Gators Early Signing Period Coverage
Wednesday, December 3, 2025 | Football, Scott Carter
8:04 am
Gators Rise Early, Off To Fast Start
Good morning, folks.
In what has already been a milestone week for the Gators with the hiring of head coach Jon Sumrall, today is National Signing Day.
Sumrall's claim as the "newest Gator" has already expired.
Florida is off to a quick start this morning, officially adding five players by 8 a.m.: TE Hese Kent, OL Tyler Chukuyem, OL Javarii Luckas, ILB Malik Morris and WR Justin Williams.
This is a transition class for the Gators. Still, the commitments they had under former head coach Billy Napier largely held over the past six weeks.
Check back throughout the day for updates on the newest Gators.
8:34 am
Talented DB Bronaugh Chooses Gators
The Gators got a big win on National Signing Day by officially adding four-star cornerback CJ Bronaugh.
Bronaugh is a four-star recruit out of Windermere High School in the Orlando area. While he committed to Florida in June, other schools increased their attempts to sway Bronaugh away from Florida.
Instead, he opted to sign with the Gators over a late push from No. 1-ranked Ohio State.
Gators assistant athletic director for recruiting strategy, Katie Doeker, and others in the recruiting department bridged any doubts for Bronaugh and his family as he wrestled with his decision following the midseason coaching change.
Bronaugh was a first-team All-District selection the past two seasons and is ranked among the top 10 players in the state at his position by 247Sports.com. He is also fast.
Very fast.
Bronaugh is a three-time state champion sprinter and the FHSAA state champion in the 100- and 200-meter dashes.
Electric speed. Pure lockdown talent.
β Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) December 3, 2025
Welcome to the Gators, CJ Bronaugh π@BronaughCj | #GoGators pic.twitter.com/GlL2davsgn
8:48 am
The Chancellor Has Arrived
Florida's latest addition is a big one.
St. Petersburg (Fla.) offensive lineman Chancellor Campbell β all 6-foot-8, 307 pounds β has officially signed with Florida.
Campbell is the seventh player to join the program this morning on Early National Signing Day.
Campbell drew interest from Georgia, Ohio State and Penn State, among others, but stayed close to his Tampa Bay area home by signing with Florida.
A three-star recruit according to On3.com, Campbell is ranked as the 44th-best offensive tackle prospect in the 2026 signing class.
He has the length coaches seek at the offensive tackle position, and Campbell played basketball in high school, showcasing above-average footwork and athletic ability.
Beast on the line of scrimmage @ChancellorCamp | #GoGators pic.twitter.com/FFPBE87c8L
β Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) December 3, 2025
9:00 am
Chukuyem Answer To Future Trivia Q
Based on the Gators' official X account, offensive lineman Tyler Chukuyem was the first player to sign with the Gators in the Jon Sumrall era officially.
The @GatorsFB account posted the announcement of Chukuyem's signing at 7:08 a.m., which means, as of the time I started writing this post, he has been a Florida Gator for 1 hour and 44 minutes.
Chukuyem is from Douglasville, Ga., and played at South Paulding High School.
He checks in at 6-foot-6, 285 pounds as a four-star recruit and 13th-best offensive tackle prospect in the 2026 class by On3.com.
Georgia, Ole Miss and Florida State were among other schools to offer Chukuyem a scholarship.
It will be interesting to see in a few years how Chukuyem did as the first player of this new era of Gators football.
Bringing power and agility to the O-Line.
β Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) December 3, 2025
Welcome to the Gators, Tyler Chukuyem π@TChukuyem | #GoGators pic.twitter.com/NsWLg2hfqx
9:17 am
Williams: Local Product, Dynamic Talent
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (9:08 a.m.) β New Gators head coach Jon Sumrall, at his introductory press conference Monday, talked about what he thinks of when he envisions a Florida Gators offense.
Explosiveness was one of the words Sumrall used.
Well, the Gators signed a player who should help in that department: Gainesville Buchholz four-star receiver Justin Williams.
Local UF fans have heard a lot about Williams this season. He became the first Florida high school player in more than 20 years to have 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season.
Williams grew up a Gators fan and remained committed through the coaching transition as one of the top players in the class.
Williams already knows his way around the Heavener Football Training Center as a local product and the 24th-best player in the state according to 247Sports.
Williams stuck with the Gators despite offers from Florida State, Indiana, Ole Miss, North Carolina, Missouri and others.
Ready to light up The Swamp @Jstnw13 | #GoGators pic.twitter.com/Vbux5lqLLT
β Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) December 3, 2025
9:41 am
Ford, McCoy Bolster Edge Talent
The Gators have added some edge to their roster in the last 15 minutes.
Literally.
Florida's last two additions on Early National Signing Day are edge rushers KJ Ford (Duncanville, Texas) and JaReylan McCoy (Tupelo, Miss.).
McCoy earned five-star status from ESPN and, at 6-foot-7, 260 pounds, is a significant obstacle for offensive linemen to block. Meanwhile, Ford stands 6-4 and weighs 246 pounds, a blend of speed and power on the outside.
Monster off the edge @JaReylanMcCoy | #GoGators pic.twitter.com/Gk9gWkvEte
β Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) December 3, 2025
McCoy is ranked the second-best player in Mississippi in the 2026 class and the third-best defensive lineman in the country by ESPN. Needless to say, McCoy's addition is an important one for a program that is losing edge rushers Tyreak Sapp and George Gumbs Jr. next season.
He chose the Gators over Ole Miss, Alabama, Arkansas and Auburn, among others.
Meanwhile, Ford chose the Gators over Texas A&M, which pushed hard to poach Ford from Florida's grasp.
Ford is not only a talented player but also a proven winner. Ford won a pair of state championships at Duncanville High and, as a junior, recorded 57 tackles, including 7 sacks and 16 tackles for loss.
Gamewrecker @KJ4ord | #GoGators pic.twitter.com/kIW9vKlok6
β Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) December 3, 2025
Ford played in the 2025 Under Armour All-American Game and was selected for the 2025 Polynesian Bowl.
Florida State, Miami, Georgia, Alabama and Texas were other schools chasing Ford on the recruiting trail.
10:05 am
Daniel + Brown = A Dozen Gators ... And Counting on Early NSD
The Gators have consistently announced additions to the roster since shortly after 7 o'clock this morning.
For those counting at home, hopefully you have 12 players signed like I do (I was never great a math, so there's that).
Here are the players in the order the Gators posted their announcements on X: OL Tyler Chukuyem,Β WRΒ Justin Williams,Β LBΒ Malik Morris,Β TEΒ Heze Kent,Β OTΒ Javarii Luckas,Β DBΒ CJ Bronaugh,Β OTΒ Chancellor Campbell,Β IOLΒ Desmond Green,Β DLΒ JaReylan McCoy,Β DLΒ Kevin "KJ" Ford,Β WRΒ Marquez Daniel andΒ OL Corey Brown.
As for Brown, the latest addition, his name should sound familiar. He is the younger brother of Gators freshman WR Vernell Brown III and son of former Gators DB Vernell Brown Jr. He has signed as a preferred walk-on and continues the Brown family's Gator legacy.
Brown isn't the only player signed so far who grew up wanting to play for the Gators.
Williams is a Gainesville kid, and Morris grew up in Lakeland and played at Lakeland High, which has produced many great UF players over the years. Luckas is from South Florida, growing up in Glades Central.
Still, UF's recruiting staff identified him as a loyal commit who stuck to his pledge through the coaching change, in part because he had long been a Gators fan.
Big trench presence @coreybrown352 | #GoGators pic.twitter.com/DYieOlCQJw
β Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) December 3, 2025
10:21 am
Gunslinger Griffin Officially Signs
The Gators have signed the player who has been committed the longest: Tampa Jesuit quarterback Will Griffin.
Griffin committed to the Gators on June 1, 2024, and remained firm despite the coaching change. He reaffirmed his college destination on social media earlier in the week and made it official on Wednesday morning as the 13th player to sign on Early National Signing Day.
Griffin finished his prep career as the all-time leading passer in Tampa Bay high school history. He became the 10th quarterback in state history to throw for 10,000 career yards in high school.
He's a Gator π @WillGriffin__11 | #NSD26 pic.twitter.com/kPlHNt6XhN
β Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) December 3, 2025
Longtime Tampa Bay and recruiting reporter Keith Niebuhr of On3.com perhaps said it best: Griffin'sΒ high school numbers are staggering: 12,299 career yards, 143 touchdowns, 37 interceptions.
Griffin joins sophomore DJ Lagway and freshman Tramell Jones Jr. in a competitive quarterback room entering spring if the trio holds in place.
1:38 pm
Guervil, Carr, Groce Are Gators
It's been a busy week for the Gators, as you are probably aware if you are reading this.
I just hopped off the phone with UF Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Danny Wuerffel to discuss more about his role in helping UF Athletic Director Scott Stricklin in the search that landed Jon Sumrall as the Gators' new head coach.
Meanwhile, I did a podcast earlier with FOX 13 Tampa Bay sports anchor Scott Smith to talk about Sumrall and the latest around the Gators.
And, hey, since this is a National Signing Day blog, let's get back to what's happening with the Gators since I posted the last update when they signed Tampa Jesuit quarterback Will Griffin.
The action has slowed down, but the Gators continue to add to their 2026 signing class with defensive lineman Kendall Guervil, interior offensive lineman G'Nivre Carr and wide receiver Davian Groce.
Guervil is a 6-foot-4, 323-pounder who the Gators fought off Texas, Miami and Florida State down the stretch.Β
Carr is 6-4, 309 pounds and played at the IMG Academy in Bradenton. He grew up in Ocala and attended Trinity Christian in Ocala before transferring to IMG.
Meanwhile, Groce is the highest-rated player Florida has signed today. A standout at Lone Star High in Frisco, Texas, Groce had offers from more than a dozen of the nation's top programs as one of the top 10 athletes in the nation according to 247Sports.
Baylor and Oklahoma pursued Groce hard, but after he made a late commitment to the Gators, Groce found his future home.
A mismatch for any defense @_davian0 | #GoGators pic.twitter.com/hDzLNMFjW8
β Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) December 3, 2025
2:00 pm
Guervil's Path To UF Not Derailed By Knee Injury
Fort Myers defensive lineman Kendall Guervil recorded 88 tackles and 12 tackles for loss as a junior.
He started his senior year with lofty goals.
"My goal is to break the sack record,'' Guervil told the Fort Myers (Fla.) News-Press in July. "I need to find out what it is, but that's the goal."
Brick wall on the D-line @KendallGuervil | #GoGators pic.twitter.com/ILBu1UKwCl
β Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) December 3, 2025
Unfortunately for Guervil, he suffered a season-ending knee injury in the season opener and missed the rest of the season.
However, as a solid commitment to the Gators, Guervil remained in the plans and signed on Wednesday. He entered the season as the top-rated player in Southwest Florida according to the News-Press, his hometown newspaper.
Guervil had long been on the radar, ranking the No. 8 college prospect in the area as a sophomore, moving up to No. 3 as a junior, and finally No. 1 as a senior.
While his season did not go as planned, Guervil's status as a top college prospect remained intact.
Here is a scouting report from Andrew Ivins, director of scouting for the 247Sports network:
Athletic defensive tackle with the mass and quickness to make an impact in the middle. Tips the scales at just over 6-foot-4, 310 pounds and wears it well with a thicker trunk. Slams into opponents and frequently is the one initiating contact. Will get low in his stance with exceptional lower-body flexibility, but pad level tends to rise as play progresses, which in turn can put him in some comparable positions. Displays adequate get-off for his size and has the downhill charge to close gaps in backside pursuit. Has manufactured plenty of power in the weightroom over the years and that shows up with his bull rush as he can forklift obstacles, but needs to figure out how to get more from his 35-inch arms and big 10.25-inch hands. Enters senior year with a lower sack total compared to most of his peers, but has the tools to eventually emerge as an effective one-gap player if he can take to coaching and keep honing his craft. Could fit into a variety of different fronts and shade up in short-yardage situations. Projects as a potential multi-year contributor at the Power Four level with an NFL ceiling given how he moves with his features.
