“We home!” Those were the words of Florida’s newest class of 2026 commit and ESPN 300 prospect, JaReylan McCoy on his X account after it was announced by Hayes Fawcett recruitment on Saturday that McCoy had committed to the University of Florida.
The 6’7,” 245lb Defensive Edge from Tupelo High School in Tupelo, Mississippi was scheduled for his official visit to Texas this weekend, but instead cancelled that and said he would be returning to the University of Florida to make things official and become a Gator. He had his official visit at Florida on May 30th.
McCoy, the five-start, No. 2 ranked defender in the nation & No. 9 ranked prospect on the ESPN 300 prospect list, was committed to LSU until February. He then became a favorite for Florida, Texas, or Ole Miss to land. He gave a commitment date of July 1 to all three schools, but after a May 30th visit to the Swamp, it began to become clear to the defender that he was ‘home.’
“They made me feel like family when I first got there,” McCoy said in an interview with Swamp247. As most recruits do, McCoy noted the care that Billy Napier staff and his staff show for their players and their families.
McCoy logged 140-plus tackles, 31 ½ tackles for loss, and 18 1/2 sacks across three varsity seasons with Tupelo. On3.com calls McCoy a “gifted defensive lineman with a huge frame and plus athleticism.” He ran a 4.89 40-yard dash at the Student Sports’ All-22 camp. He has great speed and functional movement.
Florida said what attracts them the most about McCoy is his versality. He is known for his ability to line up on the interior defensive line, but that can also come off the edge. His mobility allows him to drop back into coverage as well, and make him a very strong, versatile defensive lineman that Billy Napier can use in multiple situations.
“They see me being a drop back in coverage type of guy, rush up, I can play three technique too,” said McCoy, calling it a “pretty cool” opportunity.
McCoy is the first edge rusher commit of the 2026 class.
The Gators have now landed three commitments this weekend for their class of 2026. Four-star running back Carsyn Baker committed on Friday and Marquez Daniel committed earlier Saturday. He also becomes the seventh ESPN 300 player to commit to Florida. ESPN.com noted that he is also the first five-star prospect to sign with Florida since DJ Lagway and LJ McCray.
Billy Napier and the Gators continue to be on a recruiting roll. With the final weekend of official visits coming to a close on Sunday, Napier and the Gators will look to keep the streak rolling.