The
Florida Gators are the kings of Florida. At least as far as the 2025 recruiting class goes. Florida had an epic close before the early signing period,
flipping several players from in-state rivals Miami and Florida State and even
adding elite Tampa Bay Tech wide receiver Dallas Wilson in late December. Miami didn't close the way it typically has under Mario Cristobal, but the Hurricanes made one of the biggest splashes in the
transfer portal by bringing in
quarterback Carson Beck from Georgia.
Florida State had an up-and-down 2025 cycle but managed to land several
impact players during the early signing period while once again trying to reload through the transfer portal.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. USF is looking to build off another solid season under Alex Golesh and managed to
flip St. Thomas Aquinas edge rusher Richard Scott from FIU on Wednesday.
UCF , FAU and FIU all have new coaching staffs who worked hard to both keep their recruiting classes together while looking to the portal for immediate help. Here are Santucci and Wilson's rankings of Florida's seven FBS programs in the 2025 class.
1. Florida
Nick Wilson’s take: Think back to Florida's loss to Texas A&M in mid-September, and then imagine telling a Gator fan that Billy Napier would finish the year not only with his job intact but with an 8-5 record and a top-10 recruiting class to boot. Few programs had a more impressive turnaround than the Gators, and their success on the recruiting trail reflected that – turning ranked wins over LSU and Ole Miss into flipped recruits like Jackson and Stubbs. The perfect bow on the season was cruising past Florida State at Doak while raiding the
Seminoles ' class of American Heritage running back Byron Louis, Seminole Ridge offensive lineman Daniel Pierre Louis, and Jones Jr. Gator recruiting was on fire in December, and flipping Wilson was the heat check at the buzzer.
2. Miami
Nick Wilson’s take: Miami did really well in Florida, bringing in marquee players like Armwood running back Girard Pringle Jr., West Broward receiver Joshua Moore, and Armwood linebacker Kellen Wiley Jr. But it's their out-of-state wins that stand out, like landing one of the nation's best edge rushers in Oaks Christian's (Calif.) Hayden Lowe and Milton (Ga.) quarterback Luke Nickel. It was a bit unusual to see premier defensive talent in Florida decommit from Miami just a few days out from signing day, but overall, the Hurricanes will add more elite talent than most this offseason.
3. Florida State
Nick Wilson’s take: Florida State was in a pretty grim place by November, losing eight commitments including top-10 in-state players like edge rusher Javion Hilson from Cocoa and offensive lineman Solomon Thomas from Raines. But bringing in Gus Malzahn and Tim Harris Jr. helped the Seminoles go from no receiver commits to one of the most interesting (and physically largest) incoming groups of receivers in the country, including Boggs. Mike Norvell worked magic on signing day, and the Noles’ 2025 class in February is a departure from where a 2-10 team would otherwise finish.
4. UCF
Nick Wilson’s take: You can’t say enough good things about Athletic Director Terry Mohajir, who stepped in and helped keep the
Knights ’ class largely intact after Malzahn’s departure. Keeping Swint, Charles, Williams and Jenkins Jr. was make-or-break for the Knights this cycle. Combined with Frost’s effort in the portal, and the Knights (just like FSU) still come away from a rough season with a solid class.
5. USF
Nick Wilson’s take: The Bulls know how to find gems in their home turf, and picked some up in this class with Carrollwood Day offensive lineman Gerrick Gordon, Jenkins, Gillis and Neptune. USF actually stayed in-state for all 13 of its high school signings this cycle and came away with some nice pieces. But it’s the portal pickups that stand out, like defensive lineman Dre Butler (Charlotte/Covington, Ga.) and Duclona.
6. FAU
Nick Wilson’s take: The Owls looked poised to sign some serious wins in December before it fell apart, and that’s this class’ biggest takeaway — who didn’t sign. Hoffmann and Sapp would have immediately become two of the highest-rated recruits that the Owls have ever signed. But Kittley did get Miami Norland receiver Jade Card to stay home, which is huge for this FAU class. As usual, a host of transfers arrive who originally hail from the Sunshine State. The Owls have gotten productivity out of players coming back home before, and will lean on that again in Kittley’s first year with the reins.
7. FIU
Nick Wilson’s take: Willie Simmons put on his apron and immediately started cooking with FIU’s class. The biggest win of the offseason was getting quarterback Keyone Jenkins to withdraw his name from the portal after a standout freshman campaign. Simmons then recruited the hotbed that exists right around Pitbull Stadium, and it worked. Joseph, Scott, and Muex (who Simmons flipped from Miami) all project to be impactful for the Panthers sooner rather than later. The future is bright with Simmons at FIU.
