Florida’s 2027 class picked up a major frontcourt piece on Saturday, with four-star center Kamsi Awaka pledging to the Gators.
Awaka, a 6-foot-10, 250-pound big man at Blair Academy in Blairstown, New Jersey, chose Florida over Michigan, Michigan State, UConn and Arizona. He becomes commitment No. 2 in the Gators’ 2027 group, joining four-star Ian Condon, who committed last week.
Florida got involved late, offering Awaka at the end of July, but the connection clicked quickly. The Gators left a strong early impression after a Zoom meeting, and that momentum carried into his recruitment.
"I had a zoom with them, and thought they were all great people," Awaka told Swamp247.
What pulled Florida into the top tier for Awaka went beyond the program’s recent results. He was drawn to how the Gators use their post players, and Todd Golden played a role in the push as well. When Awaka took an official visit to Gainesville in mid-September, he got a closer look at the operation.
"Their team is really good. They're looked at as one of the teams that can win it all this year. They won it all in 2025 with some the same guys on this year's team," Awaka said.
Awaka arrives with strong national standing. He’s ranked as the No. 5 center in the country, the No. 1 recruit in New Jersey and the No. 41 overall prospect in the 2027 class.
The scouting profile backs up why Florida wanted him in the fold. At 6-foot-10 with a broad frame and a 7-foot-4 wingspan, Awaka brings size that shows up immediately around the rim. He projects as a player who can help right away with rebounding, defense and screening, and he’s built around effort and physicality.
In 3SSB play, Awaka averaged 15 points per game on 57% shooting, but his game isn’t built around being a high-volume scorer or a flashy finisher. He’s described as a strong-handed big who can pass, roll hard, finish with either hand and attack the offensive glass, where he averaged 3.9 rebounds per game. His free throw stroke remains mechanical, though it has improved, with Awaka hitting 57% on more than six attempts per game.
On the other end, he moves well enough for his size, even if his hip alignment can be an issue. He isn’t limited to drop coverage, can hold his ground for a few steps and usually ends up in the right place. He also blocks shots at a strong clip, averaging 3.3 per game, while using his size to bother opponents even when he doesn’t get a piece of the ball.
The evaluation from 247sports Director of Scouting Adam Finkelstein is straightforward: Awaka may not become an offensive centerpiece, but he can influence winning in plenty of other ways. The profile also notes that his game resembles that of his older brother, former Arizona big man Tobe Awaka, only with a few more inches added.
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Floridas frontcourt pipeline got another boost with the commitment of four-star center Kamsi Awaka in the 2027 recruiting class. He joins four-star forward Ian Condon in a group that already points to Todd Golden keeping the Gators stocked with size, and it fits the broader direction of a program that has leaned into developing big men who can affect the game in multiple ways.
That matters because the Gators have also seen real growth from current pieces like Rueben Chinyelu and Alex Condon, giving the roster a stronger interior foundation than it has had in recent seasons. With recent NCAA Tournament runs helping raise the standard, another high-level frontcourt addition only sharpens the long-term outlook, even if the full payoff is still a couple of years away. [Read more 🡒]
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