![Florida head coach Jon Sumrall speaks after spring practice at Sanders Practice Fields in Gainesville, FL on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_134,w_2632,h_1480/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/213/01kqjfjwyypdcb608nd7.jpg "Florida head coach Jon Sumrall speaks after spring practice at Sanders Practice Fields in Gainesville, FL on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]")
Jaylen Jordon, a college basketball player turned tight end hopeful, committed to the Florida Gators to try out football for his graduate year.
Jordon, listed at 6-foot-6 and 240 pounds, played college basketball at Jacksonville University last season and Flagler College previous to that. After the basketball season ended, he made the announcement that he was going to switch sports in hopes of making the NFL.
The Florida football team has signed Jacksonville basketball transfer Jaylen Jordan, @chris_hummer and I have learned.
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) May 1, 2026
The 6-foot-6, 240-pound had participated as a tight end at Florida’s pro day and was recently offered a scholarship by the Gators. pic.twitter.com/FFUnMYAr1Z
The commitment doesn't come as much of a surprise. Jordon was able to work out for Jon Sumrall during the Gators Pro Day last month, and he claimed that several NFL teams were interested in seeing him develop with a year of college. Sumrall extended the offer to Jordon earlier this week. Jordon's other offer was from FCS program Incarnate Word. Jordon graduated from Hilliard High School, which is about 90 minutes from Gainesville.
Jordon will be eligible to play for the upcoming season and adds another body to a tight end room that doesn't have many proven producers. The likely starter will be Georgia Tech transfer Luke Harpring, who had 13 catches for 158 yards last season. Florida is pretty high on what Amir Jackson could become, but there isn't one player in the room that you can point to and say, 'this is the guy'. Jordon, just by being an older player that was a power forward in basketball, should be able to offer something as a blocker.
TE hopeful Jaylen Jordon will play for Florida Gators in 2026
This is a low-risk addition for Sumrall. The Gators had the space on the roster and Sumrall saw an opportunity to add another body to a pretty young tight end room and Jordon is already a Division 1 athlete that looks pretty good off the hoof. Sumrall also had the opportunity to watch him work out, which gave him a good idea about Jordon's competitiveness and how he could help Florida in 2026.
For Jordon, it's an amazing opportunity to show his skill level at the highest level of college football. If it works out, it stands to benefit all parties and if it doesn't, it was probably worth the risk to try it. Jordon will be able to join the Gators over the summer, and we'll certainly be hearing a lot about him as camp gets closer.
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