Desmond Malpress, a 2027 edge rusher from Jacksonville, Florida, began his recruitment fairly early in January this year, with his first offer coming from Florida International University. At the time, Malpress wasn’t really commanding a national frenzy for him, considering he was a 3-star recruit at the time. Programs like Syracuse later in February, but a perennial power team’s offer wasn’t in his bag. However, after his Rivals Camp Series performance, everything changed, with programs offering him, except Florida had already built with him a long-time relationship through Mike Peterson, and that is the reason the Gators are now favored to land him with a 64.7% probability. However, as per the recent revelation, other in-state teams are upping the ante for Desmond Malpress.

A 4-star recruit, Desmond has a solid 6’3″ and 205 lb frame and is the 17th-ranked edge rusher in the country, with 120th position overall. The upgrade for Malpress happened after his Rivals Camp performance in March, with Florida finally offering him in April this year. It was a relationship that both parties had built over time, and Malpress, despite signaling intent to explore other programs, declared his old connection to the Gators. “My mom is a big Florida fan…needless to say, my mom is over the moon,” said Malpress after getting the Gators’ offer. However, despite that mom-connection, other teams are coming for Malpress, and the guy is taking a thorough feel.

The primary team giving the Gators fierce competition is none other than USF, as the Bulls are the current favorites of Desmond. “A lifelong UCF fan, the Knights remain a factor, but the Gators and Bulls have made the strongest impressions so far. Malpress has yet to visit USF, but he speaks highly of the staff and the way they are recruiting him, and he plans to attend a game in Tampa soon,” reported On3’s Chad Simmons. But don’t think for a moment that UCF is not coming full throttle.

Billy Napier’s Florida was recently on the wrong side of the scoreboard after USF caused a massive upset, defeating them 18-16 in Week 2. That game alone shows that USF, despite having a ‘G5’ tag, is vying to compete at the highest level, and its 2025 class is comprised of almost 52% in-state recruits. Going after Malpress then is natural for them, in the scenario, although making the player finally commit to USF would be a big ask. Despite that USF interest, Florida is still at the top for Malpress for now.

“Florida has already hosted him, and he loves the atmosphere around the Swamp. While the Gators haven’t started the season the way they hoped, Malpress continues to hold a strong interest in Billy Napier’s program,” reported Chad Simmons of On3. The edge rusher so far has made just a single unofficial visit yet, and that too, to Florida in June this year. So far, Malpress has 20 offers in his bag that also include teams like Maryland, UConn, Kansas, Illinois, Georgia Tech, and Colorado, and a 2027 timeline makes it too early for the player to lay down his commitment, too. That said, he has cleared the air regarding his relationship with Billy Napier.

Desmond Malpress opens up on his visit to Florida in June

Malpress is widely touted to be an agile and twitchy edge rusher who uses his frame to his full advantage. His HUDL film shows a lot of promise and showcases him to be with exceptional hands and footwork, capable of executing inch-perfect sacks. Along with that, Malpress also plays as a WR, and his academic record (3.4 GPA) is also strong, which makes him exceptional in several other fronts. Though he still would need to add some pounds, that can happen with time, surely.

“This one was big for me. Especially since this is my first SEC offer and it’s in my home state. I feel like this will open the gates for other offers from the SEC. I got the opportunity to meet with several coaches, including my position coach and Coach (Billy) Napier. We had some great conversations. They made the experience fun, and talking with them helped me learn more about the school. They love my athleticism, and they also love the bend I show in my film,” said the player about his June visit to Gainesville.

Billy Napier’s Florida is undoubtedly struggling on the field this season, losing back to back three games. However, recruiting is a frontier that has always been a bright spot for the head coach. His 2025 class was 10th nationally, with commitments from players like Vernell Brown III and Ben Hanks III. Whereas, the 2026 class for the head coach is 13th nationally, with commitments from Davian Groce and Kevin Ford. Not just that, the 2027 class, too, has a 4-star commitment in Tramond Collins, with several reportedly in the pipeline. Despite these achievements, the head coach now has a recruiting battle to fight for his prized in-state long-time recruit in a last-minute revelation, and it comes at a time when Napier is trying to rally a comeback for his team.