Turn On The Tape: Florida Gators' Four-Star DB Commit CJ Hester

Florida Gators on SI gives a quick breakdown of Florida Gators' four-star defensive back commit CJ Hester's tape.

Cocoa (Fla.) four-star defensive back CJ Hester. | Cam Parker / Florida Gators on SI

Four-star defensive back CJ Hester became the second Florida Gators commit in July, adding to an already exciting secondary haul. The Cocoa (Fla.) prospect is the third composite top-20 prospect at his position in Florida’s class and another strong local prospect who will stay in state.

Hester is one of three defensive backs in the class, joining safety Kaiden Hall and corner CJ Bronaugh, and one of two July commits, joining four-star defensive lineman Kendall Guervil.

Florida Gators on SI is tracking all of the Gators' major recruiting news, from commits to prospects of note, on our 2026 Recruiting Tracker.

Let's turn on the tape and see what Hester brings to the Gators.

On Paper

• 6-foot-1, 185 pounds
• Composite four-star, top 250 player in the nation
• Interest from Georgia, Auburn and Syracuse
• 10.97 100-meter and a state-qualifier in high jump
• Junior year stats: 72 tackles, 10 pass breakups, four interceptions
• Spent most time in high school as a corner yet listed as a safety.

The Tape

Gators newest commit CJ Hester
🐊 6’1, 185 LBs
🐊composite 4⭐️, top 250 player
🐊Interest from Georgia, Auburn and Syracuse
🐊10.97 100-meter, state qualifier in high jump
🐊JR. Stats: 72 tackles, 10 PBUs, 4 INTs
🐊Spent most time in HS as a corner(#1) pic.twitter.com/JXrrlLYPdi

— Dylan Olive (@DylanOlive_UF) July 3, 2025

Quick Notes: Hester is an impressive tackler who is sticky in coverage as a corner. His aggressiveness as a tackler was most prominent in his film, showing the quality characteristic that could be the reason should he shift to safety at the next level. His eyes are constantly looking for the ball, and he does a great job at breaking up passes. His “center-fielder” approach to finding the ball will also be a plus if he does move to a safety spot.

The Excitement

Hester has all the tools to be another exciting young defensive back added to a strong unit already. His experience in coverage, as well as his ability to make a play on the ball and be aggressive as a tackler, makes him a high ceiling, high floor player. Though he may not be an immediate impact player as a freshman, Hester has all the traits to be a future starter for Florida.