Florida Gators Offer Trio of Middle School Stars

The Florida Gators are working to get the ball rolling early on some recruits who have yet to play at the high school level

Jon Sumrall is looking to lock down talent for down the road | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

In the competitive landscape that is college football recruiting, programs have proven they’ll go to unusual lengths to gain an edge.

What was once unprecedented has quietly become the norm, with coaches no longer waiting until high school to get a head start. 

While these offers are only verbal and not official, they help coaches establish an early relationship with these athletes before the floodgates open on their recruiting.

As new Florida Gators head coach Jon Sumrall gets the ball rolling at his new program, he has reportedly extended verbal offers to three intriguing middle school prospects.

Based on posts made to their personal X pages, Florida has offered Class of 2030 prospects Patrick Ryan Jr., Reede Harriott, and Jonathan Sawyer, who are all South Florida natives and currently in eighth grade.

Each player was offered by new Gators cornerback coach Brandon Harris Jr., who also hails from South Florida, where he spent time as a player at the University of Miami and a coach at Florida International University.

Patrick Ryan Jr.

The 5-foot-11, 150-pound wide receiver was recently named an Under Armour All-American and is also a US Army Middle School All-American.

Ryan Jr. is expected to attend powerhouse Miami Northwestern High School, the same school that produced prospects like five-star Syracuse commit Calvin Russell III and NFL Pro Bowler Teddy Bridgewater. Gators defensive back J’Vari Flowers, who recently re-signed with the program, is also a Northwestern alum.

According to his X profile, he also received offers from Florida State, LSU, Southern Miss and Sacramento State.

Reede Harriott

Just a few miles north in Fort Lauderdale is another highly-touted middle school prospect. 

Harriott reported his first offer from the University of Miami on Nov. 24 and has received some significant attention since.

The 5-foot-8, 140-pound athlete has also received offers from FIU, Florida State, LSU and Auburn.

The 13-year-old is expected to attend St. Thomas Aquinas High School, where his father, Roger, serves as the head coach. Last year, Harriott was named the 2025 National Football Coach of the Year by High School Football America. 

Gators edge rusher Tyreak Sapp previously played under the elder Harriot during his high school career.

Jonathan Sawyer

The 6-foot, 180-pound athlete rounds out the South Florida-based trio. 

Sawyer joined Ryan Jr. at the Under Armour All-American Game earlier in the week and has reported offers from several major universities. 

Besides Florida, he has also posted offers from Auburn, Florida State, LSU and FIU.