When you look at the Florida Gators‘ recruiting under head coach Jon Sumrall, it’s been nothing short of spectacular. They currently rank eighth in the 2027 recruiting class with the No. 2 overall recruit in offensive lineman Maxwell Hiller.

With fall camp underway, recruiting has taken somewhat of a back seat. Even so, they are still making some serious progress on multiple fronts. Five-star wide receiver Brysen Wright will be visiting campus on September 26th against the Ole Miss Rebels, and they are making more progress with another intriguing weapon.

Florida Gators making progress with Georgia wide receiver

The 2028 class has just one commitment in it for the Gators, with four-star wide receiver Armani Strong out of Miami being that player. There is still 15+ months until early signing day, which will give Sumrall a lot of time to build another great class.

One player that the Gators have their eyes on is four-star wide receiver John Matthews out of Newman, Georgia. The No. 289 overall recruit and No. 39 receiver in the country is being heavily pursued by the Gators, who have already hosted Matthews on a visit twice.

Where things get interesting with the Gators’ pursuit of Matthews is their competition. The Ohio State Buckeyes have entered the race, and things could get really interesting per Rivals’ Chad Simmons.

“There is high interest in the Buckeyes, but after talking to some sources close to Matthews, Florida is one to watch closely. He has already visited Gainesville multiple times since Marcus Davis became part of Jon Sumrall‘s staff, and those relationships continue to strengthen.

Out of the schools Matthews is familiar with, the Gators are in the best position. Ohio State’s upcoming visit, and how they recruit Matthews, could significantly impact the race.”

While Brian Hartline is now at South Florida as their head coach, the Buckeyes are still the destination for wide receivers, especially with how things have evolved with their top players in the NFL. Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba were all on the same team in 2021, and all have contracts worth over $30 million per season.

Having that kind of competition for Matthews sends a couple of signals.

• He’s currently undervalued by the market going into his junior season.
• Ohio State’s interest is, in a sense, confirmation that the Gators’ belief in Matthews is correct.

This will be one to watch over the next few months.