Florida snags two in-state four-star commitments in span of hours

Snagging a four-star commitment is a big deal on the recruiting trail, so the Florida Gators were undoubtedly happy with the commitment from four-star 2026 cornerback Devin Jackson out of Orlando.

That's a great start to any day on the trail, but then the Gators followed that up by flipping one of the top safeties in the nation, 2025 four-star safety Demetres Samuel Jr. from Palm Bay, Florida.

He had been committed to Syracuse since late March, but the Gators found a way to keep him in the state thanks to a late-July visit to Gainesville.

“They’re always going to try to keep me home, so they are going to try to make everything feel good and make me feel like I’m at home here,” Samuel told Gators Online after his latest visit. “I feel good because Coach [Will] Harris and Coach Bey [Beyah Rasool] always are going to make me feel at home because it’s Florida. It definitely feels good.”

As for Jackson, he chose Billy Napier and the Gators over Georgia, LSU, Texas, Missouri, UCF and others.

Like Samuel, he gave credit to the Florida staff for making the Gators a legitimate option.

“They show a lot of love when I come up there and I’m wanted up there,” Jackson recently told On3. “I’m up there a lot of times, so I know the facilities too. It feels like home all around."

According to 247 Sports, Samuel is the No. 23 safety in the country. Jackson is the No. 27 safety in the 2026 class, per On3. He's within 100 miles of Gainesville, while Samuel lives within 200 miles.

In-state recruiting is vital, especially in the heavily contested state of Florida, so snagging these two recruits out of their own backyard is a massive win for the Gators.