TE Jackson Ballinger commits to the Florida Gators

The Florida Gators landed its second commitment of the Class of the 2027 on Tuesday afternoon.

Tight end Jackson Ballinger (6-4, 225, Centerburg, OH. High) committed to Florida over Arkansas, Colorado and others on Tuesday.

“I’m thrilled to announce that I have committed to the University of Florida,” Ballinger tweeted on Tuesday.

Ballinger who has long been a target of the Gators even before Jon Sumrall and his staff arrived in Gainesville.

Once Sumrall arrived in Gainesville, tight ends coach Evan McKissack made Ballinger a top target including traveling to Ohio during a snowstorm to visit him.

Ballinger has been to Gainesville several times including last year for the Texas game where he loved the atmosphere.

“The atmosphere was incredible, and the fans showed why the Swamp is one of the hardest places to play in,” Ballinger said after that visit.

The Gators are looking to take two tight ends in this class and Ballinger brings a skill set that allows him to be productive in both the passing game and running game.

Ballinger joins defensive back Amare Nugent as commits in the Class of 2027 for the Florida Gators in Sumrall’s first high school class since taking the job in Gainesville.

Andrew Spivey
Andrew always knew he wanted to be involved with sports in some capacity. He began by coaching high school football for six years before deciding to pursue a career in journalism. While coaching, he was a part of two state semifinal teams in the state of Alabama. Given his past coaching experience, he figured covering recruiting would be a perfect fit. He began his career as an intern for Rivals.com, covering University of Florida football recruiting. After interning with Rivals for six months, he joined the Gator Country family as a recruiting analyst. Andrew enjoys spending his free time on the golf course and watching his beloved Atlanta Braves. Follow him on Twitter at @AndrewSpiveyGC.