Just a few months after his national title win, Florida head coach Todd Golden voyaged to North Augusta, Georgia for the Nike EYBL Peach Jam tournament, an iconic showcase for top high school talent. Golden was in to see four-star small forward target Cole Cloer, a prospect in the 2026 recruiting class.
Golden was interviewed during the event as well.
Gators looming near top
Cloer, who plays for NBA veteran Chris Paul's team CP3, is among the most coveted prospects in the nation, holding over a dozen high-level offers. Just a few weeks ago, he cut his contending schools list to Connecticut, Virginia, Louisville, North Carolina, Alabama, Indiana, North Carolina State, and Florida, despite receiving an offer from the Gators less than one month prior. Every contending team's head coach was also in attendance to see Cloer, besides North Carolina and Indiana.
He currently has official visits scheduled to Louisville (August 30th), Florida (September 6th), Connecticut (September TBD), North Carolina (October 10th), and Alabama (October 18th). Despite his lengthy list of options, many sources speculate that Florida, Alabama, and Connecticut are currently positioned best. North Carolina and North Carolina State, both located in his home state of North Carolina, are also considered teams to watch.
In a recent interview with On3, Cloer spoke highly of the Florida program, especially of Coach Golden: "I mean, they’re the defending national champions. They were the best team in the country. I love Coach (Todd) Golden. He is a great coach, a young coach, a player’s coach. It’s also an NBA play style; they put out pros. I feel like coach trusts his guys, which says a lot. Also, with the way they respect him.”
Development favoring Florida
In early July, Cloer announced a change of scenery as the North Carolina native will play his senior year with IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Given that location was a disadvantage for the Gators, this move is likely one that will aid Florida in its pursuit of Cloer.
The Gators look to take full advantage of this development to add their first member of the 2026 recruiting class.