OL Target Sets Commitment Date, Includes Florida in Top Four

Malcom Gaston is considering the Florida Gators ahead of his commitment date in early May.

Florida Gators wide receiver Elijhah Badger (6) celebrates with teammate Florida Gators offensive lineman Knijeah Harris (77) after hauling in a pass over LSU Tigers cornerback Ashton Stamps (1) to score a touchdown during the first half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 16, 2024. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun] | Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As some of the nation's top prospects begin to narrow down their recruitment process, one interior offensive lineman has included the Florida Gators in his final schools and announced a commitment.

According to On3’s Hayes Fawcett, three-star guard Malcolm Gaston of North Augusta (SC) will be choosing between Florida, Georgia, Virginia Tech and North Carolina on May 2.

🚨NEWS🚨 IOL Malcolm Gaston will announce his commitment on May 2, @Hayesfawcett3 reports.

Gaston is down to Florida, Virginia Tech, Georgia and North Carolina.

Read: https://t.co/gRt8RPPjGf pic.twitter.com/KR3w3hoVgQ

— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) April 9, 2025

The 6-foot-5 and 330-pound lineman reportedly had nothing but positive things to say about his time in Gainesville after unofficially visiting back in March. However, the only official visit that he currently has scheduled is to Georgia in June, according to 247Sports, which also gave two crystal balls for Gaston to commit to the Bulldogs.

After a quick glance at Gaston’s high school tape, two things immediately stand out.

First of all, he seems to be every bit of 6-foot-5 and 330. While recruiting measurables can be inflated at times, it doesn’t appear to be the case with Gaston. He was usually the largest player on the field, but he was also flexible enough to maintain advantageous leverage and pad level throughout most of his tape.

Another notable trait was his unwavering tenacity. Particularly at the high school level, a player with such a tremendous size advantage could likely get by without exerting their full effort. Gaston, on the other hand, plays through the whistle, clearly taking pride when his assignment ends up lying on their back.

While he is a bit heavy-footed and limited technically, a top-tier strength and conditioning program could help clean up some of his more undeveloped traits.

Florida has one offensive commitment in four-star quarterback Will Griffin of Tampa (Fla.) Jesuit. in the class of 2026.