Florida Loses Out on Nation's No. 1 Safety to SEC Rival

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Hugh Green | Last updated Aug 21, 2025 8:40 PM ET

Thursday was a highly anticipated day for football fans around the country as the top-ranked safety in the nation, Bralan Womack, was set to announce his commitment to one of four powerhouse programs.

Womack, who is ranked as the No. 1 high school safety in the class of 2026, according to 247 Sports , chose between the Auburn Tigers, Florida Gators, Texas A&M Aggies and Ohio State Buckeyes.

Womack picked up the Auburn hat Thursday night, per Rivals Hayes Fawcett , choosing to play his college ball with Hugh Freeze and the Tigers.

"I'm home! Let's work! WDE," Womack said in Fawcett's post.

Womack has long been regarded as one of the top overall players in his class, as he is a five-star recruit, ranked as the No. 13 player in the nation and the second-highest rated recruit from the state of Mississippi, according to 247.

In his junior season in 2024, Womack was named the Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year, as he helped Hartfield Academy win its second-straight MAIS Class 6A championship. The 6-foot, 200-pound safety totaled 39 tackles, eight interceptions and two pass breakups on defense last year while catching 54 passes for 1,045 yards and 13 touchdowns as a wide receiver, per MaxPreps.

Womack's commitment to a big SEC rival hands Florida head coach Billy Napier his second loss on the recruiting trail this week after 2027 four-star wideout Demarcus Deroche picked the Miami Hurricanes over the Gators.

Florida currently owns the No. 13 recruiting class in the country, according to Rivals' Industry Rankings. Napier and the Gators have 19 total commits for the 2026 class, none of which are five-star recruits.

With commitment season coming to a close soon, Napier's staff will turn its attention to attempting to flip recruits from some of its biggest rivals.

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

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