![Bolles Bulldogs defensive lineman Asher Ghioto (34) tackles Oakleaf Knights Kashawn Murphy (90) in the second quarter Friday September 19, 2025 at Oakleaf High School in Oakleaf Plantation, Florida. The Bolles Bulldogs are 3-1 while the Oakleaf Knights are 4-0. Bolles lead 21-6 at the half. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_2705,h_1521/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ReutersImages/mmsport/213/01m3yq8y7ns7sqwm9w6h.jpg "Bolles Bulldogs defensive lineman Asher Ghioto (34) tackles Oakleaf Knights Kashawn Murphy (90) in the second quarter Friday September 19, 2025 at Oakleaf High School in Oakleaf Plantation, Florida. The Bolles Bulldogs are 3-1 while the Oakleaf Knights are 4-0. Bolles lead 21-6 at the half. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]")
It’s amazing what happens when a program starts winning in the world of recruiting, and that is certainly the case with the Gators right now. Just four games into the Jon Sumrall era, Florida seems to have momentum, with a number of prospects who seem impressed by what they are seeing on the field.
Asher Ghioto appears to be one of them as Florida continues to work to make him an anchor piece for the class of 2028.
Florida’s early results bode well in recruiting Asher Ghioto
Corey Bender of Gators Online teased a piece where he hinted that Florida is starting to gain momentum with Ghioto, though Miami is still considered a top contended to land him.
There’s been a pretty notable shift in the recruitment of 5-star EDGE Asher Ghioto.
— Corey Bender (@Corey_Bender) October 1, 2026
And Florida is right at the center of it...🐊
From NIL to SEC appeal and more, here's the latest after speaking with industry sources. 👀
NEW INTEL: https://t.co/waf8tVC7NR (On3+) @Rivals pic.twitter.com/POdjLuD6vU
If you haven’t seen the film for Ghioto, it makes sense why teams are going after him as hard as they are. He is a consensus top-15 overall player by all three major services, and he is a straight wrecking ball for Bolles out of Jacksonville.
Essentially, Ghioto is unblockable one-on-one. He can beat you outside, inside, or even just bull rush you and beat you up the middle. He doesn’t necessarily have the first-step burst of some other five-stars we have seen in the past, but his sheer size and power more than make up for it. Opposing tackles just don’t have an answer for how to get in his way.
As a side note, he racked up 23 sacks last year as a sophomore for Bolles, and he already has seven sacks this year. At least based on last year’s film, there comes a point where you start to wonder why opposing teams didn’t offer help and try to chip him, but that’s a conversation for a different day.
Based on his Rivals profile, he has made 11 unofficial visits to Gainesville, including the season opener against FAU. Most recently, he was at Georgia, and he has made five trips down to Miami.
Who knows how this recruitment will turn out, but this is a massive early litmus test for Sumrall and Florida’s overall NIL strategy: Can they stare down Miami and retain a big-name prospect right in his own backyard?
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