Florida Makes Top 5 for Elite College Football Prospect on Thursday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Grant Bricker | Last updated May 22, 2025 8:03 PM ET

The Florida Gators are desperately looking to fill their 2026 recruiting class after a pair of decommitments.

Florida had four-star linebacker Izayia Williams and four-star safety Devin Jackson decommit recently. Williams is now committed to the Ole Miss Rebels and Jackson remains uncommitted.

On Thursday, On3's Hayes Fawcett revealed that Florida was a finalist for 2026 defensive lineman Nolan Wilson. The other finalists were the Alabama Crimson Tide, Auburn Tigers, Ole Miss and the Miami Hurricanes.

The Gators are flying high under head coach Billy Napier after their first winning season and bowl win of his tenure. Florida ended the 2024 campaign at 8-5.

Wilson is a four-star prospect, the No. 4 defensive lineman and No. 3 player from Mississippi in the On3 Industry Rankings.

Florida's chances of landing Wilson are slim in the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine. Alabama is the leader at 29.5%, with Ole Miss (21.6%), the USC Trojans (18.5%), Auburn (12.4%) and Florida (6.3%) in pursuit.

The Gators' last visit with Wilson was on April 5. Wilson has a slew of official visits in the future, with Alabama (May 30), Auburn (June 6), Ole Miss (June 13) and USC (June 20) set to meet with him.

Napier has two commits in his 2026 class, with four-star Will Griffin and three-star defensive lineman Jamir Perez pledged to the Gators.

Florida hopes to earn a commitment from four-star edge rusher Luke Wafle after being named a finalist. The Gators are also among the eight schools competing for Valdin Sone from Sweden.

The Gators open the 2025 season at home against Long Island on August 30.

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

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