With Groce in the fold Gators jump in the rankings

With Davian Groce in the fold, the Gators are moving on up the rankings.

After being stuck at 15th for what seemed like an eternity, Florida is now 12th in the On3/Rivals rankings and 13th in the 247Sports rankings. 

Last year, the Gators had top-10 classes on both sites - 7th overall on 247Sports and 10th on On3/Rivals. Currently, they are trending toward another top 10 class. Things could get even better tonight when blue-chip defensive end Jake Kreul makes his announcement, but it seems like Texas might have the inside track despite Florida being his dream school.

Gators 2026 class is being built from the inside out

Taking a deeper look at the Gators 2026 recruiting class, there isn't that one five-star, top-20 national type of prospect among the 19 commitments, but it's a very balanced group overall with 10 prospects earning a composite four-star ranking.

Assuming Groce plays wide receiver and Justin Williams works out at either running back or wide receiver, 11 of the 19 commits are projected to play on the offensive side of the ball.

Florida needs to add depth on both sides of the line with this class and there are five offensive line prospects and three defensive line/edge prospects committed.

Next up: The future face of the program?

The Gators staff is still holding out hope for Kreul and even if he doesn't choose Florida, his recruitment is one that will likely stay active until the Early Signing Period. If he can get back on campus for one of the games, that could be a big deal. 

Five-star defensive back Bralan Womack could be that special diamond that the Gators need to round up the 2026 class. He will be making his announcement on August 21 and Florida is going to be among the finalists. Right now, Auburn and Ohio State are the big threats. 

But with the season approaching, the focus widens a bit beyond the 2026 class. Florida is already trending heavily for 2027 five-star quarterback Elijah Haven. Right now, I would consider Haven to be the top priority overall. If Haven joins the 2027 class in the next few weeks or months, it would give the Gators a major leg up nationally for that recruiting cycle.