Tag: 2026 Football Recruiting

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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Florida among top schools for 5-star 2026 in-state wide receiver

This five-star South Florida talent would look great wearing orange and Blue.

Things have been a bit quiet on the college football recruiting front as of late but Billy Napier and the Florida Gators continue their never-ending grind at the prep prospect millstone.

Back in January when the program was holding one of its junior day events, one of the top pass-catching prospects in the 2026 cycle paid a visit to the Swamp. Five-star wide receiver [autotag]Jabari Brady[/autotag] out of Hollywood (Florida) Chaminade-Madonna stopped in to see what the Orange and Blue is currently cooking in one of many trips to Gainesville during the young student-athlete’s recruitment.

It appears that the 6-foot-12-inch, 190-pound high school sophomore is happy with what Napier and Co. have to offer based on his most recent visit.

“It was good going back there,” Brady told Swamp247. “Especially being around Coach (Billy) Gonzales, Coach Doek (David Doeker) and Coach (Billy) Napier. They show a lot of love to me, especially me being from Florida. They are showing a lot of love, and trying to get me to stay down here.”

As far as where the Orange and Blue stands in his recruitment, he has the school ranked high based on what it has to offer on and off the field.

“My interest is they are one of the schools at the top of my list. They really talk about things outside of football. Talk about the degree you get, scholarships you can get and things you can get away from football,” he noted.

“They are really up there for sure. I know the football side will be taken care of, but making sure that you can get all you want to get out of a school, and not just all you can get from a football team.”

Brady is ranked No. 14 overall and No. 2 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking has him at Nos. 19 and 2, respectively. On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine has the Florida State Seminoles out front with a 25.2% chance of signing him, followed by the Ohio State Buckeyes (22.1%), Miami Hurricanes (9.9%) and Florida (8.3%).

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LSU offers 2026 quarterback from San Marcos, California

UCF is a 70% favorite to land him per On3.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] and his recruiting staff took a trip to southern California to extend an offer to one of the best quarterbacks in the 2026 recruiting class. To land him, they’ll have to pull him away from UCF.

[autotag]Troy Huhn[/autotag] is a 6-foot-3, 195-pound quarterback from San Marco, California, where he plays for Mission Hills High School. The Mission Hills Grizzlies finished the 2023 season 9-4 with a loss to St. Augustine in the Division I state championship game.

Huhn does not currently have any Crystal Ball projections at this time but UCF is a 70% favorite to land him per On3.

Film Analysis: Huhn is a quarterback who can make any throw on the field. He is not well known yet but he will be soon.

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LSU offers 2026 offensive tackle from Tampa

Florida is a 62% favorite to land Canon Pickett per On3.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] and his recruiting staff took a trip to Florida to extend a scholarship offer to an offensive tackle in the 2026 recruiting class. The Tigers will have to fight off Billy Napier and the Gators if they want to land him.

[autotag]Canon Pickett[/autotag] is a 6-foot-4, 280-pound offensive tackle from Tampa where he plays for Wharton High School. The Wharton Wildcats finished the 2023 season 6-5 with a loss to Armwood in the first round of the 3 M state playoffs.

There are no Crystal Ball projections at this time but Florida is a 62% favorite to land him per On3.

Film Analysis: Pickett is a left tackle who is not afraid of working up to the second and third level to make pancake blocks.

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LSU offers 2026 four-star auarterback from Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Miami is a 22% favorite to land Dia Bell per On3.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] and his recruiting staff took a trip to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to extend a scholarship offer to one of the best quarterbacks in the 2026 recruiting class. They will have to fight off Miami to get him though.

[autotag]Dia Bell[/autotag] is a 6-foot-1, 185-pound, four-star quarterback from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he plays for American Heritage High School. The American Heritage Patriots finished the 2023 season 10-2 with a loss to Berkeley Prep in the 2 M state semifinals.

There are no crystal ball projections at this time for Bell but Miami is a 22% favorite to land him per On3.

Film Analysis: Bell is a kid who has a cannon for an arm and can make all the throws needed to win a ball game for you.

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