For most high-major programs like Florida, player acquisition right now is heavily focused on the transfer portal and even international recruiting as teams look to bring in more seasoned players with experience that can help them be more prepared for the moment they set foot on campus. Even though these two avenues are more important than ever, it doesn’t mean that the Gators are ignoring traditional American high school recruiting and we saw that this week when the Gators extended an offer to 2026 target Cole Cloer.
Cloer is a 6’7”, 185 pound wing from Greensboro, North Carolina where he attends Caldwell Academy. On the circuit he plays for CP3, and it’s been his work for that AAU program that has established him as one of the top players in the 2026 class. Always someone that has been regarded as an elite recruit, Cloer has been a four star teetering on five star status in the eyes of some outlets and is currently ranked as the 33rd player in the composite rankings.
In addition to the offer from Florida, Cloer has offers from North Carolina, Illinois, Indiana, Louisville, Oregon, and Georgetown, an offer list that further solidifies Cloer’s position as one of the top players in the class of 2026.
As a player, Cloer looks like the kind of prototypical wing that everyone wants in modern basketball. At 6’7”, and possibly still growing, Cloer has excellent size and length which he uses to be impactful on the defensive end as he changes shots and helps secure defensive possessions with rebounds. Offensively Cloer has been a mismatch with his speed and ball handling and he catches the ball on the perimeter looking to read his defender and attack, something that you see less and less of nowadays as some players simply hunt the three-point shot. Speaking of the shot, Cloer is a capable but somewhat inconsistent shooter and hasn’t been knocking down threes at the rate he’d like to on the AAU circuit this past year, though many coaches recruiting him believe he can turn into a knockdown three-point shooter.
Watching Cloer play there is definitely energy and intensity that he brings, and perhaps what’s most exciting is the passion he plays with on the defensive end. A block or a steal seems to be what fires up Cloer the most, and he looks like someone who is fully aware that being a defensive weapon at 6’7”+ could give him a lengthy and lucrative basketball career.
For Florida, this recruitment seems to signify two things. First of all, it shows that they understand the need to get some length and skill on the wings which is something that Golden has not been able to do during his time at Florida. Of course, the Gators were able to overcome this last season by winning a championship, but Florida’s coaching staff was concerned that the lack of bigger wings could have been an issue. In 2025 they brought in CJ Ingram as their big wing target, and it looks like in 2026 Cloer could be someone tabbed to fill this role.
Secondly, the recruitment of Cloer shows that the Gators still want to be involved in high-profile and difficult high school recruitments. We have seen the Gators get into some high-profile recruitments of players that were going to be difficult to land, and while a lot of programs would cut their losses and stay out of these chases, Florida’s staff has stayed in the fight and invested time and resources, presumably to show that they aren’t scared of these types of battles. Bringing this conversation into the present day, it has long been considered that Cloer wanted to stay in-state and go to North Carolina, but the uncertainty with the Tar Heels program has opened the door for a team like Florida to get involved. UNC coach Hubert Davis was on the hot seat after a disappointing season in 2024-25 but was ultimately retained, but a lot of boosters are starting to wear thin and another disappointing season could bring on a change, and that type of movement does not help when you’re recruiting a player of Cloer’s caliber.
There is still a ways to go with this recruitment, but Cole Cloer is a name to watch in the class of 2026.