Florida’s run on the recruiting trail picked up again with a major front-line addition: four-star 2028 offensive tackle Samuel Bailey has committed to the Gators.
Bailey, who plays at Mae Jemison High School in Huntsville, Alabama, is listed at 6-foot-6 ½ and 290 pounds. His pledge came after he was back in Gainesville for Florida’s 52-28 win over Ole Miss, a visit that clearly left an impression.
" Jon Sumrall coming for the whole SEC, actually, the whole country," Bailey told Swamp247 following the game.
This wasn’t Bailey’s first time on campus, either. He was previously at Florida for Friday Night Lights and Grille in the Ville at the end of June before returning Saturday.
Before the game, Bailey got a close-up look at the offensive line and saw how offensive line coach Phil Trautwein worked with the group in pregame. Then came the game itself, and the atmosphere inside the Swamp only added to the appeal.
"I would hate being the opposing team heaving to play here," Bailey said.
Florida’s performance on the field mattered, but Bailey also made it clear the staff’s approach stood out. The Gators treated him like a priority, and that mattered in the end.
"Florida definitely came out and handled business. They need way more respect to their name."
Bailey picked Florida over Ohio State, Alabama, South Carolina, Ole Miss, Tennessee and LSU.
For Trautwein, it’s another notable win. In Florida’s 2027 class, he already helped land five-star interior offensive lineman Maxwell Hiller, the highest-ranked recruit to commit to Florida in over a decade and the program’s first five-star offensive lineman commitment in more than 10 years. The Gators also added four-star center Peyton Miller and one of the country’s top offensive tackles in Elijah Hutcheson.
Now Bailey joins that group.
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