Gators Make Top Eight for 4-Star Safety

Cortez Redding's finalists include the Florida Gators alongside Auburn, Indiana, LSU, Miami, NC State and Ole Miss.

Florida Gators co-defensive coordinator Vinnie Sunseri watches a drill during spring football practice at Heavener Football Complex at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL on Thursday, March 6, 2025. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun] | Matt Pendleton / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Florida Gators are in play for a blue-chip safety prospect in the class of 2026.

Four-star Cortez Redding of Jonesboro (Ga.) on Friday released his top eight schools, naming Florida, Auburn, Florida State, Indiana, LSU, Miami, NC State and Ole Miss as his finalists. Redding (6-0, 175 pounds) is a top 20 prospect at his position, according to On3, 247 Sports and ESPN, with ESPN listing him as the No. 14 safety recruit in the country.

🚨NEWS🚨 4-star safety Cortez Redding is down to 8️⃣ schools.

Read: https://t.co/efpo5vTHcS pic.twitter.com/ToEeafYpQk

— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) March 14, 2025

While Florida is listed among his final schools, Redding has consistently spent time with NC State with a coach's visit on Jan. 27 and an unofficial visit on campus on Feb. 1. He is scheduled to take an official visit with the Wolfpack on June 6.

Redding has also scheduled summer official visits with Miami for May 30 and Ole Miss for June 13.

Miami receiving an official visit isn't a surprise either after Redding recently praised the Hurricanes' history, namely videos of Sean Taylor and Ray Lewis he watched as a kid, to On3's Chad Simmons.

Though he hasn't announced a specific date for his commitment, Redding is expected to announce his decision in August once he wraps up his official visits, according to On3.

Gators 2026 Recruiting

As it stands the Gators are finalists for 21 other recruits in the class of 2026.

Rounding out the extensive group of recruits to list Florida as a finalist are running backs Jae Lamar and Jonaz Walton; receivers Mason James, Cederian Morgan and Calvin Russell; offensive linemen Edward Baker, Zyon Guiles, Immanuel Iheanacho, Heze Kent, Felix Ojo, Canon Pickett and Sam Rosenborough; defensive linemen Vodney Cleveland, James Johnson, JaReylan McCoy and Darryus McKinley; edge rushers Zavion Griffin-Hayes, Trent Henderson and Jake Kreul; and defensive backs Tyriq Green and Bralan Womack.

Florida also recently received crystal balls to land four-star linebacker Malik Morris and four-star offensive lineman G'Nivre Carr, both of whom have yet to release their finalists.

The Gators currently have three commits in its 2026 recruiting class in four-star quarterback Will Griffin, four-star safety Devin Jackson and, most-recently, four-star linebacker Izayia Williams.

Gators Illustrated is tracking Florida's recruiting moves with the 2026 class in its recruiting tracker, which can be found here.