3 Florida freshmen who could force their way onto the field in 2026

Somewhat lost in the transition from Billy Napier to Jon Sumrall was the class of 2026, which Sumrall largely retained. The group wound up with 22 commits and still snuck in the top 15 by the time the dust settled.

As is the case every year, most of the class of 2026 will get some spot appearances here and there, but we would anticipate the bulk of the group redshirting in 2026. There are, however, a handful of players on the roster who could make an impact right out of the gate, especially if the players ahead of them on the depth chart start to get injured.

Florida freshmen who could make an impact in 2026

Davian Groce

When Florida’s wide receiver room gets talked about, the main focus has been on the starting trio of Vernell Brown III, Dallas Wilson, and Eric Singleton Jr. Behind them are the transfer portal depth pieces of Bailey Stockton and Micah Mays as well as returning players TJ Abrams and Kahleil Jackson.

So it has been somewhat easy to forget about the top-rated prospect from Florida’s 2026 class, Davian Groce. He missed the spring game with an injury, so he flew under the radar once he got on campus. But we profiled Groce a handful of times during his senior year of high school, and he was an absolute blur on the field.

He won’t be Plan A for 2026, but his speed is the type of speed that can cause real problems in Buster Faulkner’s offense, and we would not be shocked to see him get snaps by the back half of the season.

KJ Ford

Florida’s pursuit of a top-rated edge rusher for the class of 2026 had some twists and turns, but eventually they got the commitment of KJ Ford out of Texas.  Ford is another player we really liked coming out of high school, and we noted his explosiveness and the fact that he was able to shine on his own after spending his early high school years with current Texas Longhorns EDGE Colin Simmons.

Ford is currently listed at the JACK position and will battle it out in camp to be the rotational guy that fills in for Jayden Woods, but if he can continue his strong showing from spring camp, don’t be shocked if Ford gets quite a few snaps in 2026.

Dylan Purter

A late flip in Florida’s class of 2026, Dylan Purter flipped from LSU to Florida in December after Sumrall was introduced. The four-star was noted for his length and tackling prowess. Listed at the STAR spot, Purter had a strong spring and drew solid reviews.

It’s hard to say for sure how many snaps he will get in 

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