Sources: 5-star DE McCoy commits to Gators

Five-star antiaircraft extremity JaReylan McCoy has committed to Florida, sources told ESPN connected Saturday, securing his spot arsenic the top-ranked pledge successful the Gators' 2026 recruiting people aft returning for a 2nd sojourn successful the span of 3 weeks.

McCoy, a 6-foot-7, 260-pound rusher from Tupelo, Mississippi, is ESPN's No. 9 wide imaginable and the nation's second-ranked defender successful the existent cycle.

Initially committed to LSU, McCoy reopened his recruitment successful February and trimmed his finalists to Florida, LSU and Texas past period earlier his process swung connected an authoritative sojourn with the Gators from May 30-June 1. Per ESPN sources, McCoy's transportation with Florida manager Billy Napier and antiaircraft ends manager Mike Peterson, on with the program's "family atmosphere," were cardinal drivers successful McCoy's determination to nix a scheduled authoritative sojourn to Texas and alternatively instrumentality to Florida this weekend, wherever helium sealed his pledge connected Saturday.

McCoy has recorded 140-plus tackles and 18.5 sacks successful 3 varsity seasons astatine Tupelo (Mississippi) High School, and his committedness represents a large recruiting triumph for Napier and Florida.

McCoy's signature would people Gators' archetypal five-star summation since Florida landed backmost D.J. Lagway (No. 8 overall) and walk rusher L.J. McCray (No. 10) successful the 2024 class. If helium yet lands with Florida aboriginal this year, McCoy volition get arsenic the program's highest-ranked antiaircraft signee since the Florida inked five-star antiaircraft extremity CeCe Jefferson successful the 2015 class.

McCoy present stands up of four-star backmost Will Griffin (No. 69 overall) and Friday nighttime moving backmost perpetrate Carsyn Baker (No. 167) arsenic the top-ranked of 5 ESPN 300 prospects successful the Gators' 2026 class. Florida besides landed the pledge of four-star wide receiver Marquez Daniel (No. 216) connected Saturday, lifting the Gators to 7 ESPN 300 commits successful the cycle.

Five-star choky extremity Kaiden Prothro (No. 19) and top-40 moving backmost Davion Groce are among the high-profile visitors joining McCoy astatine Florida this play arsenic the Gators deed the engaged summertime recruiting play seeking to unafraid back-t0-back apical 10 recruiting classes. Florida signed the nation's 10th-ranked people successful the 2025 rhythm connected the heels of the program's determination to clasp Napier past November and 4 consecutive wins to adjacent the 2024 season.