Florida’s push for Hudson West looks a little more justified after the Sarasota quarterback opened his preseason with a performance that turned heads.
West, the Gators’ top 2028 quarterback target, led Sarasota to a 38-24 win over Hillsborough in Friday’s Kickoff Classic and said afterward that he threw for more than 300 yards with three passing touchdowns and one rushing score. It was the kind of night that gave Florida fans a fresh look at why the program has been so aggressive in his recruitment.
The film West posted from the game backs up the numbers. He spent plenty of snaps under pressure and absorbed several hits, but he kept his composure throughout.
One of the first clips shows him sliding left in the pocket, stepping up through traffic and firing a 45-yard strike downfield while getting hit as he released the ball. That pattern showed up again and again: pressure came, but panic didn’t.
He can run, but scrambling doesn’t appear to be his first answer when the pocket collapses.
West is listed as a 6-foot-4½, 185-pound quarterback from Sarasota High and is currently a three-star prospect. 247Sports has him as the No. 23 quarterback in the class, while Rivals slots him as a low-tier three-star and ESPN does not have him ranked yet. In 2025, he threw for 2,836 yards with 26 touchdowns and five interceptions.
Florida offered West after Friday Night Lights in June, and the Gators have stayed in front in his recruitment. 247Sports Crystal Ball and Rivals RPM both currently favor Florida. He also holds offers from FSU, Georgia Tech, Kentucky and Syracuse, among others.
West first emerged more clearly on Florida fans’ radar after that June visit, and the evaluation from then still fits what he put on display Friday: he uses his frame well, stays tall in the pocket and gets the ball out quickly without looking rushed. He also showed he’s not the kind of quarterback who locks onto one read and forces the issue.
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