Gators DB Target Trims Top Schools Before Impending Commitment

Florida remains among finalists for 2024 defensive back Jaylen Heyward after trimming the list to four a day before his impending commitment.

Update: On Thursday, just one day before his commitment, Florida Gators defensive back target Jaylen Heyward cut his top schools list to four.

The Rockledge (Fla.) High School safety prospect — and former teammate of recent Florida enrollee offensive lineman Bryce Lovett — placed Florida alongside Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State as the schools he will choose from on Friday.

Final Four!! Where’s 🏡? @Andrew_Ivins @SWiltfong247 @247Sports @BFBaumgartner @RyanCallahan247 @CoachYounger14 @TRONE2 @RockFootball1 pic.twitter.com/YtOxLUja9F

— Jaylen “Ap” Heyward (@Jayasii) January 12, 2023

He is set to commit at 2:30 p.m. EST on 247Sports’ Youtube channel.

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Rockledge (Fla.) High defensive back and a target of Florida's in the class of 2024, Jaylen Heyward will announce his college commitment on Friday, Jan. 13 at 2:30 p.m. EST during a ceremony at his school, he shared on Wednesday. 

The decision will be live-streamed on Heyward's Instagram. 

Despite cutting his list of finalists to six in October, Heyward will choose from one of the following schools, he shared via Florida Today: Florida, Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State and Tennessee. The Buffaloes were added to the group following Deion Sanders' hiring as CU's head coach in December.

A prep teammate of Florida 2023 offensive tackle signee Bryce Lovett, Heyward has been on the Gators' radar for some time. 

He earned an offer from Billy Napier's coaching staff during an unofficial visit last March and returned to campus three times before the end of the year, including for Florida's Week 1 victory over Utah in September. 

Heyward has posted 79 tackles, five interceptions, 14 defended passes and three forced fumbles across his sophomore and junior seasons at Rockledge. He's primarily manned the role of outside cornerback to this point but is considered a strong projection at safety given his 5-foot-11, 175-pound frame and noted long-distance speed as a track athlete.

Florida welcomed six defensive backs from the high school ranks during the 2023 early signing period — cornerbacks Dijon Johnson, Ja'Keem Jackson and Aaron Gates, safeties Jordan Castell and Bryce Thornton and nickel corner Sharif Denson — and is expected to remain aggressive with secondary recruiting in the 2024 cycle. 

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