Jon Sumrall is walking into enemy territory, taking recruits and planting a Florida flag

Jon Sumrall got an immediate recruiting win for the Florida Gators to start the four-week stretch of official visits and sent another message to Kirby Smart in the process.

Four-star linebacker Ja'Bios Smith became the 17th member of the Gators' 2027 recruiting class with the blue-chip prospect from Swainsboro, Georgia choosing Florida over Georgia, South Carolina and Texas A&M. The Gators class is now back in the top five nationally on 247Sports and a little lower (8th) on Rivals/On3. 

Smith is the first linebacker to commit to the Gators and he's a dynamic athlete. Just check out these credentials — a state qualifier in the high jump and triple jump, so we know there's some explosive power. He's also a solid two-way player with some decent stats as a running back (about 500 yards and 12 touchdowns) and the film shows a twitchy, long prospect at linebacker. No one seems to know Smith's true size, so let's say he looks around 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, so the athleticism combined with that size is perfect for what's asked of linebackers in today's game.

Jon Sumrall dips into Georgia again to grab a top recruit

The key to success for Sumrall is to be a complete menace to Smart on the field and on the trail. When Sumrall is recruiting players, one of the first questions that has to come into his mind is, 'Will this player help me beat Georgia?' Getting those players is important and when you can get them in Georgia, it's a bonus.

Sumrall is walking into the Peach State with a purpose and going head-to-head with the Bulldogs on some big targets. Smith is the top-rated linebacker in the state and someone that Georgia was hoping to lock in at the end of the official visit season (he has a planned visit to Athens on June 19, we'll see if he takes it). Florida now has three players from Georgia, all rated in the composite top-20 of the state rankings. Georgia currently has just one player committed off that list. And Sumrall isn't finished because four-star offensive tackle Kennedee Jackson is also in Gainesville this weekend and there's a chance he'll decide to join Smith on the commit list a week before his scheduled official visit to Georgia. There are also some poiential diamonds in the rough from the state that will be visiting Florida over the next few weeks, including linebacker Drew Williams.

Recruiting successfully in Georgia is nearly as important as recruiting in Florida. The Peach State is loaded with football talent, and they are usually some tough, gritty jokers. You want to win in the SEC? Recruit well in Georgia. You want to compete for championships? Recruit well in Georgia. Look at Clemson's success in the 2010s and see how much Dabo Swinney feasted on Georgia recruits. It's easy to see that Sumrall is a skilled recruiter. He gets it. He understands how to keep the momentum. Florida has a great recruiting class and getting a win right out the gate on the first official visit weekend is a great sign that Sumrall is really putting his foot on the gas right now. Any of the questions fans normally have about a new regime are being answered emphatically and whether you liked the idea of the Gators hiring Sumrall or not, it's time to admit that he's pushing all the right buttons and hitting this recruiting thing out of the park.

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