One of the premium positions a team can never have too many of is at EDGE. In recent years, the Gators have landed LJ McCray, Jayden Woods, and KJ Ford as their headliner EDGEs for their respective recruiting classes.
With 2027 recruiting now in full swing, Florida has their eyes on a player who could crack into the top 100 overall real soon.
Florida is going after four-star EDGE Frederick Ards from Orlando
Frederick Ards is an EDGE from Orlando who plays for Jones High. Listed at 6’3 and 220 pounds (though his Hudl and 247 profile list him at 6'5"), Ards is a consensus top 150 player for the class of 2027, with ESPN having him the highest at 104th overall.
On film, Ards is a nightmare to opposing QBs, and when he hits, he doesn’t do so gently. Ards delivers the type of impact that draws “Ooooo” from the crowd and makes opposing sidelines immediately look towards their trainer. He has the speed to beat linemen around the outside while also having the power to knock them back, then beat them to the inside.
His current star rating is probably fair enough. He is a tick smaller than some of the “top tier” EDGEs, and his acceleration on film is probably in line with a four-star EDGE.
Make no mistake about it, though, Ards is not the type of EDGE that opposing QBs want to see staring at them, and his physicality fits the DNA of Jon Sumrall.
Sumrall was at Jones High on Thursday and met with Ards. Jones is the alma mater of Vernell Brown III and made the 4A state title game in 2025 before falling to American Heritage.
Ards was first offered by Florida last February and only has 11 total offers listed on his 247 profile. Tennessee, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, and FSU are among the Power Four schools that have also offered Ards. We would have to imagine that business is going to pick up at Jones as more and more coaches start to try and land Ards.
But given the proximity to Gainesville and the list of teams in the race so far for Ards, Florida fans will want to keep their eye on him as recruiting heats up this offseason.