Florida will get a close look at one of the country’s most sought-after young backs on Saturday, when four-star 2028 running back Zaiden Jernigan visits campus for the Gators’ season opener against Florida Atlantic.
Jernigan, who measures 5-foot-10 and 195 pounds, is the top-ranked running back in Mississippi and already has a crowded list of suitors. Florida is one of 10 visits on his schedule, and he told Swamp247 the Gators were “top five.”
That matters because this stage of the process is still early, but the visit slate gives programs a chance to make some noise before things get more serious. Florida is trying to get ahead in a race that already includes Mississippi State, Alabama and several other Power Four schools.
The production is easy to see why. Jernigan posted 1,806 all-purpose yards and 24 touchdowns last season. As a freshman, he piled up 1,798 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns, while also adding 266 receiving yards and three more scores.
He was a major reason Louisville High School reached the Mississippi Class 4A State championship game, and he brings more than football speed to the table. Jernigan is also a track standout, with 100-meter times nearly 11.2 seconds.
In the rankings, he checks in as the No. 94 overall prospect in the 2028 class and the No. 2 running back in the 247Sports composite. On3’s industry rankings are even higher on him, slotting him at No. 44 overall and No. 2 at the position. He’s also listed as the top recruit in Mississippi.
The offer sheet keeps growing, too. Jernigan has 24 offers, including 11 other SEC programs such as LSU, Texas and Texas A&M. On3’s RPM prediction currently gives Mississippi State the best odds to land him at 19.5%, with Ole Miss next at 17.1% and Auburn at 14.6%.
In Other News...
Florida Fans May Feel Different About That Lane Kiffin Miss Now
Lane Kiffins name has a way of circling back into Florida conversations, and this time it is tied to more than just coaching nostalgia. LSU and Kiffin are caught up in a legal dispute with the SEC over roster rules involving players taking part in NFL preseason games, while the league is also reportedly weighing ways to limit LSUs scheduling opportunities. For Gators fans who remember how often Kiffin was discussed before Florida went in a different direction in 2021, it is another reminder that his profile has never exactly been ordinary.
A recent Vanity Fair piece also revisited concerns about Kiffins behavior during his Alabama tenure, adding another layer to the reputation that has followed him for years. Florida passed on pursuing him as its head coach in 2021 in part because of those kinds of questions, and the latest round of headlines makes that decision look different in hindsight. Whether that will matter in the long run is another matter, but it is hard to ignore how much baggage has come back into view. [Read more 🡒]
DJ Lagway Was Carrying More Than Florida Fans Realized Last Season
DJ Lagways first season as Floridas quarterback was tougher than the box scores suggested. Ross Dellengers profile puts some of that weight in sharper focus, with comments from Lagways mother and former teammate DeBraun Hampton about the emotional strain and injuries he was dealing with while trying to carry the offense. Even in a year that included a five-interception loss to LSU, Lagway still finished with enough production to show why the Gators leaned on him so heavily.
The bigger picture now is what comes next, because Lagway is expected to open the 2026 season healthy with Baylor. For Florida fans, that makes the story of his 2025 struggles feel less like a postmortem and more like context for how much he was asked to handle behind the scenes. The numbers were uneven, but the season was about more than turnovers and passing totals, and that is the part that may stick with those around the program. [Read more 🡒]
Brad Whites Florida Defense Is Starting To Raise A Big 2026 Question
Brad White has not laid out the full blueprint for Floridas 2026 defense yet, but he has made one thing clear: the Gators are heading toward a multiple-front look built around flexibility in personnel. That alone is enough to spark interest in Gainesville, especially with White bringing a track record from Kentucky that was defined by safe zone coverage and a strong front four, with results that could be uneven when the competition stepped up. For Florida, the appeal is obvious if the scheme can match the roster, and the staff appears to believe this version of the defense will be different for more than one reason.
The bigger question now is how much of Whites old identity follows him to Florida and how much gets left behind. Kentuckys formula fit some opponents well enough, but Floridas coaching staff seems to view this as a chance to build something less rigid and more tailored to the players on hand. If the Gators are going to get where they want on defense, the answer may not just be about fronts and coverage calls, but whether White is willing to lean into a philosophy that looks noticeably unlike the one he used before. [Read more 🡒]