Gators add 3rd 2026 football commitment from Central Florida safety

Billy Napier and Co. scored their third coup of the 2026 cycle this week with the addition of three-star safety Devin Jackson out of Orlando (Florida) First Academy.

The 6-foot-1.5-inch, 195-pound defensive back earned an offer from Florida early on while still at Winter Garden (Florida) West Orange — the program he spent his first two years of high school with — and was able to attend every Gators home game in 2024 thanks to his proximity to Gainesville. He has since shifted over to an Orlando area private school for his junior campaign.

Jackson was on campus Wednesday to check in on Florida’s first fall practice ahead of the upcoming season and apparently what he saw was enough for him to give the Gators his verbal commitment.

On his relationship with Will Harris

“He’s someone I have a good relationship with,” Jackson told Swamp247 earlier in the year during one of their first meetings. “He’s really energetic and he likes what I can do on the field.”

What Jackson likes about Florida

“I like that it’s close to home, so it’s not hard to get there and back,” Jackson noted. “I love the facilities and how much love the fan base shows. They are live and electric. I liked how the coaches were around me and how they made me feel like I was at home.”

Connection to current Gators team

Jackson is connected to a pair of current Gators from Central Florida in Ja'Keem Jackson and Jordan Castell . The former is his cousin while the latter played for the Gators commit’s previous high school in Winter Garden.

“They said if I keep getting better than the rest of recruiting and football all takes care of itself. I really look up to those boys. I see wha they are doing, and I want to be great just like them.”

Jackson’s sophomore stats

At West Orange during his sophomore season, Jackson amassed 58 tackles — 27 solo and 31 assisted — while averaging 6.4 tackles per game and recording one tackle for a loss over nine appearances. He also defended a pair of passes and recovered a fumble during the 2023-24 campaign, according to MaxPreps .

Recruiting Summary

Jackson is ranked No. 388 overall and No. 33 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking has him at Nos. 327 and 28, respectively.

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