Former FSU Football Pledge Joins Florida Gators Weeks After Decommitting From Seminoles

Recruiting is a fickle beast and changes on the trail come as fast as waves rolling on a beach. Those twists and turns can provide both positive and negative outcomes.

On Saturday afternoon, four-star cornerback and blue-chip 2026 prospect Jaelen Waters made his second college decision in less than two months. Waters announced he was committing to the Florida Gators days after he was in Gainesville for an unofficial visit.

The Florida native was previously pledged to fellow Sunshine State power Florida State for just over a month. He came off the board to the Seminoles in the days following the Garnet & Gold Spring Showcase. Waters ultimately chose to open things back up on May 30 and it didn't take much time for him to join one of the program's fiercest rivals.

Great To Be A Florida Gator 🐊@GatorsFB @CoachWillHarris @coach_bnapier pic.twitter.com/iYCalT9g01
— Jaelen “Seatbelt” Waters (@Waters_Jaelen) June 15, 2024

Recent history says this battle is far from over with Waters committing to two different programs in a seven-week span. He's coming off a junior season at Armwood High School where he totaled 20 tackles, one tackle for loss, one forced fumble, and six pass deflections. Outside of FSU and Florida, Waters holds offers from programs such as Texas A&M, Michigan, Auburn, USC, Tennessee, Notre Dame, Texas, and Penn State, among others.

The 6-foot-2, 170-pound defensive back is regarded as the No. 192 overall prospect, the No. 15 CB, and the No. 34 recruit in the state of Florida in the 2026 class according to 247Sports.

The Seminoles still hold three pledges in their 2026 class; four-star athlete Darryon Williams, four-star defensive back Efrem White, and four-star defensive back Darryl Bell III. The haul ranks No. 2 in the recruiting cycle behind USC.

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