Pair of Gators Commits Shut Down Recruitment

The Florida Gators added 17 commits to its 2026 recruiting class over the summer.

Fort Myers Green Wave defensive lineman Kendall Guervil commits to the University of Florida while surrounded by friends and family during a ceremony at Fort Myers High School in Fort Myers, Fla., on Wednesday, July 2, 2025. | Jonah Hinebaugh/The News-Press/USA Today Network-Florida / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

On Tuesday, Florida Gators four-star defensive lineman commit Kendall Guervil and four-star defensive back commit CJ Bronaugh each publicly shut down their recruitments, 247Sports’ Tyler Harden reported. These are Florida’s top two commits in the class. 

Guervil is ranked as the No. 81 overall prospect and No. 10 player in the state of Florida in the class of 2026 by 247Sports. He committed to the Gators on July 2, over the Texas Longhorns, the Georgia Bulldogs and the Florida State Seminoles.  

New: #Florida 4-star DL commit Kendall Guervil has shut down his recruitment, he tells @Swamp247.

Guervil committed to the Gators on July 2 over Texas, Georgia and Florida State.

He reflects on his recruitment journey with the Gators here:

➡️: https://t.co/kFglvHXkBC (VIP) pic.twitter.com/hN6pL3AAiY

— Tyler Harden (@ttjharden8) August 5, 2025

Throughout most of Guervil’s recruitment leading up to his July 2 commitment, the Longhorns were seen as the main competition for the Gators, and Texas was viewed as the front-runner. Near the end of April, Guervil even stated Texas was his No. 1 team. 

However, in the weeks leading up to his commitment, the Gators surged, overtook their SEC foes to secure the big-time defensive line prospect. 

He has been a headache for his opponents across his three years with Fort Myers (Fla.) High School. Guervil has totaled 165 tackles, 24 tackles-for-loss and 7.5 sacks in 30 varsity games, according to MaxPreps. 

With his commitment, the Gators have two defensive linemen in the 2026 cycle. The other in their class is Tupelo (Miss.) four-star JaReylan McCoy. 

Just like with Guervil, the Gators had to fight hard to get Bronaugh on board. He was pledged to Nebraska before flipping to the Gators on June 18. Florida also fended off interest from Penn State and Florida State for the elite defensive back. 

New: #Florida 4-star CB commit CJ Bronaugh has shut his recruitment down, he tells @Swamp_247.

Bronaugh committed to Florida on June 18 after being committed to Nebraska since November 2024.

“I know this is where I belong.”

➡️: https://t.co/nXRE72WfP6 (VIP) pic.twitter.com/IyJNUQacPq

— Tyler Harden (@ttjharden8) August 5, 2025

He is their highest-ranked commit this cycle, being tabbed by 247Sports as the No. 75 overall prospect and No. 6 defensive back in the 2026 class. 

Bronaugh had a stellar junior season with Windermere (Fla.) High School. He had 30 total tackles, six interceptions, four pass breakups, three tackles-for-loss and two sacks in just eight games, according to MaxPreps. Additionally, three of his interceptions were returned for touchdowns. 

The defensive back is more than just a football star, though. He also excels on the track. Bronaugh is a Florida 1A champion in the 100 and 200-meter, winning both as a sophomore. 

Florida ranks as No. 14 in On3’s 2026 Industry Ranking Football Team Recruiting Rankings. They have 18 total commits in the class, with 13 of them labeled as four-stars.

They are also in the running for Hartfield Academy (Miss.) five-star safety Bralan Womack and IMG Academy (Fla.) four-star linebacker DQ Forkpa. Womack will announce his decision on August 23, while Forkpa recently dismissed his planned commitment day in early July and will instead wait to make a decision.