Florida Gators Land Top In-State QB Recruit Over Georgia, Auburn

The Florida Gators landed one of their biggest priority targets in the 2027 class Thursday, with Sarasota (Fla.) Cardinal Mooney four-star quarterback Davin Davidson announcing his commitment to the program over finalists Georgia, Kentucky and Auburn.

He was previously predicted to choose the Gators by multiple recruiting outlets and experts.

Davidson, one of the fastest risers in this year's cycle, sits at 6-foot-6 and 215 pounds with one of the more live arms in the entire country. Once ranked the No. 71 quarterback in the class as recently as January, the Sarasota product has shot up the rankings to the composite 154th-ranked player nationally and 13th quarterback after multiple strong showings at camps this offseason, including being named ‘Alpha dog’ of Elite 11 Miami.

He is also rated as the No. 1 quarterback in the state of Florida in the Rivals Industry Ranking.

In his first full season starting for Cardinal Mooney, Davidson threw for 2,497 yards and 24 touchdowns, leading the Cougars to a 14-1 record and a state title. The athletic prospect has all the traits Florida’s new staff seems to be looking for at the position.

In previous press availabilities, quarterbacks coach Joe Craddock detailed how pocket presence and accuracy are two key things he looks for when recruiting. On Thursday, he went further into how love for the game and toughness set apart recruits he is researching.

"I'm looking for guys that, number one, love football. If you don't love football, you'll never make it," quarterbacks coach Joe Craddock detailed on Thursday. "... I want guys that are so starved by the love of the game that they want more, want more, and they're always in the building, and they're here early.

"... If you’re not tough and you don’t love football, you’ll never survive."

6’6 215 on the move‼️‼️ @JaredClark2 @CoachJonHaskins @SageHansard @TomLoy247 @ChadSimmons_ @Stumpf_Brian @CoachReamon pic.twitter.com/u52B1YcApM
— 4⭐️Davin Davidson (@Ddavidson_12) February 1, 2026

While Davidson is expected to still require a lot of time and development, with not much high school starting experience under his belt, the Gators clearly and quickly began to prioritize the prospect as his recruitment began to heat up early in the year. Despite being serious contenders for both five-star Elijah Haven and four-star Champ Monds IV at various times during the cycle, Davidson was made a priority as the timeline for the high-potential yet raw prospect matched perfectly with Florida’s likely plan to eventually transition from Aaron Philo or Tramell Jones Jr. to Will Griffin.

"I think you've got to find guys that are willing to, maybe not accept it, because you don't want to ever accept the fact that you’re not gonna play, but you gotta be willing to wait your turn," Craddock told Florida Gators on SI on Thursday. "We want to build this program in high school. I want to develop guys in our program, the best we can."

The highest-rated 2027 quarterback in Florida, the commitment continues Jon Sumrall’s success at landing elite in-state talent, a priority for the new Gators head coach since reaching Gainesville. It is also the latest example of Sumrall successfully landing a nationally prominent recruit in his short time with the program.

“I believe that the lifeblood of your program is recruiting good high school players, and at Florida, elite high school football players,” Sumrall said in his introductory press conference. “It starts here at home. We're privileged to be in the state of Florida which has got just such a great hotbed for not just high school football players but great coaches, and we don't have to go very far to find what we need to win championships.”

Davidson now becomes the Gators' fifth commit in the cycle, following a monumental commitment from five-star offensive lineman Maxwell Hiller on Wednesday, with the program's class continuing to move up the top-10. Florida is also still trending for multiple other premier prospects, with the new staff looking to capitalize on the serious momentum they have built on the recruiting trail.