Gators' Standing with Florida's Top 10 Recruits

It’s been a quiet start for the Florida Gators in the 2026 recruiting class, but their home state is a hotbed for talent. The Gators have put themselves in the mix for many of the state’s best. 

Three of the top 10 recruits from Florida have committed to schools outside of the state, leaving seven still searching for their next home. However, one of the three already committed has shown interest in pairing up with the Gators. 

Calvin Russell - Miami Northwestern (Fla.), Wide Receiver 

Russell is the highest-ranked recruit in Florida who has not pledged to a program. The 6-foot-5, 195-pound wide receiver recently released his top eight schools that he would be focusing on, which were Florida, Florida State, LSU, Miami, Syracuse, North Carolina, Michigan and Oregon. Russell also has a commitment date set for July 5.

The big-bodied wideout completed an official visit with the Gators a couple of weekends ago. Following this visit, Russell mentioned that the opportunity to play with star quarterback DJ Lagway and incoming freshman Tramell Jones Jr. is a big factor for Florida in his recruitment. 

"He's a great guy. You can tell he's a great leader," Russell said about Lagway. "You can tell the guys around him respect him a lot."

He is rated as the No. 21 overall recruit, No. 3 wide receiver and No. 2 recruit in Florida in the 2026 class, according to 247Sports.  

Chauncey Kennon - Booker (Fla.), Cornerback

Florida was heavily in the mix for Kennon when former defensive back coach Will Harris was on the staff. However, Florida’s standing took a hit when Harris left for Miami. 

Newly hired defensive back coach Deron Wilson has since changed that. Following an official visit in mid-May, the Gators began to surge back into his recruitment and rejoined his top six schools. His top six involve Florida, Georgia, Miami, LSU, FSU and Oregon. He also set a commitment date of July 6. 

More importantly, the Gators' efforts during his official visit have led to a return being scheduled. Kennon stated that he will be back on June 3 for OTAs. 

"I ain't never make it to a spring practice. This will be the time to take advantage," he said after his official visit. 

He made it clear that leaving the state would be difficult, giving the Gators an edge. 

“It's hard to beat an in-state school. I want to stay home at the end of the day," he said. "It's up to the in-state schools to do their job and keep me (from leaving) if that makes sense."

Kennon is rated as the No. 27 overall recruit, No. 2 cornerback and No. 4 recruit in Florida in 2026, according to 247Sports. 

Jake Kreul - IMG Academy (Fla.), Edge 

Kreul is one of the best edges the state has to offer. He also plays at one of the premier high schools in the entire country. 

Coming into the summer, he had lined up several official visits with his preferred schools. He began May in Colorado and this weekend he’ll be visiting Ohio State. After that, Kreul will officially visit Florida on June 7, Texas on June 13 and Oklahoma on June 20. 

Kreul is ranked as the No. 60 overall recruit, No. 8 at his position and No. 7 in the state in 2026, according to 247Sports. 

CJ Bronaugh - Windermere (Fla.), Cornerback

Despite being committed to Nebraska, he hasn’t shut down communication with other schools, especially Florida. He reported an offer from Florida back on March 5. From there, he visited near the end of March and again at the beginning of April while attending the Florida Relays. 

The Gators have slowly pushed their way into his recruitment and look to be a real threat to flip him from Nebraska. 

Bronaugh is tabbed as the No. 72 overall recruit, No. 6 cornerback and No. 8 recruit in Florida in 2026, according to 247Sports. 

Gators 2026 Recruiting

Florida is now up to four commits after its second visit weekend with four-star safety Kaiden Hall and three-star offensive lineman G'Nivre Carr joining four-star quarterback Will Griffin and three-star defensive lineman Jamir Perez in the class.

Florida Gators on SI is tracking all of the Gators' major recruiting news, from commits to prospects of note to the official visit schedule, on our 2026 Recruiting Tracker.

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