Billy Napier's 5-star QB Will Griffin spills beans on 4 recruits who could potentially join Florida as Gators make strides in 2026 class

Florida quarterback commit Will Griffin has emerged as a lead recruiter for the Gators’ 2026 class. The four-star prospect has spent more than a year building strong ties with other recruits and now believes Florida is in a position to land four key targets.

Griffin identified tight end Carson Sneed, currently committed to Tennessee, along with Malik Morris, Desmond Green, and Claude Mpouma as players he’s focused on. He emphasized targeting prospects with genuine interest.

“I wanted to see people that were genuinely interested,” Griffin said. “Carson (Sneed), the kid who is committed to Tennessee right now, the tight end. I think I can get him. Malik (Morris). I played him twice. Good family. Great person. I think I can get him. Desmond (Green) and Claude (Mpouma). I think we can get them, too.”

Griffin praised five-star defensive end and fellow commit JaReylan McCoy as a tone-setter for the class, saying the group is built on real relationships rather than surface-level decisions.

Griffin has also taken up a leadership role, and his two-and-a-half-hour meeting with coach Billy Napier deepened his understanding of Florida’s defensive schemes and team structure. Griffin said he now knows the coaching terminology and feels integrated with the program.

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Five-star DE JaReylan McCoy committed to Florida Gators

Five-star defensive end JaReylan McCoy, ESPN’s No. 9 overall prospect, committed to Florida on Saturday after a return visit. The 6-foot-7, 260-pound rusher from Tupelo, Mississippi, becomes the top-ranked pledge in the Gators’ 2026 class.

McCoy, the No. 2 defender in the cycle, originally committed to LSU before narrowing his finalists to Florida, LSU, and Texas. He canceled a Texas visit after strengthening ties with coach Billy Napier and defensive end coach Mike Peterson.

McCoy has 140 tackles and 18.5 sacks in three seasons at Tupelo High. He’s Florida’s first five-star commit since D.J. Lagway and L.J. McCray in 2024, and the program’s highest-ranked defensive signee since CeCe Jefferson in 2015, according to ESPN.

Wide receiver Marquez Daniel also committed this week. Florida is aiming for back-to-back top-10 recruiting classes after finishing No. 10 nationally in 2025.