Florida Loses Out on 6-Foot-6 WR to In-State Rival

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Hugh Green | Last updated Aug 19, 2025 8:56 PM ET

The 2027 college football recruiting cycle is starting to take shape. As the class of 2026 winds down with its commitments, 2027 recruits are beginning to choose their schools of the future. This includes four-star wide receiver Demarcus Deroche, who announced his commitment to a Sunshine State powerhouse on Tuesday.

Deroche, who played his sophomore season at Boyd Anderson High School in Lauderdale Lakes, Florida, transferred to Cardinal Gibbons ahead of this year. The 6-foot-6 wideout held several offers, including one from the Florida Gators, before pledging.

Deroche announced he will play his college football with the Miami Hurricanes, per Rivals' Hayes Fawcett.

This commitment from Deroche to Miami hands Florida head coach Billy Napier one of his first losses on the recruiting trail for the 2027 class. Deroche chose Mario Cristobal and the Hurricanes over the Gators, NC State Wolfpack and Auburn Tigers.

Deroche played on both sides of the ball last season with Boyd Anderson. As a wide receiver, he made 10 catches for 165 yards. On defense, he totaled 11 tackles, five sacks and two fumble recoveries, according to MaxPreps.

The lengthy athlete also played 26 games for Boyd Anderson's basketball team last year. On the hardwood, he averaged 8.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and one steal per game, per MaxPreps.

This announcement from Deroche gives Cristobal and Miami their fifth commit in the class of 2027. As for Napier and Florida, they have just one commitment in the class, which came from four-star wide receiver Tramond Collins in June.

While it is still very early in the 2027 cycle, any loss to an in-state rival hurts for Napier, as he and the Gators will try to bounce back sooner rather than later.

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

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