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Elite Florida Commit Dealt Devastating Injury News

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Hugh Green | Last updated Aug 28, 2025 3:18 PM ET

The Florida Gators and head coach Billy Napier were ecstatic when they received a commitment from four-star defensive lineman Kendall Guervil at the beginning of July. His pledge to Florida has helped the Gators rise up the class of 2026 team recruiting rankings.

Guervil is widely regarded as one of the best defensive lineman recruits in the country and was hoping for a big senior year at Fort Myers High School before heading to Gainesville.

However, in Fort Myers' opening game of the 2025 season against Mariner High School on Friday, Aug. 22, Guervil went down with an injury that will hold him out for the remainder of his high-school career.

Guervil suffered a torn ACL and meniscus in Fort Myers' 30-27 victory in Week 1, which will require season-ending surgery, according to Fort Myers News-Press' Alex Martin.

The 6-foot-4.5, 315-pound defensive lineman is ranked as the No. 81 overall recruit, No. 11 defensive lineman and No. 10 player in the state of Florida, per 247Sports. Guervil totaled seven tackles and two tackles-for-loss before being injured against Mariner, according to MaxPreps.

In 31 career games for Fort Myers, Guervil has been a monster up front, recording 172 total tackles, 26 tackles-for-loss, 7.5 sacks and four forced fumbles, per MaxPreps.

This is a big blow for Napier and Florida, who currently hold the No. 13 class in the country, according to the 247Sports Team Rankings. Guervil is the second-highest rated recruit of Florida's 19 commits, landing just behind defensive back CJ Bronaugh.

With Guervil likely out for the next year, the Gators will hope he can recover in time for next season's fall camp.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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