Surging TE has eye-opening first Florida visit, leaves with offer

Emerging 2026 prospect Gavin Mueller has not played a down of football since middle school. That’s not a typo; however, the offers are already stacking up after getting back involved over the offseason.

One of the latest schools to pull the trigger is the University of Florida . That came earlier this week after the 6-foot-6, 231-pound Mueller attended the Gators’ first practice of fall camp.

“(Tight ends) coach (Russ) Callaway is probably who I talked to most out of all the coaches,” Mueller told Gators Online. “He pretty much said even though I haven’t played football yet in high school, he has full confidence in me just how I am as a character and also my athletic ability.”

Another portion of the visit was getting an up-close look at campus and life in Gainesville, Florida.

There was plenty to digest, but the SEC program definitely made a strong first impression. That started with the state-of-the-art Bill Heavener Football Training Center.

“It was definitely different. I’ve been staying in the Midwest, so it was definitely a fun experience and I got to see some palm trees on my visit,” Mueller said. “Other than that, the facilities were obviously beautiful. I was able to talk to pretty much all the coaches. They were great, really personable, so it was really awesome.”

Florida is rising with Gavin Mueller

When taking a step back and putting it all together, what makes Florida an intriguing option for Mueller?

“The thing that kind of stands out to me is that it’s my first SEC offer,” Mueller said. “I really wanted to see a different perspective because I’ve kind of been staying in the Big Ten for my visits. It definitely stood out from all my other offers.

“When I got down here, it was great. It was probably one of the best facilities I’ve seen. The coaches here are obviously amazing too.”

A return visit to the Swamp is already on the radar

Additional offers on the table for Mueller include Texas A&M, which offered last Sunday, Wisconsin, Illinois, Purdue, Cincinnati, Indiana and Marshall.

The Badgers, according to On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine , are trending with odds of 36.8 percent.

“It will definitely be high for me just because I love their personal coaching staff and amazing facilities. They will definitely be high on my list for a while,” Mueller said of the Gators.

While the visit is not locked in, Mueller says he’s likely attending Florida’s game against LSU on Nov. 16.

Stay tuned to Gators Online.

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