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Florida Gators' Men's Basketball Lands First 2026 Commit

Jones Lay is coming off a recent visit with the Florida Gators.
Kyle Lander|
Florida Gators head coach Todd Golden is off to a strong start for recruiting the 2026 class.
Florida Gators head coach Todd Golden is off to a strong start for recruiting the 2026 class. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

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Florida Gators men’s basketball grabbed their first commitment of the 2026 class on Tuesday, with Moravian Prep (N.C.) center Jones Lay pledging to the program, Rivals’ Joe Tipton announced on social media. 

Lay is a 7-foot center who ranks as the No. 142 overall player in the 2026 class, per Rivals. Lay has netted offers from the likes of Florida, Eastern Kentucky and South Carolina, among others. 

The newest Gator commit visited the school over the weekend, telling 247Sports’ Graham Hall that “seeing Florida practice is amazing.”

Despite not many offering him a scholarship at this point, he has had several top programs attend his AAU games over the summer. Some of the schools to watch him over the summer include Tennessee, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech and Dayton. 

Florida could be getting a diamond in the rough, a guy who is on the edge of exploding in the rankings. He is a 7-footer who is explosive in the paint while also being able to extend his range beyond the 3-point line. Having that type of size and being able to step out behind the arc is something every program covets. 

In a video released by Overtime Elite, Lay nailed 12 of his 14 3-pointers, displaying his strong shooting mechanics. 

Head coach Todd Golden is off the mark now in the 2026 class, and this certainly won’t be his only commit in the class. Golden has his eyes set on trying to add some top-tier talent in this cycle, too. 

One of those highly-touted prospects that Golden is after is small forward prospect Cole Cloer, who visited the Gators over the weekend. Cloer ranks as the No. 27 overall prospect and No. 5 prospect in the state of Florida in the 2026 class, according to 247Sports. 

Two others are Jasiah Jervis and Caleb Gaskins. Jervis is tabbed as the No. 23 overall recruit in the 2026 class by Rivals, while Gaskin comes in at No. 7 in the class. Additionally, both have scheduled official visits with Florida. 

The defending national champions begin their season on Nov. 3 against the Arizona Wildcats in Las Vegas. 

This game will mark the first time fans will be able to see transfers Xaivian Lee, Boogie Fland and AJ Brown in an orange and blue uniform. They will also have the chance to see talented freshman Alex Lloyd and CJ Ingram. In addition to the new faces, Golden has Alex Condon, Thomas Haugh, Micah Handlogten, Rueben Chinyelu and others back at his disposal in 2024-25. 

It won’t be easy for the Gators to repeat as the national champions. However, with the talent at their disposal, they should be in and around the conversation for preseason front-runners heading into the upcoming campaign.

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Kyle Lander
KYLE LANDER

Kyle Lander is a contributing writer at Florida Gators on SI. He is also a graduate of the University of Florida with a degree in journalism. On top of his writing, Kyle is a photographer for the site as well. Outside of his work with Florida Gators on SI, he likes to hike, travel, watch movies and hang out with family and friends.

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