actually one member in the class of 2026 who’s doing his best to make an early impression with the Gators while the program is also making early strides in recruiting the young prospect.

Four-star defensive back Jaelen Waters out of Seffner (Florida) Armwood paid a visit to Gainesville this past Monday and spoke with Swamp247 about his most recent trip to the Swamp on Monday.

“I got to see how they do some drills and how they take certain angles, and what some of the coverages look like in their defense,” Waters said. “Just seeing some of the things they work on was good to see. I couldn’t get to see their actual practice, so it was good to see some of the things they had been working on.”

Recruiting profile

Waters is ranked No. 166 overall and No. 14 at his position nationally according to the On3 industry ranking while Rivals has him at Nos. 196 and 17, respectively. On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine gives the Gators a 68.7% chance of signing him, followed by the South Florida Bulls (1.9%), Central Florida Knights (1.7%) and Florida State Seminoles (1.4%).

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Elite 2026 QB from West Coast touring several Florida schools

The Florida Gators will be the first of the Sunshine State Big 3 to host Brady Smigiel as the four-star quarterback tours the state.

The University of Florida will be the first stop on a tour of the Sunshine State Big 3 this week for Newbury Park (California) quarterback [autotag]Brady Smigiel[/autotag], according to Greg Biggins of Swamp247.

The West Coast native will spend his spring break as many do, in Florida, but he’ll be on a stricter itinerary than most. Smigiel is in Gainesville on Friday, Miami on Easter Sunday and the week ends in Tallahassee at Florida State on April 5.

“I’m very excited,” Smigiel said. “With the Florida schools, the timing works out really well and I have good connections at all three schools. With Florida, our DC here is Ron Wilford and his son CJ is an assistant coach there so I’m excited to get out there and catch up with everyone.

Smigiel is still a sophomore, but quarterbacks are the first to go in each recruiting class and he has his pick. Washington will host him on an unofficial April 19, and he’ll hit the top of the Big Ten — Michigan and Ohio State — over June 18-20.

“Right now, I’m still very open to everyone and not leaning anywhere,” he said. “I’m staying patient and don’t want to commit too early because I don’t want to be that guy who commits, then de-commits and goes through it all over again. I’ll narrow things down before my junior year but right now, I’m still wide open.”

Recruiting Summary

The Oregon Ducks are at the top of the On3 recruiting prediction machine for Smigiel, with 30.5% odds of landing a commitment from him. Oregon State (14.0%), Notre Dame (12.0%) and Michigan (10.0%) round out the rest of the top four, but things are subject to change after this Florida tour ends.

Smiegel is ranked as high as fourth overall in the class of 2026 by Rivals.com — where he’s also a five-star recruit — but 247Sports has him as a four-star at No. 47 on the composite rankings.

What’s clear is that he’s among the top quarterbacks in his age group right now. The star rating business will sort itself out long after Billy Napier completes his evaluation.

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Gators among top-2 schools for blue-chip defensive line prospect

Florida is high on the list for this coveted NOLA product in the 2026 cycle.

Billy Napier and Co. have been grinding away at the college football recruiting front since the re-opening of the contact period and the program has its sights set not just on the upcoming 2025 cycle, but also on the following class in 2026.

Among those in the latter category is four-star defensive lineman [autotag]Richard Anderson[/autotag] out of New Orleans (Louisiana) Edna Karr. The 6-foot-3.5-inch, 325-pound trench warrior recently revealed his top teams to Gators Online, which included the Florida Gators.

“It’s LSU and then the University of Florida,” Anderson offered after his recent trip to see the Orange and Blue in Gainesville on Tuesday.

Campus visit highlights

“I liked everything about the visit, like, the dorms, the people and coaches. They really fit a lot (in my recruitment),” Anderson said.

The coaching staff was certainly one of the major highlights.

“I loved the energy and love being coached by a group of guys who are going to show me love on and off the field, and they were showing that. I love the energy and they put in the work, so it’s a great fit.”

In particular, running backs coach Jabbar Juluke and defensive line coach Gerald Chatman stood out to the high school sophomore.

“Coach Juluke, he’s a great man and from New Orleans, so he was showing a lot of love. His message to me was to just enjoy the process and enjoy everything,” he noted.

“Coach Chatman was real and I loved his energy. It would be nice to be coached by him.”

Recruiting rankings

Anderson is ranked No. 139 overall and No. 14 at his position nationally according to the On3 industry rankings while Rivals has him at Nos. 160 and 13, respectively. LSU has a 98.1% chance of signing him according to On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine.

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Blue-chip 2026 QB recruit plans return visit to Florida after ‘great’ trip

After receiving an offer last week, this coveted QB prospect is looking to get back to Gainesville soon.

The recruiting frenzy continues for Florida football after things opened back up with the current contact period and the Gators have wasted no time getting back into the swing of things.

Last Friday, Billy Napier and Co. extended a scholarship offer to four-star quarterback [autotag]Brodie McWhorter[/autotag] out of Kingston (Georgia) Cass in the 2026 cycle after his visit to the Swamp. The 6-foot-1-inch, 190-pound passer came away very impressed with what the Orange and Blue had to offer.

“What stood out most was the love shown from every single coach. They were definitely making me feel like a top priority while I was there,” he told Gators Online. In particular, it was Napier and offensive analyst Ryan O’Hara who stood out the most.

“My talks with coach Napier and coach O’Hara were great,” McWhorter noted. “What’s special about Florida is coach Napier played quarterback at the highest level, so he has done this and been in my shoes before. The main message from him was just to keep doing what I was doing. He said me and (Graham) Mertz‘s game are very similar, so that’s what makes it awesome with me.”

As far as getting back to Gainesville, it appears he has an open invitation to return.

“They told me I could visit any time I wanted,” said McWhorter. “I might go back for the spring game, but I’m not sure what my schedule is looking like.”

Recruiting summary

McWhorter is unrated and unranked by the 247Sports composite but the On3 industry ranking has him at No. 229 overall nationally and No. 20 at his position; Rivals has him at Nos. 100 and 7, respectively.

On3s Recruiting Prediction Machine has the Georgia Bulldogs out front with a narrow 24.8% chance of landing him, followed by the Florida State Seminoles (21.7%), Mississippi State (12.6%) and South Florida (10.5%).

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Elite 2026 safety sets return trip to Florida, names Gators a top school

This 2026 standout will be stopping in Gainesville the first week of April.

Florida football’s recruiting efforts are back in high gear now that the contact period has re-opened, and while the sights have been generally set on the 2025 cycle, Billy Napier and Co. are also looking ahead to the following class as well.

One of the young student-athletes the Gators have their eyes on is four-star safety [autotag]Kaiden Hall[/autotag] out of Milton (Florida) in the 2026 cycle. The 6-foot-3-inch, 175-pound defensive back revealed his plans for a return visit to see the Orange and Blue last week to Gators Online.

“I’m planning on getting back (to Florida) on April 6,” he said last Monday, ostensibly to get a gander at the program’s spring practice. Hall had last visited campus back in January.

“This visit was probably more of an inside look,” Hall said following that stop. “I got more details on how it’s run and all that. I was really impressed with it; it was a pretty good visit. I got to connect with the coaches a lot and learn a lot about the academics.”

The sophomore standout also noted that the Gators were among his top two schools under consideration.

“Probably Florida and Mississippi State are at the top right now.”

Hall is ranked No. 43 overall and No. 4 at his position nationally according to the On3 industry ranking while Rivals has him at Nos. 249 and 21, respectively. On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine gives the Gators a 60.3% chance of landing him, followed by the Auburn Tigers (18.7%), Florida State Seminoles (16.1%) and Mississippi State Bulldogs (1.2%).

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LSU receives RPM prediction for the No. 1 recruit in the 2026 class

The No. 1 player in the 2026 recruiting class has recently received a projection to commit to LSU.

The No. 1 player in the 2026 recruiting class has recently received a projection via the On3 Ratings Prediction Machine to commit to LSU. Billy Embody has projected [autotag]Jahkeem Stewart[/autotag] to commit to LSU at a confidence level of 75%.

Stewart is a 6-foot-6, 270-pound, four-star defensive lineman from New Orleans where he plays for St. Augustine High School. The St. Augustine Purple Knights finished the 2023 season with a 4-8 record and a loss to John Curtis Christian in the second round of the playoffs.

Stewart finished the season with 85 tackles, 20 sacks, 33 tackles for loss, and six forced fumbles. His nickname is “Thanos.” He hasn’t received any Crystal Ball projections on 247Sports but LSU is a 93% favorite to land him per On3.

LSU’s [autotag]2026 recruiting class[/autotag] currently does not have any commitments. The kids in that class are going into their Junior season next fall so they have a little bit of time to figure out where they want to go.

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