Gators land commitment from Georgia Tech WR, could QB Aaron Philo be next?

As Florida continues zeroing in on Aaron Philo as their next quarterback, the Gators did receive a commitment from another member of last year's Georgia Tech squad. 

Wide receiver Bailey Stockton will make the transition from Atlanta to Gainesville. He had 21 receptions for 233 yards and a touchdown last season for the Yellow Jackets. Stockton could also do some work on special teams as a punt returner. He will rejoin offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, who coached Stockton at Georgia Tech.

Stockton is the third commitment Florida has gotten out of the transfer portal thus far. He joins Baylor safety DJ Coleman and James Madison tight end Lacota Dippre. Stockton's familiarity with Faulkner and his system should pay immediate dividends, and he'll likely work the slot, which is what he did at Georgia Tech. 

The Gators are looking to rebuild the receiver room around former five-star prospect Dallas Wilson and blue-chip player Vernell Brown. Other depth pieces such as Tre Wilson, Aidan Mizell and Neashaun Montgomery have all entered the transfer portal. 

With Stockton in the fold, expect the Gators to continue working on getting a deal done with Philo, who has been predicted to join the Gators ever since he announced he was entering the portal almost a month ago. 

When will the transfer portal close?

The transfer portal window opened on January 2 and will close on January 16. Unlike previous seasons, there is no 15-day window in the spring, so Jon Sumrall and his staff will have to be sure of the players they are pursuing.

With a large exodus of players from last year's roster already in the portal, Sumrall has plenty of work to do on both sides of the ball. Florida is expected to host several visitors over the next few days. 

Sumrall is expected to add over a dozen players from the portal to go along with the mostly-intact Gators recruiting class for 2026.