Tag: 2026 Football Recruiting

LSU offers 4-star tight end from Jacksonville

There are currently no Crystal Ball projections at this time for Corbyn Fordham but NC State is a 58% favorite to land him per On3.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] is working on bolstering his recruiting class for 2026. That search has led him to Jacksonville, Florida, where he has found a very talented tight end.

[autotag]Corbyn Fordham[/autotag] is a 6-foot-4, 205-pound, four-star tight end who plays for The Bolles School. The Bolles Bulldogs finished the 2023 season 8-6 with a loss to Norland in the 2M state semifinals.

There are currently no Crystal Ball projections at this time for Fordham but NC State is a 58% favorite to land him per On3.

Film Analysis: Fordham is a player that can do it all. There are a lot of tight ends that can either catch well or block well but can’t do both. Fordham can do both with ease.

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In-state 2026 DB recruit strongly favors Florida after recent visit

It’s still early for this 2026 defensive back prospect but he certainly has eyes for the Gators.

Billy Napier and Co. were busy last weekend for the opening of the college football recruiting contact period. The first junior day of the calendar year was an important one for Florida as the program continues to search for the best prop prospects to fit in the Swamp’s scheme – even when the recruit is in a different class.

One of the emerging student-athletes that paid a visit to Gainesville was 2026 defensive back [autotag]Jaelen Waters[/autotag] out of Seffner (Florida) Armwood. The 6-foot-2-inch, 170-pound high school sophomore has made the trek up I-75 in the past but his most recent stop gave him a better opportunity to get intimate with the school.

“My time was good,” Waters told Swamp247. “I talked with Coach Will [Harris] and talked to most of the other coaches there actually. I got to sit down with Coach Napier, and have a long conversation with him and Coach Harris.

“They were both just telling me to stay humble though the process,” he added. “They were amazed at the things I did this past year, and me going from having no film to where I am now in a year.”

His relationship with Harris has been a very positive one thanks to the coach’s hard work on the road. The nascent defensive backs coach paid a visit to Waters’ high school the first chance he got and it appears to be paying off after meeting again on campus.

“He gives me like a father figure type of vibe,” Waters noted. “He is going to keep me on track, and he said he’s going to be back by my school again this week coming up. He’s going to keep me on track, and always check in on me.”

But there is more to the relationship than just sports.

“It’s not all about football with him,” he continued. “Outside of football, he wants to be there for me to prepare me as a man. He’s going to take care of me and be that father figure type on top of being a coach. He would be my position coach, so I would need that if I do end up going there.”

The University of Florida also has the edge on the family side as well.

“My dad is like a big Florida fan, so I have been catching up on Florida since I was young. I ain’t going to lie,” Waters admitted.

“Since I just got home from the visit, they are looking like the first school for me. Like they are number one. I am feeling the school, and feeling the coaches. I know I am not going to be someone who commits to a coach. I am someone who is going to commit to a school.”

Water is unrated and unranked by all of the major scouting outlets. On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine gives the Gators a commanding 67.2% chance of signing him early on, followed by the USF Bulls (5.3%), Jackson State Tigers (4.6%) and Ole Miss Rebels (3.8%).

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Blue-chip 2026 quarterback eyes spring visit with Florida football

It’s still early but the Gators are garnering interest from this 4-star Lone Star State gunslinger.

The attention of late has been focused on the college football transfer portal and the 2025 recruiting cycle, but Billy Napier and Co. are constantly looking ahead further into the future as well.

One member of the 2026 class, four-star quarterback [autotag]Romin Seymour[/autotag] out of Missouri City (Texas) Ridge Point, is already eyeing the Swamp as a potential collegiate destination. The towering 6-foot-5-inch, 175-pound high school sophomore recently told Swamp247 of his interest in the Orange and Blue.

However, there is a bit of a catch as he is a legacy with the Florida State Seminoles through his father Roland Seymour, who played in Tallahassee back in the 1990s. Still, he has expressed interest in both of the state’s top public schools.

“FSU and Florida,” he said. “Those are the two biggest ones in Florida right now.”

The Texas Longhorns are another program giving the Gators a run for their money, having the hometown advantage as Seymour grew up in the Lone Star State. He would eventually lean toward his father’s alma mater over time.

“Growing up I was more of a Texas guy because that’s where my mom and both of her sisters and my uncle went to school,” he noted. “Then I strayed away from it when they were in a rough patch. That’s when I became more of an FSU fan.”

As far as his visit schedule this coming spring is concerned, he does not have any concrete plans yet but plans on visiting Texas as well as Florida and FSU.

Seymour is ranked No. 94 overall and No. 9 at his position nationally according to 247Sports — the only recruiting resource that has graded him so far. On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine has the Houston Cougars on top with a 29.7% chance of signing him early on, followed by the Texas A&M Aggies (26.0%), Florida State Seminoles (22.3%) and Florida (18.6%).

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Class of 2026 QB recruit calls Florida his ‘dream school’

Florida is joining the recruiting race for one of the top quarterbacks in the class of 2026 — four-star, in-state prospect Noah Grubbs.

Lake Mary High quarterback [autotag]Noah Grubbs[/autotag] was in Gainesville to visit the Florida Gators on Saturday, and the class of 2026 signal-caller left town with an offer in hand.

Although most schools are just starting to push with the class of 2025, elite quarterbacks operate on a different recruiting schedule. Grubbs is ranked No. 33 overall in the class of 2026 by Rivals, and 247Sports director of recruiting Steve Wiltfong described him as “one of the more sought-after passers in the country.”

Wiltfong spoke with Grubbs after the visit and learned that UF has been on his list for some time.

“That was my childhood dream school,” Grubbs told Wiltfong. “I grew up a Gator fan so this is a big deal for me! I feel like Coach Napier really trusts his process for recruiting quarterbacks and I know they took some time before they offered but now I feel like I’m their guy!”

Florida isn’t the only SEC team in this race, though. Arkansas, Auburn, Ole Miss and Texas A&M have offered. The Gators will also have to beat out Michigan, which is coming off a national championship.

Grubbs also sat down with On3’s Keith Niebuhr to expand on the visit.

“My visit was a 10 out of 10,” he said. “It was strictly a business trip for my family and I. I’ve been up to Gainesville multiple times at camps … This was all about me wanting to know where I stood with them in my recruitment process. Because this is the one school I really wanted and Coach (Ryan) O’Hara and (Coach Billy) Napier let me know that answer fairly quickly today when Coach Napier offered me once I stepped into his office.”

Grubbs confirmed that he plans to return to Florida in the spring. He’ll be in town for the Orange and Blue Game and for a few summer camps.

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Gators hosting trio of 2026 QB prospects for first junior day of 2024

Among the visitors expected to be in attendance this weekend is a trio of Sunshine State quarterbacks in the 2026 recruiting cycle.

Florida football is hosting its first junior day event of the 2024 calendar year on Saturday, Jan. 13, in Gainesville as Billy Napier and Co. look ahead to the coming one of the upcoming recruiting classes.

Among the visitors expected to be in attendance this weekend is a trio of Sunshine State quarterbacks in the 2026 recruiting cycle. None have earned a rating according to 247Sports but all are coveted passers in their class.

Firstly, there is Tampa Bay Tech’s [autotag]Logan Rogers[/autotag], a 6-foot-2-inch, 190-pound junior who is the only one of the three to currently hold a scholarship offer from the Gators. He has visited campus numerous times, including a trip back in August before the regular season began.

“It was great,” Rogers told Swamp247. “The coaches were great. Loved it. It was like a great, competitive atmosphere. Great bonding with everyone and a great event. It’s great getting into the recruiting process early. Just being in the facility and getting to know the coaches better.”

Next is Cocoa High’s [autotag]Brady Hart[/autotag], a 6-foot-4-inch, 185-pound signal caller from the opposite coast. He is the son of former Florida pitcher Alex Hart, who played for the Orange and Blue from 1999-2002 and was a fifth-round pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2002 MLB draft.

Finally, there is Lake Mary High’s [autotag]Noah Grubbs[/autotag], a 6-foot-4-inch, 205-pound prospect from right in between the other two who has stopped in Gainesville twice as a recruit. He put up a 10-2 record in 2023, tossing for 3,670 yards at a 58.7% clip plus 49 touchdowns versus 10 interceptions.

Napier’s staff also expects to get another in-state quarterback — Tampa Jesuit High’s Will Griffin in town for a junior day sometime this offseason. Griffin is a four-star recruit in the 2026 class and is ranked No. 62 overall and No. 5 at his position, according to the 247Sports composite.

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Florida offers trio of IMG Academy defensive backs

Billy Napier’s recruiting staff is always looking for talent out of IMG Academy, and the new secondary coach has caught on to the trend quickly.

A day after Christmas, the Florida Gators presented an offer to IMG Academy cornerback Major Preston.

The class of 2025 defensive back took to Twitter after receiving the offer, tagging Florida’s new defensive backs coach Will Harris as well as head coach Bill Napier.

Florida isn’t the first SEC team to offer Preston, though. Ole Miss has already thrown its hat in the ring alongside Florida A&M, Georgia Tech, Liberty, Marshall and Virginia Tech, according to Swamp247.

“Coach Will, he had hit me up on messages, asking to get on the phone,” Preston said. “He called me, we had a great conversation, and he offered me.”

Harris has looked to establish a relationship with IMG Academy since touching down in Gainesville. He also offered two rising stars from the class of 2026 — Zechariah Fort and Ksani Jiles.

Preston and Jiles are both unranked right now on 247Sports, but Fort checks in at No. 20 nationally on the composite rankings. Harris is clearly looking to keep the in-state powerhouse as a pipeline for the Gators. Getting Preston on campus is the next step.

The plan is to get Preston in town during the spring, so he can get a feel for the program and school. It will be his first time in Gainesville and meeting the staff in person. No dates are penciled in just yet.

Preston has only made two visits so far during his recruitment — a trip to Blacksburg, Virginia to see Tech beat Pitt and a stop in Miami during the fall.

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LSU makes top six for five-star offensive lineman

LSU made the cut for a Baton Rouge native and one of the top players in the 2026 class.

The 2024 recruiting cycle isn’t entirely done, but work is already well under way on future cycles.

[autotag]Lamar Brown[/autotag], a Baton Rouge native, released his top six schools and LSU was lucky enough to make the cut.

Brown plays high school football in LSU’s backyard at University Lab, a place that’s given plenty of talent to LSU in the past.

According to the 247Sports Composite Rankings, Brown is a five-star and the fifth-best overall player in the 2026 class. 247Sports’ own rankings rate Brown as the best offensive tackle in his class.

It’s not exactly clear what position Brown will play at the college level yet, with On3 listing the prospect as an interior offensive lineman.

LSU will have some tough competition for this one as Brown’s recruitment heats up over the next couple of years. But LSU offensive line coach Brad Davis has proven to be an ace recruiter thus far, especially when it comes to linemen in the state of Louisiana.

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LSU offers 2026 defensive lineman from Georgia

Brian Kelly is working on beefing up the defensive line in the 2026 recruiting class.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] is working on beefing up the defensive line in the 2026 recruiting class. That search has led him to Buford, Georgia where he has found a guy who has not heated up on the recruiting trail yet, but it is only a matter of time.

[autotag]James Morrow[/autotag] is a 6-foot-4, 240-pound defensive lineman from Buford, Georgia where he plays for Buford High School. The Buford Wolves finished the 2023 season 11-2 with a loss to Grayson in the third round of the GHSA 7A playoffs.

There are currently no Crystal Hall projections at this time and there are no favorites to land him on On3.

Film Analysis: Morrow is a bully who puts his hand in the dirt and attacks with 100% on every play.

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LSU offers 5-star safety from Fort Lauderdale

The Tigers have already identified one of the top targets in the 2026 class.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] is working on recruiting for the 2026 class. That search has led his coaching staff to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where they found a five-star safety at one of the top high school football programs in the country.

[autotag]Justice Fitzpatrick[/autotag] is a 6-foot-1, 175-pound, five-star safety in the 2026 recruiting class. He is from Fort Lauderdale, Florida where he plays for St. Thomas Aquinas High School. The St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders are 13-1 this season and are preparing for a state championship game against Homestead.

There are currently no Crystal Ball projections for Fitzpatrick at this time but Miami is a 43% favorite to land him per On3.

Film Analysis: Fitzpatrick plays cornerback for the Raiders but he is projected to be a safety at the next level.

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LSU offers 2026 4-star athlete from Texas

LSU’s recruiting staff has taken a trip back to Duncanville, Texas, to offer another great athlete from Duncanville High School.

LSU’s recruiting staff has taken a trip back to Duncanville, Texas, to offer another great athlete from Duncanville High School. This time it is a four-star athlete in the 2026 recruiting class.

[autotag]Zachery Turner[/autotag] is a four-star, 6-foot-3, 210-pound athlete from Duncanville, Texas where he plays for Duncanville High School. The Duncanville Panthers are currently 12-1 this season and they are preparing for the state semifinal game against North Crowley this Friday.

There are currently no Crystal Ball projections for Turner at this time but the Baylor Bears are a 29% favorite to land him per On3.

Film Analysis: Turner is an athlete who can play either tight end or wide receiver at the next level.

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