Florida Gators HC Billy Napier is turning up the heat in recruiting, commitment date set for top wide receiver

Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier doesn't have a lot of commitments so far with the 2026 recruiting class, but there are a lot of irons he's got hot in the fire. The two big areas of focus right now are at wide receiver and in the secondary. The Gators are in the drivers seat […]

Tyler Forness — NFL & College Football News Writer
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2026 four-star wide receiver Calvin Russell
Andrew Irvins 247 sports

Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier doesn't have a lot of commitments so far with the 2026 recruiting class, but there are a lot of irons he's got hot in the fire.

The two big areas of focus right now are at wide receiver and in the secondary. The Gators are in the drivers seat for multiple players in the secondary, including elite in-state cornerback CJ Hester. 

Things are very similar at wide receiver, with Napier working a lot of different angles, including an elite player out of Texas who profiles similarly to Percy Harvin.

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Florida Gators in serious contention for WR Calvin Russell

It isn't just that the Gators are targeting multiple wide receivers, they are also looking at different archetypes. Napier is also targeting a bigger-bodied player in Calvin Russell out of Opa Locka, Florida. He is set to announce his commitment on July 5th.

It's set to be an important weekend for the Gators, as safety Jireh Edwards (July 5th) and cornerback Chauncey Kennon (July 6th) are also set to commit over Fourth of July weekend.

Russell is a supremely talented player who ranks as the fourth-best wide receiver, second-best player in Florida, and the 33rd overall recruit per the On3 Industry Ranking. He's only visited two schools officially: Florida on May 16th and a scheduled visit at Florida State on June 15th.

As things currently sit, the Gators at 21% sit behind the Miami Hurricanes at 28.7%. The Hurricanes haven't hosted Russell on an official visit, but he's been on campus six times. It's easy to make it over to Coral Gables, as his hometown is just 11 miles from campus.

Napier will need to work hard against two in-state rivals to secure his commitment, as Russell would give the Gators size on the outside they don't currently have.

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