The Florida Gators are on the long-term hunt for development and recruitment success with their eyes on a big prospect in the class of 2027. The current No. 1 quarterback in the class of 2027, Elijah Haven has said that the University of Florida is sitting at the top of his list for the relationships they build with players and with how committed Billy Napier and the Gators are to showing how much they want the current Tiger from the Dunham School in Louisiana.
Heading into his junior year, Haven’s top picks are Florida, Ohio State, and LSU, with Florida standing at the top currently.
“Florida has been one of those consistent contacts,” said Haven. “The coaches there, I get the feel I can definitely see myself playing at Florida. They’ve been on me hard and have made sure I know I’m one of their priority guys.”
Haven sits 6’5”, 210lbs. 247 Sports describes him as a “supersized quarterback with first-round pick potential.” He is known for his combination of strength and athleticism, with an impressive competitive drive and football character.
Scouts describe Haven as a player who has the ability to avoid and shake off sacks, has great football knowledge, an eye for the field, and has an ability to make big plays happen.
Just how good is the top QB prospect of 2027?
In his freshman year, Haven was 8-3 with 2,205 passing yards, a Dunham School record 35 touchdowns, and rushed for 641 yards with 12 rushing touchdowns. That year he led his team to the District 6-2A Championship and was named All-District offensive MVP, All-District 1st Team, All-Metro 1st Team, and All-State.
Last season as a sophomore he was 14-1 with a 60.7 percent passing rating; he threw for 3,093 yards with 37 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He ran for 925 yards and 19 touchdowns.
Napier has been heavy on the recruitment for 2025 and 2026, however he knows that player like DJ Lagway will eventually graduate and he wants to be ready to for that transitional season. Lagway has two years left before his expected graduation date and the plan Napier has currently is to hopefully have Haven ready to slot into that position.
247 Sports director of scouting, Andrew Ivins compared Haven to the veteran Arizona Cardinals quarterback, Jacoby Brissett.
Haven is a two-sport athlete having also played basketball his freshman and sophomore years. He was named District MVP and Defensive MVP as a 10th grader, showing his athleticism. He was also named 2024 Max Preps sophomore of the year.
Haven has a four-state, 84 scouting grade from ESPN, ranking as the No. 1 quarterback in the 2027 class, the No. 16 prospect regionally and the No. 4 prospect in Louisiana.
While Florida, LSU, and Ohio State are his top choices, a lot can happen in two years and he also has offers out by Auburn, Baylor, FSU, Houston, Miami, Michigan, Ole Miss, SMU, and Texas Tech.