Florida Gators land expert prediction for recruit to pair with elite defender already committed

The Florida Gators are starting to get hot on the recruiting trail. Earlier this month, the Gators landed a commitment from elite linebacker Izayia Williams who is the number one linebacker in the country according to On3 Sports. On Monday afternoon. Gators Online's Corey Bender logged an expert prediction to land another elite defender in […]

Tyler Forness NFL & College Football News Writer
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Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier and Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway (2) watch during spring football practice at Heavener Football Complex at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL on Thursday, March 6, 2025.
Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun

The Florida Gators are starting to get hot on the recruiting trail. Earlier this month, the Gators landed a commitment from elite linebacker Izayia Williams who is the number one linebacker in the country according to On3 Sports.

On Monday afternoon. Gators Online's Corey Bender logged an expert prediction to land another elite defender in four-star linebacker Malik Morris from Lakeland, Florida.

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Florida Gators land expert prediction for 4-star LB Malik Morris

The biggest takeaway from Bender's prediction is how they made Morris a top priority.

As for the Gators, they are going all in and making Morris a top priority. During a spring visit to Gainesville a few weeks ago, Morris stated, “Florida fits right in my heart.” Now, sources are telling Gators Online that he’s getting closer to making a decision as well. Optimism in Gainesville has been high for months but has definitely increased in recent weeks.

Morris is the 23rd linebacker per On3's rankings but is the second-ranked linebacker per ESPN's rankings. Head coach Billy Napier and the Gators' coaching staff could see more in him than On3 does, especially since Morris was made a priority. Having him next to Williams could give the Gators an uber-talented second-level for the next four years.


It's not a guarantee that the Gators will land Morris, although they certainly seem to be in the drivers seat. Morris has visits scheduled with three teams coming up: Miami Hurricanes, Texas A&M Aggies, and the Gators, where he will be June 13-15th. They will be able to truly secure a commitment at that point.

The 2026 recruiting class has three commitments thus far with more to come:

  • Four-star LB Izayia Williams
  • Four-star QB Will Griffin
  • Three-star S Devin Jackson