Florida added another major piece to its 2028 recruiting haul Monday, landing Huntsville (Ala.) Mae Jemison four-star offensive lineman Samuel Bailey.
Bailey, a 6-6, 305-pound tackle, picked the Gators over Alabama, LSU, Ohio State and Ole Miss. Rivals lists him as the No. 23 overall prospect and the No. 4 offensive tackle in the 2028 class.
His decision came with a clear explanation. According to Rivals’ Chad Simmons, Bailey pointed to his relationship with the staff and the direction of the program as the biggest factors in his commitment.
“I really believe in what Coach Sumrall is building at Florida,” he said.
Bailey gives Florida its first offensive line pledge in the 2028 cycle and becomes the third commit in the class overall, joining Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna four-star wide receiver Armani Strong and Blountstown (Fla.) four-star safety Cyion Smith. Smith made his commitment Saturday, just before Florida’s 52-28 win over Ole Miss.
Bailey was on hand for that game, one that drew more than 70 recruits from the 2027, 2028 and 2029 classes. Afterward, head coach Jon Sumrall talked about the role recruiting can play in speeding up the program’s turnaround.
“We had some recruits here this weekend. I mean, a recruiting list that we get a lot of those guys to say yes, we're going to wake the beast up real fast,” he said.
“We're going to wake it up with the guys we've got. I love the guys we've got.
But we still have to reinforce our roster, the depth of our roster to look like maybe the top, top, top teams in the country. We still aren't, maybe just depth, where we can roll out the next guy and it's like there's very little drop-off.”
Florida is also trending for several other 2028 targets, including Sarasota four-star quarterback Hudson West, Venice four-star wide receiver Tyree Mannings Jr., Tampa Carrollwood Day four-star wide receiver Derrell Hines Jr., four-star edge Antonio Thomas Jr., Lakeland four-star cornerback Dominick Harris-Payne, Tallahassee Florida State University School four-star corner Izayah Vickers and four-star wide receiver Bubba Brown, along with Vero Beach three-star defensive tackle Josiah Taylor.
Even this early in the cycle, the Gators’ 2028 class is already drawing notice. Rivals’ Industry Composite has Florida ranked fourth nationally and third in the SEC, while the 247 Sports Composite has the group fifth in the country.
In Other News...
Florida Is Suddenly Right In The Middle Of A Five-Star WR Fight
Florida has suddenly found itself in the thick of another high-end recruiting battle, this time for Easton Royal, one of the top wide receiver prospects in the 2027 class. Royal is committed to Texas for now, but he has been making the rounds with official visits to Florida, LSU and Ole Miss, which is usually the kind of movement that gets rival staffs and fan bases paying close attention.
Royal said he could see himself playing at Florida, and he is reportedly close to a decision, which puts the Gators squarely in the conversation as the process starts to narrow. With NIL factors continuing to shape the recruiting landscape, the uncertainty around his commitment only adds to the intrigue, and Florida appears to be pushing to stay in the mix until the final call is made. [Read more 🡒]
Florida's Playoff Push Now Comes Down To One Early Test
Florida has suddenly found itself with a real playoff pathway, at least on paper, and the projections are starting to reflect it. ESPN analysts Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach, along with On3s Andy Staples, all see a clear route to the 12-team College Football Playoff in 2026, and ESPNs FPI backs that up by giving the Gators a 49.4% chance to get in. With Florida favored in every remaining game except Texas and Georgia, the margin for error looks manageable, but also fragile in the way these seasons tend to be.
Missouri now looms as the first real measuring stick for head coach Jon Sumralls group, because the Gators momentum has to survive a game like this if the bigger picture is going to hold. Florida does not need a perfect finish to keep its postseason hopes alive, but it does need to keep proving it can handle the kind of matchup that can quietly change the tone of a season, especially with Texas and Georgia still waiting in the background. [Read more 🡒]
Florida's Ole Miss Breakout Just Put Three Gators In The Spotlight
Floridas win over Ole Miss did more than add another SEC victory to the ledger. It also pushed three Gators into the conference spotlight, with Jadan Baugh earning Offensive Player of the Week, London Montgomery taking Special Teams Player of the Week and Bryce Lovett being recognized as Offensive Lineman of the Week after key roles in the 52-28 result.
Baugh paced the ground game with 142 rushing yards and three touchdowns, while Montgomery gave Florida a lift in the return game with 128 kick return yards, including a 74-yard burst. Lovetts day was just as important in the trenches, where he posted a 100% block rate and did not allow a quarterback pressure, the kind of quiet dominance that helps make a blowout like this possible. [Read more 🡒]