Florida is in the mix for the top player in the 2028 class, and the early signs are encouraging.
No. 1 overall prospect Colton Hiller is focusing on the Gators and the Duke Blue Devils, giving Todd Golden’s program a real shot at another major recruiting win. Florida may also have a built-in edge here: Hiller’s older brother, Maxwell, is committed to the Gators football program.
That’s the latest boost for a program that has stayed near the top of college basketball. Florida won the NCAA Tournament in the 2024-25 season with a 36-4 record, then followed that up by reaching the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament in 2025-26 while finishing 27-8.
The Gators are positioned to chase another title in 2026-27, too, with a roster that already includes Boogie Fland, Rueben Chinyelu, Thomas Haugh, and Alex Condon.
Fland put together a steady season in 2025-26, averaging 11.6 points, 2.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 44.7 percent from the field and 24 percent from three. Florida is hoping for more efficiency from him, but his role on offense should remain significant.
Chinyelu gives the Gators a strong presence inside. He averaged 10.9 points, 11.2 rebounds, and a block per game last season, shooting 58.4 percent from the floor. He also won the SEC Defensive Player of the Year Award and is set to anchor the defense again.
Haugh emerged as a primary scoring option, posting 17.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.1 steals, and a block per game while shooting 46 percent from the field and 32.6 percent from beyond the arc.
Condon was another major piece, averaging 15.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.4 blocks per game while shooting 55.6 percent from the floor and 17 percent from distance.
If Florida keeps stacking future classes with talent like Hiller, the Gators should stay in the title conversation for a while.
In Other News...
Floridas Georgia Game Just Got A Lot More Unsettling
The buildup to Floridas game against Georgia has taken a familiar late-October turn, only this one comes with a deeper layer of uncertainty. The Gators top two quarterbacks, Aaron Philio and Tramell Jones Jr., are both listed as questionable because of injuries, even though coach Jon Sumrall said each practiced this week. Jones, in particular, is now dealing with fresh bumps and bruises, which only adds to the unease around a matchup that already carries plenty of weight for Florida.
If neither of them is available, Florida would be pushed down the depth chart and into a much different kind of plan with Aidan Warner or Will Griffin in line for the job. The injury picture extends beyond the quarterback room, too, with several players on both sides showing up on the report before the Oct. 31 game in Atlanta, leaving the Gators to sort through a week of uncertainty at a critical position. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Could Get A Huge Offensive Boost Before Georgia
Florida has a chance to get a key piece of its passing game back at just the right time, with wide receiver Vernell Brown III now listed as probable after missing three games because of a knee injury. Head coach Jon Sumrall and offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner both offered updates on Browns recovery, and the timing matters with Georgia up next and the Gators looking for any offensive lift they can find.
The injury report still has a few names worth monitoring, with quarterbacks Tramell Jones Jr. and Aaron Philo listed as questionable but expected to be available. Florida may also be without receiver Bailey Stockton and linebacker Jaden Robinson, who are both doubtful, but Browns return would give the offense a far more dynamic option as the Gators prepare for one of their biggest games of the season. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Could Make Georgia Sweat In Rivalry Game For One Reason
Georgia rarely walks into Jacksonville with much reason to worry about Florida, but this years rivalry game carries a little more intrigue because the Gators may be able to make the Bulldogs uncomfortable in the one spot where game plans can get scrambled fast. The Week 9 preview around college football flagged Florida as a team worth watching against Georgia, with the focus landing on the uncertainty under center and what that could mean for how the Gators approach one of the SECs biggest stages.
For Florida, the question is less about matching Georgia blow for blow and more about whether the quarterback situation gives the Gators enough stability to test a rival that is still chasing its own goals in the College Football Playoff picture. The Bulldogs are one of several ranked powers under scrutiny this week, and with the first playoff rankings approaching, even a game that usually feels familiar could carry more weight than usual if Florida can turn that uncertainty into something a little more stressful for Georgia. [Read more 🡒]