Florida Enters A Huge Recruiting Test For A Rare Backcourt Prize

Could Cayden Daughtry's visit signal a major recruiting victory for the Florida Gators basketball program?

Florida has landed an official visit from one of the top guards in the 2027 class, as five-star point guard Cayden Daughtry is scheduled to be in Gainesville from Sept. 25-27.

Daughtry, ranked No. 3 overall in the class by 247Sports, trimmed a list of 33 scholarship offers down to 14 schools. Florida made the cut alongside Arkansas, Florida State, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisville, Miami, Michigan, Providence, Tennessee, UConn, USC, Vanderbilt and Villanova.

The Gators got in early on the 6-foot guard, offering him June 5, and that timing appears to have mattered. Daughtry plays at Calvary Christian Academy in Fort Lauderdale, so there is also a chance for additional contact with Todd Golden’s staff beyond the official visit window.

Florida is one of seven official visits on Daughtry’s calendar. He will visit Florida State from Aug.

28-30, Tennessee from Sept. 4-6, Iowa from Sept.

11-13, UConn from Sept. 19-21, Miami from Oct. 16-18 and Arkansas from Oct.

30-Nov. 1.

Daughtry’s rise has been driven by a huge summer on the circuit. He put up 25 points, five assists, four rebounds and five steals at the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions, then followed that with 36 points at The Throne. He also won gold with USA Basketball at the FIBA U17 World Cup.

The biggest jolt to his profile may have come in Nike Elite Youth Basketball League play. Daughtry led the Florida Rebels to the Peach Jam championship and became the league’s first-ever MVP. He averaged 32.3 points, 6.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 2.9 steals per game while shooting 58.6% from the field and 48.8% from 3-point range.

“Daughtry is the most skilled player in high school basketball,” 247Sports director of scouting Adam Finkelstein wrote.

Finkelstein pointed to Daughtry’s elite handle, deep pull-up shooting, floater and finishing package, along with his advanced feel in the pick-and-roll. He also noted that Daughtry keeps his turnovers low despite a heavy offensive workload, though size remains the primary question.

There is no commitment timeline yet, but an official visit is always a meaningful step. Golden has built recent Florida teams heavily through the transfer portal, and landing Daughtry would stand out as one of his biggest high school recruiting wins.

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