Billy Napier’s New DL Sends 4-Word Message After 5-Star Elijah Haven Makes College Football Announcement

Billy Napier and his Florida Gators are just getting started on the 2027 recruiting trail. Right now, the Gators have one big name locked in: Tramond Collins. He is a talented four-star wide receiver who’s already turning heads as the No. 8 athlete in the nation. But the real buzz is swirling around the quarterback position. Napier has his eyes on Elijah Haven. He is a Baton Rouge, Louisiana prodigy widely heralded as the top overall recruit in the 2027 class. Analysts from Rivals and On3 are projecting Haven to pick Florida. And there’s a good reason for this magnetic pull around the program now, thanks partly to the rise of current Gators quarterback DJ Lagway.

Lagway is giving the Gators some serious swagger in recruiting. The good news is that Haven is visiting Gainesville this October 4. The timing can’t be perfect. A pivotal home game against the Texas Longhorns marks a huge step in this budding romance, with Florida looking like the favorite. And, it’s not just the program or Lagway making the pull for Haven. Even Napier’s brand-new defensive line commitment in the 2026 class, JaReylan McCoy, is playing a subtle but powerful role in attracting Haven. McCoy is a towering 6-foot-7, five-star defensive end from Tupelo, Mississippi, who brings that rare combo of size, skill, and charisma that anyone would want by their side.

But what McCoy did is indeed the work of a recruiter of a storied program like Florida itself. Just as Haven announced, he has locked in visits to six schools, McCoy took to X, and wrote a subtle 4-word message alongside Haven’s announcement, “Come be a gator @elijahhaven05.” Now that’s enough love you need from a senior, who wants you to be there on the same turf, grinding together in the future. Except for Florida, the other schools Haven announced his visits to are Georgia (November 15), LSU (September 13), Alabama (October 18), Auburn (November 29), and Penn State (September 27). Woah! Now that’s a tough call, Haven has to make.

Tom Loy of 247Sports put forward some sneaky intel. He wrote that there is “a lot of positive buzz” for Michigan and Florida. And now Michigan is speculatively out of the picture. But let’s face it, this is CFB, and any type of flip-flop can happen here. Alabama and LSU remain intense competitors. However, LSU has a slight edge with the home-field advantage given Haven’s Louisiana roots. Auburn also joins the mix, adding another SEC force to the chase, bringing a fresh challenge for the Baton Rouge star. Elijah Haven’s visit to Gainesville during the Florida vs. Texas game is a game-changer. This will be a full-on game day experience at ‘The Swamp’, one of college football’s most electric atmospheres.

Hosting Haven during this historic matchup, the first SEC game for Texas since its arrival in the conference, gives the Gators an invaluable chance to showcase the passion. The Longhorns famously dominated Florida last season in a 32-point victory, so this game carries extra weight. Plus, with DJ Lagway already impressing as Florida’s starting QB, Haven can see a clear path laid out. And the ironic part is, Haven’s cheerleader, who is already rooting for him to join the Gators, has himself chosen Florida over Texas. So McCoy will join the 2025 class, tight end Micah Jones, and 2024 class running back Kahnen Daniels.

How Florida sealed the deal for JaReylan McCoy

JaReylan McCoy is making it crystal clear that he’s in for the Florida Gators, and he really means it. The five-star defensive end has doubled down on his Florida pledge with a message as direct as it gets. He said, “It’s Go Gators around here.” That phrase alone tells you volumes about where his head and heart are these days. Coming off a whirlwind recruitment that had some big names in the mix, including LSU and Texas, McCoy’s recommitment to Florida sends a strong signal.

In an interview, he brushed aside the noise and the competing offers with the kind of confidence that only someone who’s found his home can have. McCoy spoke about the environment in Gainesville, saying the culture around Billy Napier’s program feels right. It seems that there’s a vibe there, a unity, and Mackoy can feel it. What adds weight to his pledge is how openly he’s embraced the “Go Gators” mentality. It’s more than a slogan for him; it’s almost like a battle cry.

McCoy’s high school numbers show why Florida was so eager to have him. At Tupelo High, he was a beast on the defensive line. McCoy has recorded more than 140 tackles and 18.5 sacks in three varsity seasons at Tupelo High School. Thus, his commitment represents a major recruiting victory for Napier and Florida. What really amps this story up is McCoy’s journey from initially committing to LSU to flipping and then sticking firmly with Florida.