There's some good news in recruiting this morning for the Gators, and it comes in the way of a major flip. Four-star safety Dylan Purter has decided to change his pledge from LSU to Florida and sign with the Gators.
The move gives Florida a 17th signed prospect in the 2026 recruiting class, and it's a big get for new coach Jon Sumralll, who had a strong relationship with Purter. The 6-foot, 170-pound safety from Tuskegee, Alabama, had been committed to the Tigers since the spring.
BREAKING: Four-Star Safety Dylan Purter has Flipped his Commitment from LSU to Florida, he tells me for @Rivals ⁰⁰The 6’1 182 S had been Committed to the Tigers since March⁰⁰“AGTG✝️”https://t.co/llSBUGv2yr pic.twitter.com/GOLBUnX9fy
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) December 4, 2025
Purter's bond with Sumrall was the key
This is a big win for the Gators' new football coach, and it definitely shows that even when he was at Tulane, he wasn't afraid to recruit above the program's weight class and build relationships with top players just in case a situation came about where they could be united.
Purter all but said that in his interview with 247Sports. He liked Sumrall a lot when they met, but Tulane wasn't the right program for him. Now that Sumrall is at a high-profile program in the SEC, Purter was quick to hear another pitch and change his pledge.
"He was just letting me know that he really wanted to coach me, which has been his message the entire recruiting process," Purter said to Tyler Harden. "He just really let me know he really wanted to coach me and he wanted me to come play for him."
The Gators still have a top-15 class
Purter's commitment probably solidifies Florida's top-15 recruiting class and, depending on how things shake down over the next few days, that could move up or down a couple of spots. The good news is that Sumrall was able to get a blue-chip prosect in the fold in his first couple of days on the job.
There's a lot going on with college football around the state right now. Miami has jumped to the forefront as the top recruiting school and USF just made a hire that certainly got everyone's attention and could pay dividends down the road. FSU is sort of stuck in limbo with all the issues there.
It was important for Sumrall to come in right away and at least show that he's not afraid to battle with the big dogs for top kids. We'll know more about his ability on the trail over time, but this is a good start.