Tag: 2026 Football Recruiting

Gators add 3rd 2026 football commitment from Central Florida safety

Gators football scored their 3rd coup of the 2026 cycle this week by adding 3-star safety Devin Jackson.

Billy Napier and Co. scored their third coup of the 2026 cycle this week with the addition of three-star safety [autotag]Devin Jackson[/autotag] out of Orlando (Florida) First Academy.

The 6-foot-1.5-inch, 195-pound defensive back earned an offer from Florida early on while still at Winter Garden (Florida) West Orange — the program he spent his first two years of high school with — and was able to attend every Gators home game in 2024 thanks to his proximity to Gainesville. He has since shifted over to an Orlando area private school for his junior campaign.

Jackson was on campus Wednesday to check in on Florida’s first fall practice ahead of the upcoming season and apparently what he saw was enough for him to give the Gators his verbal commitment.

On his relationship with Will Harris

“He’s someone I have a good relationship with,” Jackson told Swamp247 earlier in the year during one of their first meetings. “He’s really energetic and he likes what I can do on the field.”

What Jackson likes about Florida

“I like that it’s close to home, so it’s not hard to get there and back,” Jackson noted. “I love the facilities and how much love the fan base shows. They are live and electric. I liked how the coaches were around me and how they made me feel like I was at home.”

Connection to current Gators team

Jackson is connected to a pair of current Gators from Central Florida in [autotag]Ja’Keem Jackson[/autotag] and [autotag]Jordan Castell[/autotag]. The former is his cousin while the latter played for the Gators commit’s previous high school in Winter Garden.

“They said if I keep getting better than the rest of recruiting and football all takes care of itself. I really look up to those boys. I see wha they are doing, and I want to be great just like them.”

Jackson’s sophomore stats

At West Orange during his sophomore season, Jackson amassed 58 tackles — 27 solo and 31 assisted — while averaging 6.4 tackles per game and recording one tackle for a loss over nine appearances. He also defended a pair of passes and recovered a fumble during the 2023-24 campaign, according to MaxPreps.

Recruiting Summary

Jackson is ranked No. 388 overall and No. 33 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking has him at Nos. 327 and 28, respectively.

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Florida ‘in the mix’ for this 2026 four-star defensive back

One of the juniors in town for Florida’s Grille in the ‘Ville cookout this weekend was four-star defensive back J’Zavien Currence.

The end-of-summer Grill in the Ville cookout is an unofficial turning point on the recruiting calendar where the focus begins to shift away from the senior class (2025) and more toward the juniors (2026).

One of the juniors in Gainesville for the event was South Pointe (Rock Hill, South Carolina) defensive back [autotag]J’Zavien Currence[/autotag], who also attended last year’s cookout as a rising sophomore, according to Swamp247. Now one of the top safeties in his class, Currence is starting to take a serious look at which schools are standing out.

“Florida has put themselves in the mix with the way they have been recruiting me this summer,” Currence said to 247Sports. “I hear from Florida every other day now. I don’t question where I stand with them. I grew up a Gator fan so that plays a part in what I like about Florida. Each time I come, I get a good vibe and knowing I’m a priority recruit for them is big.”

That’s a fine endorsement for Florida from Currence, but the Gators are going to need to beat out several power-conference programs, including in-state rival FSU.

The Gators have already overcome the coaching change at his position with this recent visit. Currence got to meet with Florida’s new defensive backs coach Will Harris and assistant coach Beyah Rasool in person this weekend.

Recruiting Summary

Currence is a consensus four-star recruit, ranked the highest by ESPN at No. 85 overall in 2026. The On3 industry ranking puts him at No. 97 overall nationally and No. 10 at his position, while the 247Sports composite has him even higher at Nos. 80 and 7, respectively.

The On3 recruiting prediction machine thinks in-state South Carolina has the best odds to land Currence at 23.9%, but Florida is closing in at 18%. Georgia (7.8%) and Virginia Tech (6.5%) round out the list; however, Currence mentioned Clemson and FSU recently when asked about teams pushing the hardest.

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LSU secures a 3-star IOL commit for the 2026 recruiting class

One of the top interior offensive linemen in the 2026 recruiting class has committed to LSU.

One of the top interior offensive linemen in the 2026 recruiting class has committed to LSU.

[autotag]Jalan Chapman[/autotag] is a 6-foot-2, 275-pound, three-star offensive lineman from New Orleans where he plays for Warren Easton High School. Chapman chose the Tigers over Alabama, Georgia, Arkansas and others.

Chapman becomes the third commit of the 2026 recruiting class joining [autotag]Richard Anderson[/autotag] and [autotag]Jakai Anderson[/autotag]. All three of the players are from New Orleans. [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] is doing what he has done since arriving at Baton Rouge, he is trying to keep the best players from Louisiana to stay home and play for the Tigers.

Chapman is just entering his junior year of high school so he has a couple more years before he puts his name on the dotted line. As we all know, anything can happen when it comes to recruiting. For the moment, LSU is on top and he is committed to the Tigers.

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LSU impresses 5-star 2026 OT Jackson Cantwell on first visit

LSU played host to the nation’s top offensive tackle in 2026 for the first time Friday.

The Tigers are trying to close things out with several of their top remaining uncommitted 2025 targets, but they’re also working to build relationships with the top players on their 2026 board.

Several of those guys were on campus Friday for the Bayou Splash recruiting event, including five-star 2026 offensive tackle [autotag]Jackson Cantwell[/autotag], who was making his first trip to LSU.

Cantwell, a Nixa, Missouri, prospect, ranks as the No. 3 overall player and top offensive tackle in the 2026 class, and he was seemingly impressed with his visit to Baton Rouge, telling 247Sports’ Glen West (subscription required), “They’ve got a lot of good stuff going on. I like a lot of the people that are there.”

Cantwell also had positive things to say about the event to On3’s Steve Wiltfong.

“Had a great time at LSU today,” Cantwell said. “Very thankful to Coach Brian Kelly, Coach Brad Davis, Coach (Adam) Kleffer, Coach Joe Sloan, Coach Donovan Tate and Kanan Ray for showing me around and hosting me today.

“Enjoyed the Bayou Splash for sure!”

In-state Missouri is considered the slight early favorite here according to On3, but LSU will hope his first visit puts the Tigers on his radar.

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Could top 2026 LSU target Jahkeem Stewart reclassify to 2025?

Could the top prospect in the 2026 class be eyeing a reclassification?

LSU is still focused on closing things out with a 2025 class that could feasibly push to be the best in the nation if it can land a few more of its top targets.

But the Tigers are also turning their attention to future classes after hosting quite a few top prospects, including rising juniors and sophomores, at Bayou Splash this weekend. One of them was [autotag]Jahkeem Stewart[/autotag], a New Orleans defensive lineman who currently ranks as the No. 1 player in the 2026 class.

There have been some rumors that Stewart could reclassify to the 2025 class, and if he did, a commitment to LSU could put it in contention for the No. 1 recruiting class.

On3’s Shea Dixon is skeptical that Stewart will reclassify at this point, but he does think LSU is currently the team to beat.

“I would lean towards no, not reclassifying, just because I think it probably would’ve already gotten done by now,” Dixon said. “We”ll see, I’m not ruling it out but I’m not leaning there. Regardless, there’s going to be smoke around a ton of teams in this recruitment.

…For me, I think it boils down to this: He’s in New Orleans, Frank Wilson’s at LSU, he’s running recruiting not just for the program, but running the city. I don’t think they let a kid like Jahkeem Stewart get out of New Orleans. I’m still going to say that at the end of the day, LSU is the team to beat to Jahkeem Stewart.”

LSU already boasts a pair of commitments in the 2026 class, but Stewart would be a huge addition if it can ultimately land him.

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Florida hosts 4-star Alabama WR on encouraging first visit

The Florida Gators hosted Alabama-based wide receiver Cederian Morgan for the first time this week.

Landing an Alabama-based recruit isn’t the easiest task for Florida with two in-state SEC programs to compete with, but the Gators made decent progress with  Benjamin Russell (Alexander City, Ala.) wide receiver [autotag]Cederian Morgan[/autotag] on Thursday when he visited the Swamp for the first time.

Florida toured Russell around the school and let him sit on some of the team’s summer OTA, according to Blake Alderman of Swamp247.

“I saw a lot of things, and I learned a lot of things,” Morgan said to Alderman. “I love the coaching staff, and how they bond with their players.”

Meeting with position coach [autotag]Billy Gonzalez[/autotag] was big for Morgan. Florida’s wide receiver coach pitched the idea of early playing time with the Gators likely to cycle out some players at the end of the season. Gonzalez’s assistant, Chad Lucas, is from Alabama and spent plenty of time with Morgan.

Morgan is listed at 6-feet-4-inches on 247Sports, which would make him the tallest receiver on Florida’s roster. Even more, three of the four receivers taller than 6-foot are fourth-year players or older.

Auburn and Alabama are the two in-state giants to overcome, but Clemson, Florida State and Missouri have all received mention from Morgan. He’s visiting both in-state schools this weekend.

Recruiting Summary

Morgan is a four-star recruit on both major composite rankings — 247Sports composite and On3 industry ranking — however, On3’s standalone rankings and Rivals both consider him a three-star recruit.

The On3 industry ranking puts him at No. 122 nationally and No. 17 among wide receivers in the class of 2026, while the 247Sportscomposite has him at Nos. 152 and 23, respectively.

247Sports National Recruiting Analyst tom Loy submitted a crystal ball projection in favor of Alabama for Morgan on June 5 with medium (6 out of 10) confidence.

The On3recruiting prediction machine favors Auburn right now, giving the Tigers 39.9% odds to land Morgan. Alabama (18.3%), Clemson (15.7%) and Florida (13.1%) round out the top four.

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4-star linebacker JaMichael Garrett commits to Auburn over LSU

The Tigers missed out on adding a top 120 prospect to their 2026 class after hosting JaMichael Garrett for a visit on Friday.

LSU has quite a bit of momentum on the recruiting trail, but it missed out on a player it was seen as something of a longshot to land.

Four-star 2026 Gulf Shores, Alabama, linebacker [autotag]JaMichael Garrett[/autotag] committed to Auburn over LSU on Saturday. AU was considered the heavy favorite to land the top 120 prospect nationally, though LSU did receive a crystal ball projection to land him on Friday following his visit to Baton Rouge from 247Sports’ Bryce Koon.

The Tigers hoped that visit would make a major impact, but just a day later, he announced that he was heading to the plains.

Garrett is a talented player who would have given LSU some nice momentum in the 2026 class, which currently features just two commits in defensive lineman [autotag]Richard Anderson[/autotag] and safety [autotag]Jakai Anderson[/autotag] (no relation).

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Florida football’s Grill in the Ville event visitor’s list

Here’s a look at many of the names expected to be in Gainesville on Saturday for Grill in the Ville.

Florida football’s annual summer recruiting event, Grill in the Ville, is set to kick off on Saturday with a plethora of prep prospects from the 2025 and 2025 classes set to arrive in Gainesville.

The function offers an opportunity to spend more time around the coaches and staff while also getting some personal time in a more casual setting in comparison to a typical unofficial visit.

Among the uncommitted names from the 2025 cycle expected to be in attendance are four-star linebacker [autotag]Ty Jackson[/autotag], three-star [autotag]Derry Norris[/autotag], three-star defensive lineman [autotag]Jarquez Carter[/autotag], defensive lineman [autotag]Joseph Mbatchou[/autotag], three-star wide receiver [autotag]Naeshaun Montgomer[/autotag]y. Defensive linemen [autotag]Zavion Hardy[/autotag] and [autotag]Rashod Bradley[/autotag] represent a pair of JUCO prospects who will also be present.

The Gators are also expected to host a handful of 2025 commitments, including four-star [autotag]Vernell Brown III[/autotag], four-star [autotag]Waltez Clark[/autotag], four-star [autotag]Jalen Wiggins[/autotag], four-star [autotag]Myles Johnson[/autotag], three-star [autotag]Chad Gasper[/autotag], three-star [autotag]Tae’shaun Gelsey[/autotag] and three-star [autotag]Jeramiah McCloud[/autotag].

Targets for the 2026 cycle who have submitted an RSVP are tight end [autotag]JC Anderson[/autotag], tight end [autotag]Camden Jensen[/autotag], tight end [autotag]Landen Miree[/autotag], offensive lineman Samuel Roseborough, offensive lineman [autotag]Parker Pritchett[/autotag], offensive lineman [autotag]Chancellor Barclay[/autotag], offensive lineman [autotag]Chancellor Campbell[/autotag], defensive lineman [autotag]Kendall Guervil[/autotag], defensive lineman [autotag]James Johnson[/autotag], safety [autotag]Demetres Samuel[/autotag], defensive back [autotag]J’Zavien Currence[/autotag], defensive back [autotag]Jorden Edmonds[/autotag] and athlete [autotag]Devonte Anderson[/autotag].

One of Florida’s two current commitments in the 2026 class, four-star defensive back [autotag]Jaelen Waters[/autotag], is also expected to be present.

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Gators among early standouts for this in-state, top-100 defender

One of the top defensive athletes in the class of 2026 has eyes on Florida, but the Gators will need to beat out some tough competition to secure a commitment.

Billy Napier has said many times that his goal is to keep the best high school football players in Florida from leaving the state, so it’s no surprise that Bolles School (Jacksonville) linebacker [autotag]Simeon Caldwell[/autotag] — a top-100 recruit in the class of 2026 — near the top of the Gators’ recruiting board.

Florida has pursued Caldwell for the past few months, but it hasn’t been without challenge. A slew of Power Four programs have also emerged as contenders for the four-star talent, and the Gators trail a few big names, according to 247Sports National Recruiting Analyst Tom Loy.

“Definitely Ohio State, Notre Dame, and then all of the Florida schools like Florida State, Florida, and Miami,” Caldwell said. “June 15 was the first real start for recruiting. Miami was the first school to call me at 12:03 and then Notre Dame followed at 12:05 am. Those are the schools really standing out to me.”

With Miami and Notre Dame slightly ahead of the pack, Florida has work to do with Caldwell, but it’s still early. The Gators offered him on April 30 and got him on campus at the end of June. Things went well, but it will take much more to earn a commitment.

“I went up there and the competitiveness is something that I really enjoyed,” he said.

Caldwell has also expressed interest in Florida’s high academic standards. His sisters attended Ivy League programs, and the mix of academics and athletics is one of the reasons Notre Dame is so high on his list. The University of Florida was recently named one of 10 “New Private Ivies” by Forbes, giving Napier and Co. an easy selling point.

He’s at Notre Dame this weekend to close out the summer recruiting period.

Recruiting Summary

Caldwell is a consensus four-star recruit, ranked the highest by ESPN at No. 28 overall in the class of 2026 while Rivals puts him at No. 69 nationally and No. 7 among safeties. The 247Sports composite puts him at No. 61 nationally and No. 4 among linebackers, while the On3 industry ranking has him slightly lower at No. 69 overall and considers him the No. 7 safety in the class.

Notre Dame leads the On3 recruiting prediction machine with 29.4% odds to land Caldwell, followed by Florida State (13.5%), Miami (11.6%) and Ohio State (9.6%).

Right now, Caldwell looks more like a safety, but he could move into the linebacker role as he adds muscle. His father also coached inside linebacker in the NFL, giving him a leg up in the film room.

“There are athletes that play both sides of the ball, but for me I see myself as a defensive-only athlete,” he said. “I play safety, outside linebacker, and inside linebacker. It just depends on the situation of the game and the scheme of the other team. I’m used everywhere.”

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LSU football set to host 2026’s top recruit on visit

LSU will host the top QB in the 2026 class on a visit.

LSU secured a commitment from the top QB in the 2025 class with [autotag]Bryce Underwood[/autotag] on board. That means LSU and offensive coordinator [autotag]Joe Sloan[/autotag] can look ahead to the 2026 class, where the Tigers are in the hunt for the top QB again.

According to Dale Dowden of Rivals, [autotag]Faizon Brandon[/autotag] will visit LSU prior to announcing his commitment on Aug. 3. Brandon will visit Tennessee and Alabama too.

247Sports and On3 rank Brandon as the top QB in the 2026 class. 247Sports ranks him as the nation’s top overall recruit. Rivals and ESPN aren’t quite as high, but both have Brandon top 10 at his position.

LSU fans shouldn’t expect too much here. The Tigers haven’t been a huge player with the QB out of North Carolina, but it’s interesting to see LSU remaining involved despite a fast-approaching commitment date.

The On3 Prediction Machine likes Tennessee’s chances here, giving the Vols an 82% chance at landing Brandon.

That would continue Josh Heupel’s successful run of recruiting QBs since he arrived in Knoxville.

The 2025 recruiting season remains in full swing, but with only a few top prospects remaining, much of the focus will turn to the class of 2026 soon.

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