Like it or not, Jon Sumrall is going to get compared with Lane Kiffin for as long as Sumrall is the head coach at Florida. While Sumrall has done a great job of flipping the narrative surrounding his hire, he was not the first choice among Gator fans back in November.
That was Kiffin.
Given Sumrall’s Louisiana background with Tulane and Kiffin’s new home at LSU, the two are finding themselves in a handful of recruiting battles, and on Wednesday, it was Kiffin who got the better of Sumrall for a four-star running back out of Louisiana.
Trey Martin picks LSU over Florida
Four-star RB Trey Martin has committed to LSU. His announcement did come somewhat swiftly, as he was expected to be in Gainesville this weekend for the Gators Cookout, but he had put on his Instagram story around 11 PM last night that he was going to commit today.
BREAKING: Four-Star RB Trey Martin has Committed to LSU, he tells me for @Rivals
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) June 17, 2026
The 5’10 200 RB from Winnsboro, LA chose the Tigers over Ole Miss and Florida
“The best in the boot stays inna boot”https://t.co/A9RN5gM7wA pic.twitter.com/S74niucec9
We had wondered aloud yesterday if LSU landing fellow four-star running back David Segarra on Tuesday meant anything for Martin, since Segarra represented the second running back to commit to the LSU class of 2027.
It did not, as Martin now makes the third RB to commit to Kiffin this cycle.
We liked Martin’s game a lot, and when we profiled him earlier in the month, we said:
“The thing about Martin on film is that he doesn’t run like a 201-pound RB. His ability to change speeds and make quick cuts is the type of stuff one would expect from someone 30 pounds lighter. So while he doesn’t necessarily have game-breaking speed, which is backed up by him running a 11.41 in the 100-meter dash this past season, he has a style that just keeps opposing linebackers and safeties all balanced. He’ll plant his foot and act like he is coming straight at you, only to subtly wind up cutting to the side.”
Martin’s recruitment is a reminder of just how hard it is to get top talent from Louisiana to commit to anywhere but LSU. Even Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer struggled to gain any kind of traction in the state. Florida still has four-star RB Andrew Beard committed for this class.
The real question now is whether or not Sumrall can get one back on Kiffin in the Easton Royal Sweepstakes. That one is a bit more complicated since Florida and LSU are also contending with Texas, to which Royal is currently committed. If Sumrall can pull off the flip of Royal, then the loss of Martin will become a footnote in history. If Kiffin pulls off the flip of Royal and goes 2-0 in these latest battles against Sumrall, it could morph into a deeper storyline.
Even with Martin's commitment to LSU, the Gators still have 22 commits for the class of 2027 and in the 247 Composite rankings, are still ranked No. 4 in the country, only trailing Texas A&M, Miami, and Oklahoma.
Add us as a preferred source on Google