Florida Softball Adds No. 1 Recruit as Early Enrollee

But there's a catch.

Florida's top recruit will early enroll and redshirt for the 2026 season. | Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Florida Gators are getting the nation's top recruit earlier than planned.

Carolina Stanton, the No. 1 recruit of the 2026 class according to Softball America, signed her athletics aid agreement on National Signing Day in November and is enrolling at Florida for the spring semester.

"What an opportunity for the Gators," head coach Tim Walton said in a press release.

Welcome home, Caroline 🏠

ℹ️ https://t.co/YxU7DqEYDF pic.twitter.com/lHwiSrO10F

— Gators Softball (@GatorsSB) January 5, 2026

"When Caroline painted the picture of graduating early after winning the Georgia High School Softball State Championship, her family and I agreed upon her enrolling early.

"We're looking forward to training Caroline all spring while she redshirts. Having her in the dugout, supporting her teammates, providing feedback and learning a semester early will be a great start to what we're looking forward to in her career as a Gator."

After helping Buford High School (Georgia) to state title in the fall of 2025, the right-handed pitcher graduated with her diploma in December.

"I'm so excited for the opportunity that Coach Walton and the coaching staff, my family and God have given me to become a Gator this spring," Stanton said. "I can't wait to be part of such an incredible program."

Stanton's Championship Pedigree

Stanton won three state championships with Buford in four years. She also won a gold medal at the 2025 World Baseball Softball Confederation U-18 World Cup Finals in Oklahoma City in October.

The incoming freshman dominated for Team USA, pitching 17.0 innings and allowing just two earned runs while striking out 10. She earned the tournament's Best Defensive Player award with an earned run average of 0.82.

Stanton rewrote Buford's record books and was a three-time MaxPreps All-American and the 2024 Georgia Player of the Year. She helped lead the Wolves to a perfect 36-0 record this season and an impressive 132-4 record in her four seasons.

Stanton also plays outfield and first base.

Thank you so much!! https://t.co/uuT54f3tbW

— Caroline Stanton (@CarolineS_2026) December 5, 2025

Florida's Future Pitching Depth

With Stanton enrolled early, the future of the Florida Gators pitching staff is scary.

“Florida felt like home the second I got there this weekend,” Stanton told Softball America's Brady Vernon after she committed in 2024. “The opportunity to play with some of my best friends again under an amazing coaching staff is what meant the most. I have always wanted to be a Florida Gator. The culture, family environment, and high-level competitiveness made it all feel right.”

When Stanton steps in the circle for the 2027 season, she will join a staff that includes Keagan Rothrock, Ava Brown, Olivia Miller, Allison Sparkman and Katelynn Oxley.

Stanton will wear No. 1 for the Gators.

Florida opens the 2026 season vs. Illinois State on Feb. 6 at the USF-Rawlings Invitational in Tampa.

---