Gators Miss Out on 4-Star DL

Florida was long considered the favorite to land Cleveland, who named the Gators his leader after leaving his official visit in Gainesville. However, Texas had quickly emerged as the most-likely candidate to land Cleveland after his OV in Austin.

Texas received a prediction from On3's Steve Wiltfong to choose the Longhorns shortly after.

“On my first visit to Texas in the spring, it was great. I knew I liked it, but I needed to get back. That official visit to Texas is what made my decision," he told On3. "Getting back on campus, getting a full feeling for what Texas is about and understanding their plan for me better are things that made a big difference.”

With Cleveland choosing Texas, the Gators are still left with one defensive lineman committed in the 2026 class in three-star Jamir Perez. Florida is also projected to land four-star defensive lineman Valdin Sone, who seemingly becomes a must-have recruit for the Gators after missing out on Cleveland.

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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