Florida Gators getting an early start on elite 2027 defender, but they have stiff competition in National Championship favorite

Over the course of the last two months, the Gators have been putting in work four-star edge rusher Mekai Brown out of Greenwich, Connecticut. The Gators have not been afraid to recruit the northeast, especially Connecticut.

Brown has already been to campus this summer for one of the camps hosted by the Gators, and they made a positive impression on him.

“Florida had already offered me, but I wanted to go down and work out in person. I liked it there a lot—they made it clear they really like me. I’m definitely going back.”

Getting Brown to come back down to Gainesville is going to be huge when it comes to landing him, especially as it's pretty far away from campus. They aren't the only team that hosted Brown for a camp this summer, as Penn State did as well. The Nittany Lions also have earned a visit this fall from Brown.

Right now, Brown is Rivals' 129th-ranked prospect and is likely to make a commitment next summer. He won't just be picking a school based on size, it's about more than that.

“It’s not about picking the biggest school,” he said. “It’s about where I fit, how well I connect with the position coach, and how they can develop me—for the NFL and for life after football.”

The Gators have positioned themselves nice here.