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Gators Projected to Land No. 1 2027 Recruit
The Gators could be on the verge of becoming QBU Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Billy Napier and the Florida Gators stay hot on the recruiting trail and are projected to land a top quarterback recruit. Multiple analysts from Rivals, including Steve Wiltfong, project Elijah Haven to commit to the Gators. 

According to 247 Sports, he’s not just the top quarterback in the country. He’s the top player overall. The Baton Rouge, La., product is the top quarterback on On3/Rivals and ESPN as well. 

The DJ Lagway effect is becoming real. Now that he’s at Florida and seen as one of the top quarterbacks in the SEC, others are following suit. A late-season turnaround and the preseason rankings in the Coaches Poll haven’t gone unnoticed. 

Since he’s a freshman in 2027, Haven would line up perfectly as a successor to Lagway. He’ll be a senior, assuming he stays all four years, during Haven’s freshman season. That would give him a chance to sit behind a veteran for a year and learn from him before potentially taking the wheel. 

He’s scheduled to visit on Oct. 4 for the first home game against Texas since the Longhorns joined the SEC last season. The recruit could be in for a revenge game. Last season, they lost 49-17. 

His father, Kwame, told On3 that the quarterback could visit for other games if their schedule permits it. So the projection is backed by a visit and the desire to make other visits happen. 

However, while Florida is the favorite, it still has competition from a rival to beat out. LSU is in the hunt to win over the hometown recruit. Alabama is also considered to be in the running. 

Michigan was initially in the running but moved on to pursue quarterback Peter Bourque. That decision worked out since he committed to the Wolverines on Monday. That’s just one fewer school for Florida to have to think about. 

Natually, the Gators only have one commit so far for 2027. That recruiting trail is in the earliest stages. They’re still working to lock down the 2026 class. Wide receiver Tramond Collins represents the lone commit to Florida. He’s currently ranked as the No. 15 player at his position by 247 Sports. 

The Gators' 2026 class is up to 18 members after a slow start. The most relevant standout regarding Haven is four-star quarterback commit Will Griffin. Coming a year after Lagway, he’ll have a small window to compete for a starting job against Haven. He’ll be a junior come Haven’s freshman year. 

More From Florida Gators on SI


This article first appeared on Florida Gators on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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