Florida Predicted to Land Pair of 2027 Recruits

Predictions flooded in on Tuesday for the Florida Gators to land two in-state prospects in the 2027 cycle.

On3’s Blake Alderman, Chad Simmons and Corey Bender each logged predictions for the Gators to land Orlando (Fla.) The First Academy three-star defensive back Kamauri Whitfield, while Alderman placed an additional one for Wellington (Fla.) Palm Beach Central three-star defensive lineman Tyler Alexander.

Whitfield is tabbed as 247 Sports’ No. 37 overall cornerback and No. 34 overall prospect in Florida in the 2027 class. Some of the schools to offer Whitfield include Auburn, Florida State, Oregon and Miami.

He previously committed to Tennessee before backing off that pledge on Feb. 13. The 5-foot-10.5, 185-pound defensive back had been part of the Volunteers class since last October.

However, coaching changes at both Florida and Tennessee this offseason cracked the door open for the Gators. Furthermore, the in-state product attended the Gators Junior Day near the beginning of January. Since then, head coach Jon Sumrall has made Whitfield a priority.

The rising senior plans on officially visiting the Gators in a couple of months. He scheduled his official visit to Gainesville for May 28.

Much like Whitfield’s recruitment, the Gators and Sumrall are placing a lot of their focus on Alexander. Alexander is a 6-foot-5, 300-pound lineman who ranks as the No. 41 defensive lineman and No. 44 overall prospect in Florida in the 2027 cycle, according to Rivals.

A helping hand in Alexander’s recruitment is that the Gators offered the defensive lineman early. He received a verbal scholarship offer from Florida on Dec. 19.

Alexander has multiple visits to Florida scheduled for the spring and summer. The first is on March 7. Then, he has an official visit to the Gators starting on June 11.

Other teams have also followed the Gators in offering. Programs such as Ohio State, Texas A&M, Florida State, Texas and Notre Dame are interested in the defensive lineman.

Florida currently has one commit in its 2027 class. Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) American Heritage four-star defensive back Amare Nugent is the lone pledge for Sumrall, having committed to the Gators back on Jan. 24. The 5-foot-11, 178-pound defensive back is the No. 105 overall prospect in the 2027 cycle, according to 247Sports.

Despite the lack of fireworks for the 2027 cycle, the Gators are involved in many high-profile recruitments.

One recruit the Gators are working tirelessly to attain is five-star offensive lineman Maxwell Hiller. Hiller is the No. 5 overall prospect in the 2027 class and released a top four of Alabama, Florida, Ohio State, and Tennessee. Early information on his recruitment indicates that the Gators and Crimson Tide are near the top, according to On3’s Steve Wiltfong.

On the other side of the ball, the Gators are putting a strong foot forward in Maleek Lee’s recruitment. He visited Florida earlier in February, raving about his time in Gainesville.

“Florida definitely caught my attention early. After the offer, they’ve become a serious contender for me,” Lee told Florida Gators on SI after the visit. “I like what they’re building, and I’m taking them seriously in my decision.”

There is a long way to go in the 2027 cycle, but Gators head coach Jon Sumrall and his staff intend to make high school recruiting a point of emphasis.

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