It's always a little nerve-racking when you see your head coach's name trending on social media, but Florida head coach Jon Sumrall had the perfect reason for being the talk of the town on Saturday night.
After giving a mid-game hype-up speech at the Florida men's basketball game, Sumrall headed back underneath the stands and through the tunnel.
There, he was greeted by Amare Nugent, a four-star cornerback in the class of 2027 who has been highly recruited by the Gators. Then, without much lead-up, Nugent verbally committed to Sumrall and Florida.
Amare Nugent kicks off Florida's 2027 recruiting class
To put it lightly, Sumrall was pretty hyped up to receive his first high school commitment from the upcoming class of prospects. Not to mention, landing Nugent, a kid from Fort Lauderdale, is a massive step in the right direction for Sumrall's recruiting efforts.
The moment Amare Nugent committed
— David Soderquist (@HightopDave) January 27, 2026
Sumrall’s first high school commit of the 2027 class pic.twitter.com/Gv9C2a8DPU
Of course, Florida's class of 2026 is made up of commits almost entirely recruited by the Gators' former head coach, Billy Napier, but Sumrall has done a fantastic job of retaining the talent, ensuring that UF won't be left out to dry.
The Gators' recruiting class of 2026 ranks 15th in the nation and seventh in the SEC. While it includes 19 blue-chip commits, it is headlined by four-star wide receiver Davian Groce, four-star cornerback CJ Bronaugh, and four-star EDGE Kevin Ford, just to name a few.
With Nugent's commitment, Florida's class of 2027 already ranks 42nd nationally and is obviously trending in the right direction with its first recruit secured.
Throughout his high school career, Nugent has been a two-way player but is expected to play the cornerback or safety role in college. He also competed in track and field, excelling in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, long jump, and 4x100 relay.
During his junior season, which was played for a new team after he transferred to American Heritage High School, Nugent earned 17 yards on one reception, as well as 27 total tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss, two interceptions, and two pass deflections.