Florida’s misery continues even after paying Billy Napier a $51 million buyout. At the same time, interim coach Billy Gonzales has failed to stop the bleeding. Ole Miss demolished the Gators 34-24, dropping them to 3-7, pushing the season towards one of the worst records in program history. Stability remains elusive both on the field and in the coaching search. Despite all this, all is not lost for them, as their 2026 recruiting class remains untouched with zero decommitments.

As per the latest reports by On3, Florida’s recruits have stayed locked in, an ode to both the program’s brand and the loyalty of its commitment class in all the chaos. On the other hand, LSU, Penn State, and Arkansas have lost commitments since their coaching changes.

Florida’s 2026 class ranks No. 12 nationally, with some of the best talents committed to it nationally. The class features four-star quarterback Will Griffin, four-star edge KJ Ford, four-star linebacker Malik Morris, and four-star cornerback CJ Bronaugh.

Desmond Green also said that he is going to stay with the Gators and hopes that the recruitment class would also want that. “I know I want to be at the University of Florida. Like how I said, it’s all kind of weather.”

At the same time, Penn State lost five-star running back Kemon Spell hours after firing James Franklin on October 12. Five-star offensive tackle Layton Von Brandt and four-star defender Gabriel Jenkins followed suit. Arkansas suffered four immediate decommitments after Sam Pittman’s firing, with three-star wide receiver Keymian Henderson leaving within an hour. LSU also lost commitments following Brian Kelly’s October 26 firing.

Four-star defensive lineman JaReylan McCoy said, “I’m committed to a program, not a coach or specific person.” The same philosophy has stayed across the class.

Interim coach Billy Gonzales has finally managed to do something right. “We’re still communicating on a daily basis, sending texts and sending emails, and getting a chance to talk to them on the phone,” he said.

It goes a long way in talking about the recruitment infrastructure and administration that has been able to sustain even after some major changes.

It all started as Billy Napier managed a paltry 3-4 record before his October 19 firing, ending with a 22-23 overall record over four seasons. Against ranked opponents, Napier went 5-17 and 0-14 in away games. His offense lacked consistency and predictability due to his rigidity regarding play-calling duties.

Interim coach Billy Gonzales went 0-3 in his three games, though he tried against Georgia and Ole Miss. Gonzales shifted to a different offensive approach, leveraging his background as a receivers coach. Florida allowed 390.3 total yards. Quarterback DJ Lagway threw for 1,980 passing yards with 12 touchdowns and 13 interceptions across ten games this season. The defense ranked 104th nationally in total yards allowed, exposing fundamental issues that neither coach could solve.

Apart from all this, Florida is on the lookout for a new HC. Meanwhile, Lane Kiffin watched from the sidelines as his Rebels defeated his rumoured future employers.

Lane Kiffin’s family visits potential destinations

The Kiffin Family was spotted visiting Gainesville on Sunday and Baton Rouge on Monday. Although it might come as a sad development for the Florida Gators fanbase but he might be inclining towards a move to LSU. As per claims from  LSU insider Shea Dixon, the Tigers’ position regarding Kiffin has strengthened.

“Don’t be surprised if the Lane Kiffin and LSU chatter heats up more in the coming days,” Dixon wrote. “From speaking with multiple sources on Thursday morning, the buzz around LSU continues to grow. No, I have not heard it’s done. That said, I do trust what I’m told – which is the spot LSU was in a week ago Thursday vs. today (Thursday) is a much better one when it comes to potentially landing Kiffin as the next head coach.”

This has put the Ole Miss fans on high alert as they might end up losing their beloved coach. Although he still heads the race to secure the opening in Gainsville, he is keeping his options open. This has contributed to the growing frustration among both fan bases regarding his next project. Another interesting thing about their visit was their visit to the high schools of the area. This could be an indicator of the Kiffin family looking for a suitable landing spot.

Adding fuel to the fire, Kiffin talked about the whole decision-making process pretty vaguely in his Nov 19 press conference.

“I do think that people with time change and, maybe when they’re younger, you make really fast decisions,” he said. “And I think as you get older and more mature and look at things differently, maybe you take longer to make the proper decision.”

While this shows how much he has grown from his older self in Tennessee and USC, anymore.  He is enjoying his time in Oxford with his entire family. He gets to see his son Knox in action as he sits in the stands with his daughter. All in all, its still pretty unclear as to where he will go. But one thing is for sure, Lane Kiffin has changed and might just stay where he is.