As he is in full-on final preparation mode for the Florida Gators' upcoming SEC opener against Auburn, Jon Sumrall might be on the verge of hearing some very good recruiting news.
The Gators are the clear favorite for four-star defensive back Cyion Smith, with the general belief that it's a matter of when, not if, he'll make a public pledge to Florida. The projected safety from Blountstown, Florida has been trending to Gainesville for a month and recently returned to campus to watch the Gators beat Campbell.
There have been several predictions for the Gators to get Smith's pledge, and you can now add Chad Simmons' name to the list.
NEW: Rivals' @ChadSimmons_ has logged an expert prediction for Florida to land 4-star safety Cyion Smith🐊
— Rivals (@Rivals) September 15, 2026
“The atmosphere was off the charts."
Intel: https://t.co/Gm07ajTz8Y pic.twitter.com/0HvDbRpPfI
Florida is closing in on 2028 4-star DB target Cyion Smith
Rivals/On3 has given the Gators a 98% chance of Smith's commitment, which basically makes him a lock. His ranking is pretty consistent on both the Rivals/On3 and the 247Sports networks. Both have Smith as a four-star prospect and Rivals/On3 rates him as the 250th-best overall prospect and 25th-best safety. 247Sports has Smith's overall ranking at 246th and 20th-best safety.
Smith has offers from Virginia Tech, Florida State, Auburn, Louisville, Michigan and many more. He was previously committed to Mississippi State last year, but backed away from that pledge in May and received offers from Florida and Oregon almost immediately.
On the field, Smith is equipped with the tools to be safety that can cover a lot of space in the middle and, as Benjamin Henderson pointed out in an earlier story, the physical play is there despite him being a little light (175 pounds).
"Listed at 6’2” and 175 pounds, Smith is lanky. But on film, he doesn’t act like someone who is 175 pounds. By that we mean he is not afraid to lay the boom, and if someone has the ball anywhere near his vicinity, he is looking for a hit-stick-style moment to make that player second-guess getting the ball next time," Henderson wrote.
Florida has plenty of moves to make in the 2028 class
The Gators have just one commit in the 2028 class — four-star wide receiver Armani Strong, who plays at in-state powerhouse Chaminade-Madonna Prep. But there are plenty of opportunities for Sumrall to build a top-five high school class. The biggest targets are on the board and the Gators are in the picture for prospects like five-star edge rusher Asher Ghioto and five-star wide receiver Brysen Wright.
Wright is expected to be in Gainesville on September 26 when the Gators host Ole Miss. Once we get into the second half of the season, that's when there will be a better idea of where Florida stands in many of the recruiting battles for top-end players.
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