2026 linebacker Malik Morris named Florida the leader in his recruitment after an official visit in Gainesville this weekend.
“For sure,” Morris said when asked if Florida was his top school right now. “They stand pretty good with me. Not too far from the crib…High possibility.”
Morris, a Lakeland, Florida native, plans on taking his final two official visits to Colorado and Missouri before making his final decision in July.
“I’m taking my time, finishing all my [official visits] and seeing what where we can go from there,” Morris said. “I want to go through my season with ease, so probably around July, I might commit.”
The 6’1, 225-pound linebacker is far from unfamiliar with the Florida program having taken a number of unofficial visits over the last year. That sense of familiarity created a smooth and comfortable environment for the composite four star, who spent much of his time talking with the coaching staff and current players during his official visit.
“The visit was amazing,” Morris told Gator Country. “Coming to this program, I already knew what was going on, I felt comfortable with it, and now it’s a bigger step to the next point of where we can go with this in the recruitment process.”
While Morris named Florida his leader, Texas A&M and Miami are still in the hunt for the 2024 Ledger All-County Defensive Player of the Year.
“They set the bar high. If you want to beat Florida, you have to come with it,” Morris said. “Just the people, the whole program, the way they treat me,” Morris added on why Florida is No.1 in his recruitment.
Florida’s history of playing freshmen on defense stands out to Morris, who sees on opportunity at Mike linebacker in year one.
“Mike linebacker,” Morris said on where he fits within Florida’s defense. “Coach Napier, he likes to play his freshmen. So that’s a good opportunity for me right there.”
Morris led Lakeland High School to a 13-1 record and a 5A title game berth after 95 tackles, 9 sacks and 3 forced fumbles in 2024.