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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