Billy Napier can breathe a sigh of relief as Florida Gators seal the deal on elite player with wild recruitment

Four-star EDGE K.J. Ford commits to Florida Gators

It's a huge commitment for Napier and the Gators, as they have struck out one too many times on the defensive line over the last couple of months. Ford is the 18th-ranked edge rusher and the 116th-ranked overall player in the 2026 recruiting class.

Ford joins fellow four-star defensive lineman Kendall Guervil and JaReylan McCoy in the 2026 class, and it's a big one. Ford is currently the only true edge rusher in the recruiting class thus far, as McCoy is viewed by the staff as a versatile weapon across the line.

With the commitment of Ford, it brings things to a good place with the defensive line. Having three high-ranking commitments is a great place to be going into the season, as they have other targets they will keeping an eye on, including five-star edge rusher Tristan Henderson, who committed to LSU, but was very close to choosing the Gators.

The final two days of Ford's recruitment highlight the chaotic nature of recruiting, as things can flip on a whim. Luckily for the Gators, they came out on top after losing multiple of these battles.

Below is the entirety of the 2026 recruiting class thus far, and the Gators aren't done yet.

• Four-star CB C.J. Bronaugh
• Four-star EDGE K.J. Ford
• Four-star DT Kendall Guervil
• Four-star WR Marquez Daniel
• Four-star DL JaReylan McCoy
• Four-star WR Justin Williams
• Four-star LB Malik Morris
• Four-star S Kaiden Hall
• Four-star RB Carsyn Baker
• Four-star QB Will Griffin
• Four-star CB C.J. Hester
• Three-star OT Chancellor Campbell
• Three-star iOL Desmond Green
• Three-star iOL G'Nivre Carr
• Three-star TE Kekua Aumua
• Three-star OT Tyler Chukuyem
• Three-star OT Javarii Luckas