The Florida Gators got some big news on Thursday as 4-star cornerback CJ Hester from Cocoa High School announced his commitment to Billy Napier and the University of Florida.
“I’m ready right now, Go Gators,” exclaimed Hester on his commitment.
The 6’1”, 195lb, No. 20 ranked cornerback/ safety from Titusville, FL. chose the Gators over Georgia, Syracuse, & Iowa.
Additionally, Hester is also ranked No. 37 in the state of Florida.
In a recruiting video posted by Dylan Olive, the composite 4-star, top 250 player is seen making strong tackles, fielding interceptions, disrupting plays by his opponents, and defending the end zone with his speed and ability to get his hands on the ball. His wingspan expands out to 6’5”.
In his 2024 junior season, Hester played in 14 games; he had 72 tackles, 10 PBUs, four interceptions, one FF, and one FR.
Though he has an ability to play safety, he spent most of his high school career as a corner.
On why he chose the Gators over Georgia, Syracuse, and Iowa, Hester noted the relationship that Napier and the Gators build with prospects and their families.
“It’s the constant relationship and them constantly checking on me,” he said. “They’re constantly there and I have been up there 10 times, so I’ve seen everything. Everything is really close on campus and walking distance. It’s real accessible. A lot of people there are genuine and show you love.”
This is a trend that we’ve seen among many of Florida’s 2025 and 2026 recruits. They speak on the culture that Florida is building. And when it comes to building a winning team, it starts with culture – culture on the field, culture in the locker room, culture off campus. If you don’t have a team that works together, success will be hard to achieve.
It is clear Napier is making every attempt to build a team that cares about each other; he’s building a brotherhood that Gator fans hope will translate onto the football field in the fall.
With Hester’s commitment, Florida now has 16 recruits for the class of 2026, including 4-star DL Kendall Guervil who committed this week as well.
Florida now ranks No. 15 overall in the recruitment composite.