Florida Gators Men's Basketball Among Top Schools for Pair of Blue-Chip Recruits

The Florida Gators are among the top schools for a pair of top-100 recruits in the 2027 recruiting class.

The Florida Gators are among the top schools for a pair of top-100 recruits in the 2027 recruiting class. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

As the Florida Gators enter what is likely to be its final season with guard Denzel Aberdeen, forward Thomas Haugh, forward/center Alex Condon and center Rueben Chinyelu, the program is looking towards the high school ranks for their possible replacements.

Two targets have announced their top schools, with the Gators among the group.

Indianapolis (Ind.) Fishers four-star guard Jason Gardner Jr. last week revealed his top eight schools: Auburn, Creighton, DePaul, Florida, Indiana, Mississippi State, Ohio State and Stanford. Gardner Jr. (6-1, 185 pounds) is rated as the No. 57 overall prospect and No. 16 overall point guard in the class of 2027 by Rivals.

NEWS: 4⭐️ Jason Gardner Jr. is down to eight schools, he tells @Rivals.

The 6-1 point guard and top-60 prospect in the 2027 class has scheduled four official visits: https://t.co/FsdmySEugO pic.twitter.com/xyAJeyTf1L

— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) August 4, 2026

Additionally, Blairstown (N.J.) Blair Academy four-star center Kamsi Awaka last week revealed his top five schools: Arizona, Florida, Michigan, Michigan State and UConn. A consensus top 100 recruit, Awaka (6-10, 250 pounds) as the No. 52 overall prospect and No. 8 overall center in the 2027 recruiting cycle by 247 Sports.

NEWS: 4⭐️ Kamsi Awaka is down to five schools, he tells @Rivals.

The 6-10 center is a top-65 overall recruit in the 2027 class. https://t.co/Yi54nUVxM0 pic.twitter.com/MoK6aJu0q7

— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) August 6, 2026

As it stands, Rivals lists Ohio State as the leader for Gardner Jr., where he has taken two unofficial visits so far. He is set to return to Columbus for one of his four scheduled official visits on Oct. 3. He also has official visits scheduled to Auburn (9/19), Creighton (9/25) and Stanford (9/28).

Florida may have a stronger chance for Awaka, who appears to have a wide-open recruitment among his five finalists. Of his five finalists, Florida has the best chance, according to Rivals' Recruiting Prediction Machine, while Arizona should be noted due to familial ties. Awaka is the younger brother of 2025-26 Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year, Tobe Awaka.

Awaka currently does not have any visits scheduled.

While Gardner Jr. and Awaka are two of the recruits on Florida's radar for the future, the immediate attention remains on the upcoming 2026-27 season, where the Gators look to make up for its Round of 32 exit from last season. With the aforementioned Aberdeen, who appears poised to play a fifth year of college basketball, as well as Haugh, Condon, Chinyelu and guards Boogie Fland and Urban Klavzar, Florida enters the season as the likely preseason No. 1 team in the country.

"It's national championship or bust for this team," Haugh said this offseason. "But we're mature enough, we have a really old group now to know that, so I think we're going to be really comfortable coming in this season."

Florida opens the season on Nov. 2 against rival Miami in Tampa.

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