Long-Standing Relationships Stand Out for 4-Star EDGE Jake Kreul

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy four-star edge rusher Jake Kreul already had the Florida Gators in his top 12 heading into last weekend's official visit. Leaving the facilities, Kreul confirmed the Gators were among the leaders of the 12 schools.

"Top four, top five. They're going to be a school that I'm deciding from until the end," he said on Sunday.

Kreul doesn't plan on announcing his decision until sometime midseason, he said. Joining Florida among the contenders are Colorado and Ohio State, both of which have already hosted him for an official visit, as well as Ole Miss, Texas and Oklahoma, which will all host him in the coming weeks.

Florida State, Michigan, Miami, Oregon, Penn State and Texas A&M were the rest of the schools included in his top 12.

"It's different. I guess a lot of people are committing around June, July. But I'm really strategic with my process, very detail oriented," he said. "I want to make sure the decision I make is the right decision, and one I make the decision, I'm sticking by it no matter what. I'm going to make sure I do it right the first time."

Kreul has consistently called Florida, where his father is an alum, his dream school. However, part of his detail-oriented process in choosing a school is not letting his emotional ties to the Gators be the biggest factor.

"Your heart wants to go where you dream, but I'm a very logical person. I make decisions with my head," he said. "I'm going to do what I think is best for me. That was really cool to start, but that's not going to be a factor when making a decision."

Even without using the emotional ties, the Gators are using long-standing relationships to continue to put themselves near the top of Kreul's recruitment. Position coach Mike Peterson, defensive coordinator Ron Roberts and head coach Billy Napier each met with Kreul individually on Sunday, which he described as the best part of his visit.

"They think I can come in here and make an impact. Not just as a player, but as a person in the locker room, as a person on campus. Just kind of be a good face around the program," he said. "They like my intangibles, like my character, how I talk to people, how I lead people. So, I think they see me being able to do those things once I earn my stripes as a player, once I put myself on the field, I have the ability to be a leader off the field, as well."

Peterson, the lone defensive staffer remaining since Napier first took over in 2022, has had one of the longest relationships with Kreul since he got on the map of the recruiting world. That longevity, which includes multiple visits to Florida over the past few years, has allowed Kreul to truly see the growth of the program over the last three years.

"I've been here at the lows, and I've been here now that they're at the highs. I've seen what they're doing with the program, and I like the direction it's in, and I see that in (Peterson's) position room, as well," he said. "Just the longevity of it is kind of what makes it so cool."

After a visit to Ole Miss on Monday, he will wrap up his summer official visit schedule with trips to Texas and Oklahoma the next two weekends. He is working on potentially coming back to Gainesville to see OTAs.

"The vibe (in Gainesville) is unmatched," he said.

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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