Florida football recruiting: Gators make top six for explosive 2026 LB

Florida football recruiting is building one of the best classes in the country in the 2024 cycle, and we’re seeing that success pay some early dividends as they work to recruit the class of 2025 as well.

But what we don’t talk about a whole lot is the class of 2026.

With years left before that class comes to the center of attention, and no rankings for players that young, it’s hard to get a good read on what these guys bring to the field.

But every now and then you get a glimpse of something special on tape. And the Gators have made the top six schools for one of those guys, Rodney Colton.

Florida football recruiting: Electricity on every snap

Colton may just be coming off of his freshman season, but he already has great size at 6’1”-205 and is an electric playmaker on the defensive side of the ball.

When you watch his film, he looks like the quickest and most aggressive guy on the field. He also has a knack for the ball, ripping at it every chance he gets and causing plenty of turnovers and momentum-shifting plays.

When a guy this young plays as well as he does, he’ll have plenty of attention on him. Colton already has offers from each of the schools in his top six. In addition to the Gators, LSU, Auburn, Georgia, Cincinnati, and Tennessee are in play for him.

Now, given how early on we are in his recruitment, it wouldn’t surprise me if that top six gets revised or even expanded as more offers roll in.

But with younger players, it’s always a good idea to get in early so you don’t miss the train. For a program like UF that hopes to be climbing back into national relevance, they could become even more appealing as Rodney’s recruitment heats up.