Gators Leading for Priority WR Target After Strong Junior Day Visit

The Florida Gators have positioned themselves nicely for a four-star receiver in the 2027 recruiting class who is planning a return trip this summer.

The Florida Gators have positioned themselves nicely for a four-star receiver in the 2027 recruiting class. | Kyle Lander / Florida Gators on SI

After visiting with the Florida Gators over the weekend, Jon Sumrall and staff have seemingly positioned themselves well for priority wide receiver target Anthony Jennings, a composite top-215 In-state prospect out of Fort Lauderdale.

Jennings was one of many talented recruits in the Swamp for Florida’s second Junior Day event this 2027 cycle, while the eighth-ranked receiver in the state of Florida left campus with the Gators reportedly at the top of his list after visiting the school for the first time under the new staff.

“(The visit) was great,” Jennings told Florida Gators on SI. “The new staff was great. A good group of guys that came together to try and make Florida a better place, and they want me to be a part of that.”

In the Swamp!!🐊🐊@CoachJonSumrall pic.twitter.com/murOhKbOG3

— Anthony "Speedy" Jennings (@speedyyeraa) January 24, 2026

Sumrall and staff have made Jennings a priority early on in this cycle, stopping by Dillard High School to meet with the elite speedster earlier in the week ahead of his visit. While they are still in the early stages of building a relationship, the talented wideout has seen a consistent message from Florida in his recruitment.

“Their message mainly was that I’m their top guy in the ‘27 class,” Jennings said after the mid-week visit. “I have the ability to come in and play early.”

With plans to narrow his list of schools down to just 10 in the near future, the Gators now seem firmly set amongst a list of contenders for the playmaker with over 15 Division I offers. After a successful weekend in the swamp, a trip back to Gainesville is already in the works.

“Oh yeah, for sure,” Jennings said on if Florida would get an official visit in the future. “Still working on it, but definitely in early June."

My Guys!!🐊@CoachDavisWR @CoachBKennard pic.twitter.com/weoY12Tlg5

— Anthony "Speedy" Jennings (@speedyyeraa) January 24, 2026

The elite prospect fits the mold of what Sumrall hopes to consistently draw to the university and is one of the many in-state prospects Florida is after initially on the trail. The Gators have seemingly made such Florida talent a priority early on, while already landing a top-10 player in the state Saturday, American Heritage cornerback Amare Nugent.

“It starts here at home. We're privileged to be in the state of Florida, which has got just such a great hotbed for not just high school football players but great coaches, and we don't have to go very far to find what we need to win championships,” Sumrall said in his introductory press conference. “This is a unique environment because I'm going to have an opportunity to recruit the best players in the country. Like there's no reason why we shouldn't attract the very top end of the talent... That excites me.”

Jennings is a perfect example of a close-to-home talent that the Gators will need to secure in hopes of re-establishing the once strong standard of the program, with the successful weekend visit likely to help down the road in a 2027 cycle still a long way from over.