Florida is trying to be relevant again in 2026 under first-year head coach Jon Sumrall, but the Gators are also trying to stockpile talent for the 2027 season.
On Saturday afternoon, Sumrall managed to do the latter, with Florida getting a commitment from 4-star linebacker Ellis McGaskin. The Mobile, Ala., product told On3’s Hayes Fawcett of his intentions to leave his home state and head to a rival SEC state to start his college football career.
Not only did Florida lure the 6-foot, 215-pounder from the state of Alabama, the Gators also won a recruiting battle over SEC rival LSU, which was in the mix for McGaskin’s services along with Florida State. LSU and Lane Kiffin had McGaskin in their clutches, but when he took his official visit to Gainesville this weekend, McGaskin’s future plans changed and he decided that Florida was the SEC destination for him.
According to Rivals, McGaskin admitted that he wasn’t expecting to make a commitment so soon after taking this weekend’s visit.
According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, McGaskin is currently rated as the 353rd-best prospect in the Class of 2027. He’s also the 28th-ranked linebacker in the class and the 16th-ranked player from the state of Alabama, so this is a major get for Sumrall as he tries to build up the Gators’ linebacker room for the coming seasons.
Florida now has 22 commitments in its 2027 recruiting class, which so far is packing quite the punch. The class ranks 4th in the country, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings, with McGaskin surely helping out that ranking with his commitment on Saturday.
While Florida tries to build its roster for the 2027 season, the Gators are focused on doing enough this fall to contend for an SEC title. Here is what the Kalshi market is currently saying about the top teams in the mix to be holding that coveted conference trophy in December:
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
