Florida Gators move one step closer toward locking down versatile recruit from a bitter rival

The Gators make the top-five for athlete Braden Gordon. and they hold an advantage over the other four.

Tyler Forness NFL & College Football News Writer
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Montgomery Academy's Braden Gordon (4) stiff arms Lee-Scott's Preston Huguley (3) at Montgomery Academy in Montgomery, Ala. on Friday, Nov. 14, 2025. Montgomery Academy leads Lee-Scott 28-0 at halftime.
Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Florida Gators head coach Jon Sumrall is doing a great job in terms of high school recruiting ahead of spring practice beginning in a few weeks.

Right now, the Gators are trending positively for multiple five-star recruits. They are at the top of the list for offensive lineman Maxwell Hiller, secured a visit with Texas Longhorns commit wide receiver Easton Royal, and are making waves with offensive lineman Kennedy Brown.

Florida Gators make top-five for versatile defender Braden Gordon

On Saturday, four-star athlete Braden Gordon released his top-five schools, and the Gators were on there, along with the Miami Hurricanes, Auburn Tigers, Kentucky Wildcats, and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

Gordon, who is being viewed mainly as a linebacker, has been to Gainesville on multiple occasions, but recently took his first visit to the program under Sumrall. He came away very impressed from that visit.

“Florida went way up after my visit in January,” Gordon told Rivals. “They had a new staff, and I didn’t know how I would gel with them, but after being there, things went really well.

“The culture really jumped out. Coach Sumrall is making players earn everything. He is not giving anything to his players. He’s a great guy, and the vibe is completely different. You can feel that change. They made me feel very wanted too.”

Gordon is the 272nd overall prospect and 14th-rank athlete per the Rivals’ Industry Ranking. He thrives at both running back and linebacker, but the latter is where the Gators are currently pursuing him, with linebackers coach Greg Gasparato leading his recruitment.

Per the Rivals Recruiting Prediction Machine, the Gators sit at 60.1%, quadruple the odds of Auburn in second place at 14.1 percent. Gordon has scheduled his official visit to Gainesville for the weekend of June 11, and that could be what seals the deal for Sumrall.