Jon Sumrall and Florida are hoping for the best as in-state DB target switches things up

The Florida Gators have looked like a strong contender to receive the commitment of in-state defensive back Loia Valade for much of his recruitment, but a chance in plans might not be what Jon Sunrall wanted.

Valade will announce his commitment Tuesday, and it looks like Texas A&M is in a favorable position to land another top recruit in the Sunshine State. The athlete from Boca Raton is scheduled to take an official visit to Gainesville over the upcoming weekend.

"Announcing on June 2 will allow me to focus on my senior season with the West Boca Bulls and prepare for the next chapter as I enroll in college in January 2027."

Valade's original decision date was June 27, moving the date up over three weeks comes before scheduled official visits to Florida this weekend and Texas A&M on June 12. There's a crystal ball on 247Sports for Valade to commit to the Aggies. The On3/Rivals predictor basically has Valade aa a lock for A&M with a 98.2% he pledges to the SEC rival. If Valade does what's expected and makes an announcement for Texas A&M, his visit to Florida might not happen. Miami and Auburn have also been in the picture for Valade.

3-star DB Loia Valade moves up his announcement date

Coming out of spring visits, Florida looked like it was going to be the team to beat for Valade. He told 247Sports' Tyler Harden about a strong relationship with defensive assistant Chris Collins and the plan that the Gators had for him, which included time at safety and playing the nickel.

"I see the standard and the culture, I know if I go there, I'm going to be locked in. To me, that's something I don't take for granted. I can see myself in the uniform," Valade said. "I can see myself in the defensive scheme. I fit in the defense perfectly, too."

The key could be to get Valade on campus regardless of what he announces tomorrow. Even if he chooses Texas A&M, we're still six months away from anything being signed, so Sumrall, Collins and the rest of the staff aren't going to just stop recruiting and monitoring Valade.

Jon Sumrall is preparing for another huge weekend of official visitors

Florida is scheduled to host 15 official visitors this week, including five commitments for the second weekend of official visit season. The Gators will close out the weekend with a prospect camp on June 7, giving the staff a great opportunity to scout prospective targets in the 2028, 2029 and even the 2030 class. The five commitments scheduled to be on campus are four-star quarterback Davin Davidson, four-star wide receiver Elias Pearl, four-star running back Andrew Beard, in-state wide receiver Anthony Jennings and three-star defensive lineman Cain Van Norden. 

One target to keep an eye on is four-star defensive lineman Cahron Wheeler. He took an official visit to Clemson last weekend, but did not make a commitment and while the Tigers have been the favorite in his recruitment, the door is open for Sumrall and staff to make a big impression. 

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