Florida lands commitment from 4-star in-state DB, former Nebraska pledge
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Florida earned a huge recruiting victory on Wednesday night, getting a commitment from 4-star cornerback CJ Bronaugh.
Getting the 6-foot-1, 175-pounder to Gainesville came with a bonus, as he had previously committed to Nebraska but decommitted on Tuesday. Just 1 day later, the phenom from Windermere High School in Florida told On3 that he was staying in-state after all and would play for Florida in 2026.
Bronaugh had been committed to Nebraska since last November, so this was a bit of a stunner for the Cornhuskers, even though Bronaugh ultimately decided to stay in the state of Florida. Bronaugh took an official visit to Gainesville earlier this month and then returned to Gainesville for an unofficial visit earlier this week. That was apparently enough for the Winter Garden, Fla., product.
He posted on social media: “I’m happy to finally be home, GO GATORS” with 2 alligator emojis.
According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, Bronaugh is the 99th-ranked player in the Class of 2026. He’s also the 12th-ranked cornerback in the class and the 12th-ranked player out of the state of Florida.
Now, he’s property of the Gators after being destined for the Big Ten for so long, and he’ll be a huge boost to Florida’s secondary in 2026. This qualifies as a huge flip for the Florida football program.
UF fans who don’t already follow Windermere football can get a preview of what Bronaugh brings to Billy Napier’s team in the highlight video below.
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.
