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Florida Featured in Top Schools for Swedish Recruit in 2026 Class

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Grant Bricker | Last updated May 14, 2025 4:38 PM ET

The Florida Gators are riding high after Billy Napier's first winning season in Gainesville.

The Gators look to keep that momentum going in recruiting, pursuing an international prospect from the 2026 class. On3's Hayes Fawcett reported Tuesday that Florida made the top eight for 2026 defensive lineman Valdin Sone.

The list also featured the Nebraska Cornhuskers, USC Trojans, Auburn Tigers, Texas Longhorns, Georgia Bulldogs and Oklahoma Sooners.

Sone comes from PPI Recruits in Malmö, Sweden, who have placed European prospects with various college football programs.

Florida comes into 2025 on the back of an 8-5 season, including Napier's first bowl win.

The On3 Industry Rankings list Sone as a four-star prospect and the No. 14 defensive lineman in the 2026 class.

The On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine gives the Gators the best odds of earning Sone's commitment. Florida has a 93.5% chance, followed by Nebraska (1.6%) and Oklahoma (1.4%).

Florida's 2026 recruiting class has one commit in it thus far, featuring four-star quarterback Will Griffin. The Gators recently lost commitments from four-star linebacker Izayia Williams and three-star safety Devin Jackson. Williams flipped to the Ole Miss Rebels, while Jackson remains uncommitted.

College football insiders like Joel Klatt are confident in Florida's chances of having a successful season in 2025. Klatt placed Florida at No. 13 in his post-spring top 25 rankings.

Sone is not the only recruit from the 2026 class that Florida is trying to attract to Gainesville. The Gators are also in hot pursuit of five-star receiver Cederian Morgan.

Florida's 2025 season opens with Long Island on Aug. 30.

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

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