Florida got their 2027 class kickstarted with the commitment of forward Ian Condon, but they aren’t done.
Over the last couple of years high school recruiting hasn’t been a big piece of Florida’s roster building as they have had such unmatched roster retention, and many of their resources have gone towards keeping players or hunting top targets in the transfer portal. This year, it looks to be a bit different. Florida is going after high school talent with a ferocity that they haven’t since the staff first got to Gainesville, and there are a few key recruitments to watch.
Cayden Daughtry already took a visit to Florida and it seems like a decision could be coming in the next couple months. The 6’0”, 170 pound point guard doesn’t overwhelm with size but he is as quick as a blink and can score as well as anyone in the class which has elevated him to the 4th ranked player in the class of 2027. His visits will end up being Florida, Florida State, Tennessee, Iowa, Miami, Louisville, and Arkansas so Daughtry is certainly weighing all options and different settings, but the Gators are considered to be one of the favorites here. If Florida were able to land Daughtry it would be their first time bringing in a true freshman this heralded and it would be fascinating to see how they’d incorporate someone who is so high-usage, but we very well may see this happen. Boogie Fland will almost certainly still be on campus and his dominant defense next to Daughtry’s electric offensive talent would be quite the watch, and two small guards on the floor together could make for some unique play.
Kamsi Awaka remains at the top of Florida’s board from a frontcourt standpoint. The 6’10”, 250 pound center has already had official visits to Florida and UConn, and has visits scheduled for Michigan State, Michigan, and Arizona to round out his stated final five schools. Curiously, the center that has about as robust a final five schools as can be for a player of that position is ranked 40th–but many evaluators think he is much better than that, as do the coaches recruiting him. UConn has notably made him the only center on their board and has made it known to him, and it will also be stiff competition with the other schools on his list, but Florida is in a good spot here. Awaka is physically ready to play in the SEC right now and should contribute wherever he goes, and when you watch the film you can see why he’s a top target for so many elite schools that have had success with physical frontcourt players.
The last elite target to watch out for is 6’8” small forward Asa Montgomery who is currently ranked 8th in the class but that’s too low for many evaluators, some of whom have publicly stated they think he is the best player in the class. This likely comes from a bit of the rub with recruiting rankings, as some are trying to project out to who could be the best pro and others are looking at who will be best in college. As we all know, 6’8” versatile scorers are the archetype that gets NBA teams fired up, and Montgomery will have a chance at being the best pro in the 2027 class even if he isn’t necessarily the most dominant college player. Even if he isn’t–he’s going to be very, very good. Size, shooting, skill, tough–Montgomery has it all even if it isn’t 100% refined at this exact moment, though it’s very close. Florida is trying to nail down a visit in the next couple weeks where they would love to make their pitch and get in the mix for a commitment. Duke, Louisville, LSU, UConn, UNC, and others are all recruiting him hard as well.
Seeing the Gators trying to get involved in so many top high school players is certainly different than in recent years, and we’ll just have to see how many end up in orange and blue.