Florida Gators’ pursuit of five-star quarterback takes an important turn as they look to regain the momentum they once had

The Gators once had expert predictions for five-star QB Elijah Haven, and they are looking to get that back.

Tyler Forness — NFL & College Football News Writer
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Elijah Haven, five-star rated quarterback from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, arrives for the 2025 Dabo Swinney Football Camp in Clemson, S.C. Tuesday, June 3, 2025.
Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Last fall, the Florida Gators were at the top of the list for five-star quarterback Elijah Haven. Former head coach Billy Napier did a great job of building a relationship with Haven to the point that he received multiple expert predictions to commit to the Gators.

Over the past few months since Napier was let go by the Gators, Haven has been trending toward the Alabama Crimson Tide. The Baton Rouge, Louisiana native is the 14th overall recruit and the top quarterback per the Rivals’ Industry Ranking. They have three expert predictions, with the Gators still holding onto one.

Elijah Haven set to visit Gators in spring

Luckily for the Gators, they will get a chance to make an impact on Haven’s recruiting, as he is set to visit the Gators in the spring.

Haven has already been in Gainesville twice, including when the Gators beat the Texas Longhorns in The Swamp back in October. His dad, Kwame, had a lot to say about that visit.

“We have been fortunate to catch some amazing college football,” Kwame Haven, Elijah’s father, told Rivals after being in town for the win vs. Texas. “Elijah had a great time. The Swamp was a rockin’!  That was our first time visiting for a game, and Gainesville had a great aura. Elijah has developed a great relationship with staff, and it was good to see they are still able to reach the team through all of the adversity they’ve been through. That’s a great sign that they are able to get the players to tune out the noise and focus … The right fit is important to Elijah, and they made it very clear that he would not only be a priority, but that he would be taken care of like family.”

Being that Haven is going to make some visits in the spring, it could signal that a decision is coming sooner rather than later. Being able to capitalize on the visit and have head coach Jon Sumrall develop the same rapport that Napier had is crucial to flipping the momentum.

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