Florida Gators secure major signings on defense, giving new head coach Jon Sumrall elite talents to build his defense around
New defensive coordinator Brad White is going to have a great time working with JaReylan McCoy and KJ Ford.
The Florida Gators have done a really good job with their recruiting class after the firing of Billy Napier. They didn’t lose a single one of their 19 commitments until a couple days after the hiring of head coach Jon Sumrall. That one was four-star running back Carsyn Baker, and he is still considering the Gators.
Even with Baker wavering about his commitment, the Gators are in a good spot with how the recruiting class is coming along. Sumrall met with recruits on a zoom call earlier this week to answer any questions they may have. It seems to have worked, as things continue to look great. Early national signing day is here, and the Gators are thriving.
JaReylan McCoy and KJ Ford sign with Florida Gators
Early on in the recruiting process, things didn’t look great when it came to the defensive line. They continued to finish second in multiple recruitments, but they were able to land some major impact players.
The first one is edge rusher JaReylan McCoy, who is a massive player at 6-6 and 265 lbs.
McCoy ranks as a five-star recruit per ESPN and the 12th-ranked player overall. Per the Rivals Industry Composite, McCoy is a four-star who ranks 155th in the country. They beat out Ole Miss for his commitment, and his size and versatility will be a huge weapon for the Gators.
The other major commitment came from edge rusher KJ Ford out of Duncanville, Texas.
He is a consensus four-star recruit and the 18th-ranked edge rusher. The Gators had to work really hard to keep Ford in Gainesville, as there were multiple other programs working hard to flip him. They weren’t able to get it done, and Ford is a sincere difference maker on the defensive line. Pair him with McCoy and new defensive coordinator Brad White is going to have a lot of weapons to work with on the defensive line.
The recruiting class is shaping up really well, and Sumrall is already doing a great job.
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