Gators Make Top 6 for In-State DB

CJ Hester is scheduled to visit Florida on May 30.

Cardinal Mooney ball carrier Marcus Galloway (#4) is stopped when Cocoa High defensive back CJ Hester (#1) grabs his jersey. Cocoa High School defeated Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School 31-21 to win the Class 2A semi-final game Friday night in Sarasota. | Mike Lang / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Already projected to land Cocoa (Fla.) four-star defensive back CJ Hester, the Florida Gators continue to establish themselves as a favorite after making his top six schools.

Among the schools Hester, On3's No. 17 corner in the class of 2026, listed with Florida are Auburn, Georgia, Iowa, Miami and Syracuse.

NEWS: Four-Star CB CJ Hester is down to 6 Schools, he tells me for @on3recruits

The 6’1 175 CB from Cocoa, FL is ranked as a Top 3 CB in the Sunshine State

Where Should He Go? ⬇️https://t.co/W9nEd2AgqG pic.twitter.com/UFCmBfSpKW

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) May 21, 2025

The 6-foot-1, 175-pound corner was recently predicted to choose Florida by On3's Blake Alderman and Corey Bender. However, his recruitment has seemingly been wide open with plans to visit three of his finalists this summer.

Hester is scheduled to visit Florida on May 30, Syracuse on June 6 and Iowa on June 20. He also had a trip to UCLA scheduled on June 13, although the Bruins did not make his top six. Hester opened his summer visit schedule with a trip to Auburn last weekend.

"It was an amazing visit. It was amazing being with the coaches and seeing the campus and all the facilities and getting to meet all the people,” Hester said of his visit with the Tigers.

Hester will announce his decision on July 1, per On3.

While Florida only has two commits in the class, the Gators are off to a strong start this summer after receiving a commitment from three-star defensive lineman Jamir Perez during last weekend's visit while making significant progress with five-star prospects in offensive lineman Felix Ojo, defensive back Chauncey Kennon and receiver Calvin Russell.

Florida Gators on SI is keeping track of every recruiting move by the Gators, from commitments to prospects of note to the summer official visit schedule, on our 2026 Recruiting Tracker.