![Florida head coach Jon Sumrall talks on the sideline during spring practice at Sanders Practice Fields in Gainesville, FL on Tuesday, April 7, 2026. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_58,w_2698,h_1517/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/213/01kqfxefw8rc10xsn35v.jpg "Florida head coach Jon Sumrall talks on the sideline during spring practice at Sanders Practice Fields in Gainesville, FL on Tuesday, April 7, 2026. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]")
Jon Sumrall is always looking for players, and he might've found one that has spent his athletic career on the hardwood.
The Florida Gators offered potential tight end prospect Jaylen Jordon on Thursday. Jordan has been playing college basketball for the past few years and spent the past season with Jacksonville University. He was in Gainesville for the Gators Pro Day and worked out in front of NFL scouts as a tight end.
Blessed to receive an offer from the University of Florida #gogators pic.twitter.com/31m52NeuoC
— Jaylen Jordon (@jay_len) April 29, 2026
Florida Gators offer former college basketball player turned tight end
There's a little to unpack here, so let's start with the basics. Jordon is a 6-foot-5, maybe 6-foot-6, 240-pound former power forward for Jacksonville, where he averaged 3.5 points and 2.7 rebounds per game with the Dolphins. Before transferring to JU, Jordon was at Flagler College.
He decided after the season to focus his attention on football with the hopes that he could have a professional future in the sport. Jordon will have a graduate season to play football wherever he chooses. With Jordan already working out at Florida's Pro Day and receiving the offer from Sumrall, it feels like the Gators are in a good position to get a commitment here.
As for what Jordon can do on the field, who knows? He wouldn't be close to the first converted basketball player to try football and have success. Tony Gonzalez played both sports at Cal and is a Hall of Famer. Antonio Gates was a two-sport player going into college, but played basketball exclusively at Kent State, where he helped the Golden Flashes get to the Elite Eight before becoming a Hall of Fame tight end in the NFL. Jimmy Graham played basketball at Miami for his first four years until switching to football as a redshirt senior, and he became an All-Pro tight end. So, it's happened before.
There's no reason to tell anyone how difficult the transition will be for Jordon, going from Atlantic Sun Conference basketball to the rigors of SEC football. But for Sumrall, it's a low-risk move that could work out for the Gators next season. It's worth taking the shot
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