Florida doubles down on the trenches with another defensive line commitment

The Florida Gators on Sunday afternoon received a massive commitment from a defensive lineman who will be a weapon on the Florida defense. According to Hayes Fawcett of Rivals and On3, 6’5, 300lb DL Mason Clinton is set to transfer from Southern Mississippi to the Florida Gators.

The redshirt sophomore gave his notice of transfer on Thursday and followed that with a visit to the University of Florida on Saturday. With a great first impression of Gainesville, it didn’t take long for Clinton to flip the hat. On Sunday, he made it official and gave his commitment to The Swamp. He has two years left of eligibility.

In 2025 with Southern Miss., Clinton totaled 16 tackles, four hurries, one pass defended, and two tackles for loss in 12 games played. He had six solo tackles and 10 assists. 

He has a career 60.9 PFF grade and a 60.9 run defense.

Along with Florida, Clinton had received interest from several power-four teams, including Oregon and Baylor, where former Gator quarterback DJ Lagway just officially signed this weekend. But Clinton chose Jon Sumrall and the Florida Gators.

Prior to transferring to Southern Miss., Clinton spent 2024 with East Mississippi Community College where he appeared in seven games, being credited with 27 tackles and two sacks. He was ranked as the No. 29 JUCO player in America and the No. 11 defensive lineman in the class of 2025 according to On3 and was ranked as a three-star recruit by On3 and 247Sports.

Ahead of that, Clinton played one game in 2023 at Northwestern state, playing in one game and earning his status of redshirt.

With Clinton committing, Sumrall and the Gators now have 26 incoming transfers.

The Florida Gators’ annual Blue and Orange Spring Game is set to take place on April 11 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. This will be the fans’ first opportunity to get a look at the incoming recruiting class.