The 2027 NBA Draft is shaping up to be a senior class worth watching closely, and the NIL era has changed the math around it. Freshmen have more reason than ever to stay in college and cash in, but seniors have become just as valuable in draft conversations. What used to be a group pushed toward the back end of the board now has players climbing into the first round and even the lottery.
Three names sit at the top of that senior conversation.
Florida’s frontcourt gives the Gators a chance to be the best rebounding team in college basketball, and Alex Condon is a huge part of that equation. Todd Golden’s team is viewed as a favorite to win its second title in three years, and Condon’s versatility is one of the reasons why.
The 6-foot-11 Australian averaged 15.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.4 blocks last season, and he looks ready for a bigger scoring jump, especially around the rim. With Florida loaded with offense, Condon has a chance to separate himself as a double-double threat and a shot-blocking force alongside Rueben Chinyelu.
Thomas Haugh also decided to come back to Gainesville for the 2026-27 season, and that announcement only strengthened Florida’s case at the top of the national picture. The 6-foot-9 forward brings a 6-foot-11 wingspan, a high motor and a game that covers a lot of ground.
Last season, he put up 17.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.1 steals and a block per game. Haugh can battle inside, defend, rebound, stretch the floor and even score off the dribble, which makes him one of the most complete forwards in the country.
He is already a heavy favorite to win the National Player of the Year award, and if his production rises again while he remains central to Florida’s two-way identity, his 2027 draft stock could take off.
Then there’s Milan Momcilovic, who arrives in Kentucky after putting together one of the most dangerous shooting seasons in college basketball. Last year at Iowa State, he hit an absurd 48.7% from three and averaged 16.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per game.
He now moves into Mark Pope’s offense after thriving in a defense-first system with the Cyclones. At 6-foot-8, Momcilovic already stood out among upperclassmen before the withdrawal deadline for the 2026 NBA Draft, and if the shot keeps falling at the same rate, he should be even higher on the 2027 board.
His off-ball movement is smooth, his turnovers stay low and his gravity is elite.
In Other News...
Florida Finally Got The Answer On Denzel Aberdeens 2026-27 Status
Denzel Aberdeens status for the 2026-27 season finally came into focus after a federal ruling gave the Florida guard the kind of clarity programs have been waiting on all spring. U.S. District Court Judge Charlotte Sweeney issued a preliminary injunction directing the NCAA to declare all members of the 2022 recruiting class eligible, which puts Aberdeen on track for a fifth year and keeps him in the Gators plans after his return from a season at Kentucky.
The ruling matters in Gainesville because Florida had already been operating with a sense of confidence about Aberdeens future, even as the NCAAs new five-for-five eligibility rules left some uncertainty around players from that class. Todd Golden and Scott Stricklin both sounded comfortable with the situation before the court decision, and now the Gators can move forward knowing one of their key backcourt pieces is expected to be available when that season arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Floridas Special Teams Overhaul Is Becoming A Real Gators Storyline
Special teams has quickly become more than a background job in Gainesville, and Jon Sumrall is treating it that way from the start. Florida is opening practices with special teams work, a sign of how much the new coach values the phase, and he brought a familiar package with him from Tulane in coordinator Johnathan Galante, kicker Patrick Durkin and punter Alec Clark.
For a program trying to clean up every edge it can find, the group matters in a lot of different ways. Durkin will be watched closely as the possible answer at kicker after Trey Smack, Clark is expected to help tilt field position, and the Gators also have a chance to make more noise on returns, where one clean look can change a game in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Former Gator Ricky Pearsall Faces Another Brutal NFL Setback
Ricky Pearsalls NFL career has already been marked by more adversity than anyone around the former Florida receiver would have wanted, and now the San Francisco 49ers are preparing for another long stretch without him. Pearsall, drafted in 2024, has played two professional seasons, but his 2025 campaign was limited by the same knee issue that has lingered into this year and now requires surgery.
San Francisco general manager John Lynch confirmed the procedure, underscoring how serious the setback has become for a player the 49ers still view as part of their future. The immediate picture is bleak, with another season wiped out before it starts, but the club is at least holding onto the hope that Pearsall can get back on the field in 2027. [Read more 🡒]