After a 4-8 season in 2025 and a coaching change, Florida’s rebuilding effort is gaining steam on the recruiting trail.
Coach Jon Sumrall’s first full recruiting class currently ranks third nationally in the 247Sports Composite Team Rankings with 19 commitments, trailing only Texas A&M and Oklahoma.
Below is a running list of the players who have committed to Florida’s 2027 recruiting class. This story will be updated throughout the recruiting cycle.
June 3: Zahmar Tookes, 4-star DL, 6-foot-4 235 pounds, Brighton (Rochester, New York)
Zahmar Tookes is the No. 1 player in the 2027 class from the state of New York. He chose Florida over Penn State and Nebraska June 3 after his official visit May 28.
In his two-year high school career, Tookes has made 114 tackles with four sacks and two forced fumbles.
As the fourth defensive lineman for Sumrall, there are still others to grab, potentially including Elijah Guertin, the top player from Rhode Island.
June 2: Kennedee Jackson, 4-star OT, 6-foot-6 297 pounds, Lithonia (Lithonia, Georgia)
Kennedee Jackson received his first offers from Georgia State and Middle Tennessee on Jan. 16 with his seventh offer, Florida, coming in Jan. 22. He took an unofficial visit April 4 before his official May 28 and commitment June 2.
The four-star offensive tackle is the third at his position recruited by offensive line coach Phil Trautwein in this class.
May 29: Ja’Bios Smith, 4-star LB, 6-foot-3 195 pounds, Swainsboro (Swainsboro, Georgia)
Ja’Bios Smith chose Florida over Georgia, Texas Tech, South Carolina and Texas A&M. He is ranked 12th in linebackers in the 2027 class.
While offered under former coach Billy Napier in April 2025, Smith officially visited Gainesville May 28 and committed the next day. He is still scheduled to visit Texas, Texas A&M and Georgia in June.
In the past three seasons, Smith made 175 tackles, including 16 for a loss and three sacks.
May 19: Elias Pearl, 4-star WR, 5-foot-10 180 pounds, Port Charlotte (Port Charlotte, Florida)
Elias Pearl is the 16th recruit in Sumrall’s class, and his highest ranked in-state commit at 10th overall. His final six schools were Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Ole Miss, LSU and FSU.
For Pearl, the choice was personal, as he received treatment from UF Health Shands growing up, as reported by Swamp247’s Tyler Harden.
In 2025, Pearl recorded 1,052 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns in the air. With 11 rushing touchdowns on 40 carries, he showed versatility, which Florida tends to favor with running backs, such as junior Jadan Baugh.
May 15: Cain Van Norden, 3-star DL, 6-foot-7 265 pounds, Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Maryland)
The third defensive lineman to join this group of future Gators is Cain “Big Sandwich” Van Norden. He brought in 21 offers, choosing Florida over Georgia, Ole Miss and Maryland.
The three-star recruit competed at the Under Armour Next Camp in Baltimore on May 31 before making an official visit to Gainesville on June 4.
Loading ...May 8: Andrew Beard, 4-star RB, 5-foot-10 197 pounds, Prince Avenue Christian School (Bogart, Georgia)
Andrew Beard, the ninth-ranked running back in the country, committed to become the only one in Florida’s 2027 class on May 8. He tallied 39 offers, tied as the most desired player in this new group.
After his commitment, Beard officially visited Clemson on May 29 for camp before coming to Gainesville on June 4, Georgia on June 12 and Tennessee on June 19.
He participated in the Navy All-American Bowl in San Antonio in January. In 2025, Beard ran for 1,260 yards and 12 touchdowns on 155 carries.
May 6: Stive-Bentley Keumajou Yondui, 3-star DL, 6-foot-2.5 295 pounds, Coral Gables (Miami, Florida)
Stive-Bentley Keumajou Yondui chose defensive line coach Gerald Chatman and the Gators over Georgia, Miami, Texas and Auburn. Born in England, he moved to the U.S. in June 2025 and participated in his first high school season in the fall.
He received his offer to Florida on Jan. 30 before committing May 6 and visiting May 28.
Keumajou Yondui recorded snaps on both the defensive and offensive line, in addition to punting and kicking.
May 5: Kailib Dillard, 3-star S, 6-foot 175 pounds, Jenks (Jenks, Oklahoma)
The second of two commits on May 5, Kailib Dillard chose Florida over 32 offers that included Georgia and Oregon. He is the lone safety in the 2027 class. He officially visited Gainesville May 28 alongside many of his future teammates, assisting in recruiting more future Gators.
In 2025, Dillard caught 71 passes for 1,250 yards and 15 touchdowns. Also playing on defense, he recorded 78 tackles and five interceptions.
May 5: Elijah Hutcheson, 4-star OT, 6-foot-5 275 pounds, North Cross (Roanoke, Virginia)
Elijah Hutcheson ranks second in Florida’s 2027 recruiting class. He is the No. 2 player in the state of Virginia and the seventh offensive tackle in his class.
The four-star commit was offered by Napier’s staff in March 2025, one month after Trautwein recruited him at Penn State. Hutcheson unofficially visited Florida April 3 and verbally committed May 5.
April 27: Peyton Miller, 4-star IOL, 6-foot-5 290 pounds, Anna (Anna, Texas)
Peyton Miller is ranked ninth at the interior offensive line position with 34 offers. While not getting one at Penn State, he was recruited by Trautwein, receiving an offer Dec. 15.
Miller played in the Under Armour All-America Game in January. After committing April 27, he officially visited Gainesville at the end of May, reaffirming his commitment.
“I love being a Gator!” Miller posted on X.
April 27: De’Voun Kendrick, 3-star DL, 6-foot-4 275 pounds, Carrollwood Day (Tampa, FL)
De’Voun Kendrick is the first defensive lineman to commit in this 2027 class. He committed just over a month after his offer and officially visited May 28, moving the trip up two weeks.
The three-star Tampa native recorded 29 tackles, including 13 for loss, 2.5 sacks and one forced fumble in 2025.
April 25: Anthony Jennings, 4-star WR, 6-foot 165 pounds, Dillard (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
With 39 offers, four-star wide receiver Anthony Jennings is tied for the most of any recruit.
The Gators and then-position coach Billy Gonzales originally offered Jennings in May 2025, and he committed in late April before his official visit June 5.
In 2025, Jennings recorded 823 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns in the air on 34 catches.
April 16: Tommy Douglas, 3-star TE, 6-foot-4.5 235 pounds, Hun School (Princeton, New Jersey)
Jersey native Tommy Douglas received his Florida offer Jan. 20, committing April 16. He is the ninth player from his state and 27th at the tight end position.
In the 2025 season, Douglas made 33 catches for 640 yards and seven touchdowns.
April 11: Aamaury Fountain, 4-star CB, 6-foot-3 190 pounds, Northside (Warner Robins, Georgia)
Four-star Aamaury Fountain received 35 offers, previously committing to South Carolina Jan. 2. He received an offer from the Gators two weeks before Napier’s exit, but a trip to Gainesville for the annual Orange and Blue Game sparked the flip.
On May 1, Fountain went back to Columbia, but his mind did not change.
Fountain continued building his bond with Sumrall at his official visit May 28. He intends to return to Gainesville the following weekend for an unofficial to help assist in further recruitment efforts, as he did with Smith.
“Our relationship is so genuine,” Fountain told Inside the Gators. “I can go to him about stuff outside of football.”
While Fountain told Inside the Gators that Miami and LSU continue to throw numbers to get him to flip, he said his decision is not about the money.
He completed his first full season at his position in 2025, making 32 tackles and four interceptions.
April 9: Davin Davidson, 4-star QB, 6-foot-6.5 215 pounds, Cardinal Mooney (Sarasota, Florida)
Davin Davidson is the 10th-ranked quarterback in his class and the 14th-ranked Floridian. He received 32 offers before committing to Florida on April 9.
He completed 65% of passes with 2,360 yards, 23 touchdowns and six interceptions in 2025.
Florida’s roster features five quarterbacks for the 2026 season, and each has at least one more season of eligibility after the fall.
April 8: Maxwell Hiller, 5-star OT/IOL, 6-foot-5 300 pounds, Coatesville Area (Coatesville, Pennsylvania)
Maxwell Hiller, the highest ranked recruit in the Gators’ 2027 class, joins Trautwein at Florida. He is ranked first at his position and in the state of Pennsylvania and third overall.
The 6-foot-5 300 pound interior offensive lineman received 31 offers, his first coming from Trautwein at Penn State in May 2023. After 10 unofficial visits to Happy Valley, Hiller received an official offer at Florida on Dec. 12, Trautwein’s first day on the job before his hiring was announced on Jan. 6.
Hiller made his commitment on April 8.
March 11: Tramond Collins, 4-star WR, 6-foot-2 183 pounds, Cottondale (Cottondale, Florida)
Four-star wide receiver Tramond Collins was the lone 2027 commit under Napier. The coaching change did not induce an immediate switch-up, but Collins remained open-minded to other programs.
While verbally committed, he still received offers from Miami and Maryland and took two unofficial visits to Florida State after Napier was fired. However, after originally committing in June 2025, Collins backed out two weeks after Sumrall was hired.
It did not take long for Collins to come back around, as he committed to be a Gator once again on March 11, continuing Sumrall’s streak of retainment.
“After long conversations with my family, I have decided to shut down my recruitment and is 1000% committed to the University of Florida,” Collins posted on X on April 27.
In his junior year in high school, he nearly mirrored his receiving and rush yards with over 600 each. Collins recorded five receiving and nine rushing touchdowns with one Pick 6.
February 24: Jackson Ballinger, 4-star TE, 6-foot-4 225 pounds, Centerburg (Centerburg, Ohio)
Ohio native Jackson Ballinger received 28 offers, including Florida on April 4, 2025, under Napier.
He moved up his official visit up a week, coming to Gainesville May 28 after committing in February. Ballinger also came to Gainesville during the first week of April, going to a Florida baseball game with his future coaches.
He credits tight ends coach Evan McKissack for being what he is looking for in a coach, per On3’s Corey Bender.
January 24: Amare Nugent, 4-star CB, 5-foot-11 197 pounds, American Heritage (Plantation, Florida)
After Collins decommitted amid the coaching change, Amare Nugent became the first commit in the 2027 class. Napier’s staff gave him the offer in July 2025.
The first commit under Sumrall and cornerbacks coach Brandon Harris, Nugent received 34 offers, including LSU and Notre Dame since choosing Florida. He attended a Florida men’s basketball game on Jan. 24, where he told Sumrall the news.
The four-star recruit made his long-awaited official visit in Gainesville on May 28.
