RECRUITING: Florida Gators Going After ELITE 2027 Recruits Under Jon Sumrall

0:00The Florida Gators are big game hunting on the Recruiting Trail. You are Lockdown Gators, your daily podcast on the Florida Gators, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. Hello and welcome back to another episode of Lockdown Gators, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. Thanks for being a Lockdown Gators. You're first listen of the day every day. You are available daily and free, every is the podcast and on YouTube. As always, I am Brandon Wilson, your host, lifelong Florida Gators fan. I write about the Florida Gators from Swampsicle. That's substack.com. Today's episode of Lockdown Gators is brought to you by Fandall. Fandall was giving you a way to turn that energy into even bigger potential wins for the college basketball parlay profit boost head to Fandall.com to get started. And the Florida Gators are big game hunting in the first year under John Someral.

1:04And I think that especially as a new coach when you are early in the process, but not super early in it, right? Because like it's March, there's nine months until signing day. So there's plenty of time. But as far as initial commitments go, and as far as getting in early with guys, that's not really a thing that for most kids, Florida and John Someral get to say, I for Florida sure some guys, especially in the defensive line with like Gerald Chapman staying. Or some of the assistants staying like like some of the like coach decor, right? Like guys like that. We are like, well, you've been here. We have a relationship there. But you weren't an aren't the coach at my position for coach decor, for example.

2:06But it's an interesting spot just as, yeah, you're not early in these relationships, but you are early enough where you have time. You have nine months to chip away at these things. And I think that when you're looking at a guy like John Someral, the, well, I'll say the initial commitment for that, guys. You can kind of go big game hunting. All right, again, especially as a new coach this early in the process. You got a later start. Now is the time you hammer away a big name guys. And if big name guys want to go play for you, then you get that. A lot of your overall success on the recruiting trail. As much as it sucks to say because it's year one and year one is probably the time where there's the least and lowest expectations that you're going to have at all during your tenure. On field results will matter, but in a different way. Right, like for some times and year two and year three, guys might have a number, right?

3:10They might say, hey, you need to win nine games. You need to attend games here. But with John Someral and year one, you can go and you can pick up, you know, a couple of wins in big games. And that's enough for some people to just say, hey, look, look over building here. Sure, we won eight games, right? And you would have liked to see us win more. But we beat two teams that ended up in the catch while playoff. All right, like we didn't have the roster to beat everybody always consistently. But we showed enough flashes to say, hey, this is what we're building here. And kids will see that and kids will know. It's year one, not all these guys are his guys. And that you can build off it. Well, when you're big game hunting, you could do that, especially early on.

4:12Later on and when I say the results on the field matter, yes, they will always matter. But they matter in a different way here. You win some big games, you get some momentum pushes there. And you got it. Like this, I know that we'll have Brian Smith on here at some point in the coming days or weeks. And I know that there's a lot of people that get annoyed when Brian Smith does come on here. And he talks about how, well, Florida is easy to recruit because it is. I think that what people don't acknowledge or what people may miss when he's saying that is. He's not saying that, you know, everything's easy about it. But he is saying that to sell Florida, it's easy. It's easy to sell other schools to short. But to sell Florida is easy. Especially if you're winning games. Like if you're winning games and. You've got in state kids that are interested.

5:13Is he really or even if they're not super interested, you start winning games. They might become really interested there. Like year one is a time where you could say, hey, we're going to win a couple big games here and there. Surprise some people. And that's even enough for us to get some big name recruits and some big name commits on campus. And also reminder that later in the cycle, there will be guys that you can circle back forward that should be. More toward the bottom of your class. Like later in the cycle, Florida can go, all right, like there's this kid who. You know, we missed out on our top. I don't know. Our top three, like realistic targets at. Safety by his name to position. But we missed out on our top three realistic targets at safety. We can go pursue this kid now. And we think that even though he's committed to a smaller school or or like just say a lower P4 school.

6:15At least something you can get him help. Even if he's committed to, I don't know what's a good power for program. Committed to, I don't know, Tennessee, right? Let's just throw Tennessee in there. Just so he can take something from them again. But even if he's committed to Tennessee, if he was prioritizing Florida and Florida was prioritizing him. And now Florida is willing to. Some kids will take that and go, you know what now, like I'm going to go where I'm loved, right, which fair. Some kids are going to say I'm going to go where I'm loved. But other kids are going to go, yeah, please, like that's, that's where I want to go. That's my number one spot. They were my number one spot because I thought the coaching staff was this or for whatever reason that you may have. There's going to be kids that might feel some type of way about it, which again. Fair, right. And we can be honest about it. But there's also going to be kids that realize, all right, that's the spot I wanted to go to.

7:16And Florida is also big game hunting in a bit of a different way than just rankings, right. Florida is also big game hunting, kind of stylistically. Like a lot of the guys that they're prioritizing, regardless of ranking. Are the types of players that are. Game changing types. And I'm not saying that every player they're recruiting is a game changer. I'm not saying that. I'm saying that the style of players that they're recruiting are fairly game changing. And they can kind of just go, all right. We need to refine that. We need to improve your strength and conditioning or with strength and conditioning can improve you in these ways. But we think that you've got the potential to be good for us. And not just, you know, I was going to take three years because that was one of the big things with Napier, right.

8:19Napier brought in a bunch of developmental guys, which is a great strategy. If you can develop, but it's a really bad strategy. If you can't develop. And so Napier brought in a bunch of developmental guys with a bunch of coaches that couldn't develop at a lot of spots. And went, oh, no, we'll be good, right. Just just take three years. Like that ain't how it works. Don't forget year one. We were talking about how. It's, it's a fine approach to take these high upside guys. If you can develop them. But also you need to win enough games for them to be developed here to take that time to develop them. Napier, honestly, did neither. I like it. He didn't either of those things. Didn't win enough to stay didn't develop enough to have the the risk pay off there. So they're kind of going for guys that already stylistically play the way you want them to play.

9:19You just need to refund them. I don't like you attack the way I want you to attack, right. I seem to fix your handwork, right. I just need to get you stronger need to do whatever it is we got to do. They're going after these guys that are more ready right now and stylistically play in ways that change the game. And that matters. Right. We're going to talk about those guys specifically. Let me get back with lockdown Gators. What if sports were traded like markets. Now you can put your sports IQ to work in real time with Robinhood prediction markets. It's not you against the house. It's you participating in a live market. You can buy or sell your positions live all game long. Use your sports knowledge in the moments that matter. Robinhood prediction markets change the game. It's people moving the action. So when momentum shifts, you can move with it. And always knew the game never had a dynamic way to apply that knowledge. Now actually take part live in a market powered by people. You're no longer just a spectator play by play. You decide trade every play with Robinhood now available across the US.

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11:34That starts with James Brewster right. Number one player in the country was on campus this weekend in Gainesville a Texas Tech commit right now which I feel like a lot of people kind of when I'm in Texas Tech. Commit they kind of may not that's so expensive which would talk about in a second six three three hundred pounds. Also frankly an insane athlete at his size. That's the type of interior defensive lineman that you do pay for. Like an insane athlete six three three hundred pounds. Thank you for that size. Yeah he's not running you know of four or three right not talking about that but it's explosive off the line quick first step. It's it's going to be interesting this is the type of guy that you pay for because he's got game breaking potential also.

12:41Just again and at least game impacting. Alright we're talking now where interior defensive lineman are becoming more and more valuable because they can stop the run and rush the pass or better. And if I'm talking about an interior defensive lineman to an edge rusher well. That's just way to point a to point B is a straight line defensive interior defensive lineman have that advantage over the edge. Oh and by the way game plan wise if I want to run away from an edge rusher actually run outside to the other side. If you've got a real game breaking interior defensive lineman I can't run either way you're going to be able to still get me that's how you make place. The gators are in here for James Brewster and. This is going to be a real test to see how serious Florida and the boosters are about being competitive in a big time NIL better. Which I will also say I'm not saying that if you lose and if he goes or if he stays with Texas Tech or if he goes anywhere else then this is a failure.

13:42I hate that that line of thinking I don't think it works I don't think it's sound. I'm just saying though like if you're going to be competitive here. As a time to show it right because Texas Tech does not play financially. For now at least. I will say that I have a bit of a theory that if 2026 doesn't go as well as Texas Tech may be hoping for. They may get a little skittish I'll say on at least some of the insane high school contracts. Right which James Brewster I would imagine number one player in their country interior defensive lineman that can rush the passer that's morning right like you're eating a paid no problem saying that no problem moving that I have no problem with it. But Texas Tech has paid. Felix Ojo think that was his name the offensive tackle that they gave a ton of money last year.

14:47And Texas Tech is giving those insane high school contracts. I think that if 2026 doesn't go their way they're going to go all right who's playing for us right now. That's where our money needs to go and so I think they may get a little skittish on some of the insane high school contracts and just go heavier in the portal I'm not saying they're given less money I'm saying they're reallocating more to the portal. So we'll see there but at least for the time being. They're going to be in this for James Brewster right on the edge we've talked about Frederick arts a third before. He's an edge rusher from Jones in Orlando for star and. He's another one of those types of guys where it's like not just the ranking but by the type of player he is he's big game hunting. He's an explosive twitchy edge rusher those are the big game hunting ad rushers. That's it like those are the kids coming out of high school we go all right. You can work on everything else like your your twitch.

15:51It's not often that guys really improve there. And so if you're naturally just really twitchy. And by twitchy to mean enough that quick first step right you're just twitch that badly where they move that ball you're gone you're going right the Dante father juniors always the guy that I talk about. That's saying that Frederick arts a third is that Dante father juniors someone that I'm probably not going to compare people to often just because I think that's the greatest first step I've ever seen from an edge rusher. So I'm not going to compare people to the greatest right I think that's silly. It's like it's why I don't compare tight insta cow pits is silly we're not comparing guys to the greats that's it. But I would say Frederick arts a third like that's that that that explosive twitchy edge rusher that's the kind of guy you go pay for that's it that's the kind of guy you go because that's a game changer on the edge. That's what it is that's the game changer that's a future jack right there.

16:51On offense we're going to talk about a lives pearl here where four star receiver from port charlotte that from people I've spoken to they feel really good about Florida landing. Which does make me now kind of wonder a bit this is going to be a really interesting new era of what it means to say that Florida feels good about landing guys. This is it's going to be a really interesting new era because under Napier we would hear of Florida feels good about this and things would often not go in florida's paper right that was very common to see how that would happen. Part of it was because you just had so many guys that could that could leak things right and things got leaked all the time and so I'm part of it was you know. Florida be like oh we feel good you know what you you commit when you feel like you're ready to you do that that's fine.

17:52And that didn't go for this favor often again but it's going to be really interesting to see what it's like now in the summer all era what that's going to look like. I will say that based on having guys like a lives pearl and Anthony speedy Jennings on the list burst off. I take both I do not think that this needs to be an either or situation that a lot of people try to I think make recruiting battles especially at the same position. Second I think it's obvious that you're prioritizing guys that can win and separate because both a lives pearl and Anthony speedy Jennings win and separate. As as receivers they do it in different ways but they both separate i mean speedy Jennings. The name speedy we know how he wins right he wins with speed he wins with that frankly honestly a good release package for high school receiver. And once he gets the release and it's free not many guys are turning and catching up with him so it's really tough there Elias pearl more of a.

19:01The pure route runner type where it's like he's going to create separation I don't think he has a lead speed you think it's got more than enough functional speed to work in the SEC but he is more of a pure route runner that creates with honestly just skill and technique. And stuff like that plays right like I could see both playing inside out especially when we talk about having. At least for 2026 hopefully 2027 I don't think 2028 Buster Faulkner as the offensive coordinator you guys you could work with right. Like he's got guys he could work with he's got guys he can move around create separation with run crossers runverts just get guys open because that's what his offense is trying to do just get guys open create underneath let them run. So you get guys that can create separation on their own and you just all right i'm just going to get you the ball like i'm going to put you in position to separate.

20:02And then we just got to get to the football once you do that. And Elias pearl is someone that again like I said that I've spoken people who feel really good about both speedy and analyze. I would take them both gladly I think Florida would also take them both by the way I don't think i've said that yet but I think Florida would. Because man. You got the option to add talented receivers to your room. At the University of Florida. You kind of have to right it kind of have to we're going to wrap up talking about three more defenders when we get back with locked on gators. College basketball is non stop big games tight spreads momentum swings every single night from early tip off to late night west coast shootouts there's always action on the board. And now fans was giving you a way to turn that energy into even bigger potential wins with a college basketball parlay profit boost. You can build any college troops parlay you want rivalry games ranked matchups whatever fits your read.

21:02We we talked about on Saturday Florida covering six and a half never in doubt they won by seven we knew it was going to happen right can't tell you about Florida's next basketball game because. They're off till Friday they don't play that's what happens when you just go BTA against everybody go safe go bowl ride with the team you've been following all season it's your parlay your style now with more upset behind it at the fandall dot com get started at fandall dot com fandall play your game and it is time for the five hour energy flavor draft with 18 different flavors to choose from including new options like confetti craze fruity rainbow or cotton candy. You can do it all right the board is set the flavors are ready I've got my number one take for the five hour energy flavor draft ready. And you know what we're taking we're not switching it up today. It's great always it's always going to be great almost always going to be great great no matter what find your new favorite flavor five hour into shots available online at five hour into dot com or on Amazon.

22:07I see after a lot of our gators your first listen of the day every day we are available daily and free rest of the podcast and on YouTube and we're going to wrap up by talking about a little bit of little just one flip watch real quick right. It's a Marie fountain four star corner from Warner Robins that is currently committed to South Carolina. Before we even talk about him I'm just going to be real blunt and honest right here. I do not think that Shane Beamer is going to be the head coach at South Carolina in 2027. Okay I don't I'm out of fire to last year I don't think he's a great coach I'm just going to be honest like I've been very open about this I don't think he's a good coach I don't think he's an SEC head coach. And the longer you keep him the worse it is for your program I just can't respect the guy that never beat Billy Napier that's it I just can't respect it as a coach everybody that played on at least twice won. Not be more ball so I don't think this commitment six or others of whether he flips the Florida or somewhere else but I don't think that this commitment six.

23:15And a Marie fountain is once again another one of those type of players that Florida is pursuing and I'm saying type as in. He's just the type of premium player that's a game changer right listed six foot three one hundred and eighty two pounds like let's say they embellish the numbers a little bit right. He's what at worst six one and a half. Come on and also I don't think they embellish the numbers he looks tall as hell so I don't think they embellish the numbers I'm just saying even if they did he's still going to be really tall for the position. Hundred eighty two pounds I'm not too torn up about the way regardless of what it is he looks relatively well he filled out well he looks relatively well filled out. Hundred eighty two pounds raised listed as. Even if he's slightly lighter than that isn't really looking and he doesn't play it right his film you watch me he's tall he's long he's an athlete insanely high ceiling willing to hit.

24:25Yeah I've also this his film based on how he tracks the ball in the air based on how he plays in coverage based on how he'll come down and pop his film tells me he could play safety or corner obviously corners the more valuable position. When you have a guy where you say he could play this position or that position the next question you need to ask is which position is more valuable and that's where you play him. That's how I think it shakes out that's how I would do it that's how I know a lot of teams do it is okay he could play these two positions which one's more valuable okay let's play him there and if he fails like this one then we'll move him to the other one. I don't think he'll fail I think it's really freaking good I do I like this film I like this healing and man you know I think at corner one of the things I'm I'm just starting to value more than anything else is going and actually making a play on the ball and I got difficult one right now one merge just like watching it come to you the whole time. I'm talking about going to make a difficult play on the ball that's something that I becoming increasingly convinced you can't teach it you can't it's instant you can't teach it like you could try.

25:34But I don't know of anybody that sucked at making plays on the ball and all of a sudden got coach to do better sometimes it's guys just getting more comfortable. But it's super rare to even improve it and it's so rare to improve it that when it is improved I look at it as an outlier as opposed to actual improving because it's tough. Safety Zaden gambles 5 foot 11 160 pounds and on film I don't know if I believe the 160 pounds I think he looks more filled out than that. I think I think his frame looks more filled out than 160 pounds or star safety. People I've spoken to about Zaden gamble feel really good about landing him and I hope Florida does his film he spends a lot of time playing deep safety. And I just you know how it is like if people are going to disagree with me coaching staff is going to disagree with me about things that's fine. I don't care I get paid to give opinions that's my my job description is to give opinions on analysts.

26:37Not a journalist there his film shows him playing a lot of deep safety personally. I think he's a better fit as a star or boundary safety which the boundary safety is is bright stone right which size wise. You know obviously Zaden gave me to add weight but height length build wise or maybe not the frame wise I'll say not far off. But I think he's a better fit there. Partially because you know you get to first off. You watch Zaden get was 20 25 film and the first play is him cracking someone. I'm in by the way trying to throw that out there. I'm in from that moment great play to have is your first play of a highlight film because hell yeah now I want you on my team. But for me honestly it was the film it was the the reps that we saw on film. That were him and man coverage.

27:38Because usually when he was in man coverage it was when he was lined up against like a trip set and he was lined up on a slot receiver. And I just I like the way that he attacked and played man so I want to see you closer to the line of scrimmage. I'm not saying you can't play field safety deep safety. I'm saying I think you're a better fit in the nickel or the box safety because I think you could defend those guys in man coverage. I think you could play zone coverage and I know you can hit. So I think he's a better fit there not not to say you can't play deep safety but I think that you're going to get better value from him and better usage from him. In the nickel or boundary. Just that that's my two cents on again and there's plenty of times where I say that and I talk about a player and I'm like I don't think he could play deep. I think he can. I think you just be better used in the nickel or boundary and the last player that we're going to talk about today is defensive lineman Tyler Alexander we talked about him a few times now. He's on campus as well we know how Joe Chapman is as a coach and guys got to see it in person which I can only imagine is electric right I mean look a match at.

28:47He's intense dude like right away I don't know maybe he was just he was juiced up the day that I met him but he was an intense dude there. A lot of people I spoke to you still feel good about Florida from for Tyler Alexander for Tyler Alexander. He is someone that really fascinates me as a recruit though because he is listed as six four three hundred and ten pounds and so I think he's the type that positionally could go either direction right. He could also stay perfectly same right but positionally you can. Cost him to lose a little bit away because here's the thing to with with high school kids we have no idea what's drinking let's drink the edition is going to do them. We have no idea what they're really eating right now for most of. We have no idea what they're actually like what they're actually dietary and workout habits are like right now we have no idea for a lot of that information. When you get two gains bill we will know that information right and so maybe a gain weight maybe a lose weight who knows what it is but.

29:50You can look at Tyler Alexander six four three hundred ten pounds that's basically Brendan bed size right now. So that's that's your three tech that's basically Brendan bed who's going to sometimes play the one. Right he can bulk up that like they could say hey man we're going to add more weight to you and we're going to play with notes. Or he can naturally just lose weight a lot of guys also tend to lose weight sometimes you know you get into a strength edition program and. You start losing weight you start running and actually working and taking care of your body naturally lose weight and you can end up being six four to 90 and it's like you you might be the F now. That might be your job that might be your role and I think Tyler Alexander someone that has a high enough ceiling also where you can kind of figure it out along the way. I think some of that that could work out pretty easily and so or as easy as you can and working out in the SEC right.

30:50But he's some of that could work out there as a guy well we'll just we'll just thought you were ever works at that time wherever your body goes will put you because we trust you there. And so Tyler Alexander someone that again right now seems like is going to be a gator public perception wise and people have spoken to behind the scenes. But he's also someone that can just slide all around the defensive front and that's valuable as hell just to throw that out especially in this defense where there's not really a pure nose tackle guides define there's three hundred forty pounds whatever. That's valuable that's not what he doesn't have a position that's great that he could play all. Thanks for a lot on gators your first listen of the day every day we are available daily and free was the podcast and on YouTube as always I am Brandon Wilson for lock down gators. Follow me on Twitter at WN as soon as we're brand and find all my written work with New York Giants on as I and swap signal that subsac.com also follow lock down gators on Instagram tick tock all the fun stuff right kids love it knows you all next time.