Florida has always been a proving ground for college football recruiting, but this cycle is showing just how far the sport has moved beyond state lines. The Sunshine State is still loaded, still coveted and still central to the national talent map. What’s changed is who’s winning the biggest battles.
Texas A&M has made the loudest statement. Four of the top five players in the USA TODAY Florida Top 100 are committed to the Aggies, and only seven of the top 25 committed players in the state have chosen an in-state school.
That kind of haul used to be rare anywhere. In Florida, it stands out even more.
Miami and Florida, though, are showing that home-state schools can still build strong classes even when the top of the board gets raided.
For Miami, the class is a mix of local wins and national strikes. The Hurricanes wanted St.
Thomas Aquinas offensive tackle Mark Matthews, the No. 1 overall player in the state, and losing him to Texas A&M stung. Miami also put together a significantly more competitive NIL package than Texas A&M for Matthews, but that wasn’t enough to land him.
Still, Mario Cristobal and his staff have done plenty of damage in Florida. Carol City wide receiver Nick Lennear, the No. 3 player in the state, is the most exciting prospect in the state and is expected to impact winning on Day 1 of his arrival. The rest of Miami’s in-state commitments are all from South Florida, keeping the local foundation intact.
The bigger story for the Hurricanes is how national their class has become. Lennear is one of three 5-stars committed to Miami, but he’s the only one from Florida.
Miami has gone into other hotbeds and come back with elite talent, flipping Long Beach Poly cornerback Donte Wright, the No. 1 overall player in California, away from his longtime Georgia commitment this spring. The Hurricanes also beat USC, Cal and UCLA for 4-star Chaparral wide receiver Eli Woodard, the No. 14 overall player in California.
Alabama has been another target area. The No. 1 and No. 4 overall players in that state have named the ‘Canes, while Miami also flipped 4-star Dothan cornerback Ai’King Hall, who had been committed to Oregon, and landed Central offensive lineman Jatori Williams over Auburn.
And Miami’s reach doesn’t stop there. The Hurricanes also flipped 5-star EDGE Jaiden Bryant, the No. 1 overall player in South Carolina, away from LSU.
Florida is building its first class under Jon Sumrall with a different kind of balance. Sumrall understood what the Gators needed, and that showed up immediately on the trail. Even recruits who didn’t end up committing have had nothing but praise for the new staff’s energy and intensity.
The in-state group is strong. Florida has seven commitments from players in the state, and all seven are ranked in the top 50 of the Florida Top 100.
That group includes the No. 1 quarterback David Davidson, ranked No. 10 overall in the state; No. 4 wide receiver Eias Pearl, ranked No. 11; No. 1 defensive lineman Stive Bentley-Yondui, ranked No. 19; and No.
1 ATH Tramond Collins, ranked No. 21.
The headliner, though, comes from outside Florida. Five-star Maxwell Hiller of Coatesville, Pa., is the consensus No.
1 IOL in the nation and one of the most coveted players in the cycle. Florida offered him late, just two weeks after Sumrall was hired and after Hiller had already taken visits to Alabama, Penn State and South Carolina.
The Gators still closed, landing a major commitment that gives the 2027 class a serious boost.
Florida’s out-of-state group also includes four-stars defensive lineman Cahron Wheeler, offensive linemen Peyton Miller and Elijah Hutcheson and running back Andrew Beard, who hail from Maryland, Texas, Virginia and Georgia.
Florida State is taking a different route, and it’s a tougher one. The Seminoles are not having the kind of home-state success that has defined their best classes, so Mike Norvell and his staff have leaned on out-of-state blue chips to keep the class respectable.
That has meant landing defensive lineman Sam LeJune out of Poplar, a top-5 player in Mississippi, over Auburn and Washington. It has meant beating Georgia for 4-star Camden County wide receiver Sean Green. It has meant pulling Baton Rouge Catholic running back Jayden Miles, the No. 11 player in Louisiana, after he took an official visit to Ohio State.
Florida State also completed the flip of Effingham County, Ga., safety Jernard Albright away from South Carolina. Those additions have helped steady the class, but the overall picture is still well below Florida State’s usual standard. The Seminoles sit at No. 57 nationally, one spot ahead of Fresno State and one behind Michigan State.
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For 16 years, Woody Hayes has been part of the rhythm of game day at Doak Campbell Stadium, the familiar public address voice that helped set the tone for Florida State football afternoons. His run began after succeeding Nick Menacof, and over time he became one of those steady details fans could count on whenever the Seminoles took the field.
Florida State has now confirmed that his football duties will end after the 2025 season, while also noting his long service and contributions to the program. Hayes will stay on as the announcer for the Seminoles mens and womens basketball games, leaving one of the most recognizable voices in Tallahassee still tied to the school even as a familiar part of Saturdays changes. [Read more 🡒]
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Mike Norvell's Job Security Could Hinge On More Than A Bowl
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