Florida was getting ready for a massive home matchup against No. 4 Ole Miss on Saturday afternoon at The Swamp, but the current 21st-ranked program in college football earned a big victory in the recruiting world first.
Four-star safety Cyion Smith announced on Saturday that he had committed to Florida for the 2028 season. One of the top secondary prizes of the 2028 class, Smith is an in-state product who has ultimately chosen to stay in the Sunshine State. He’s from Blountstown, Fla., so the Gators managed to keep Smith in the state after he previously committed to Mississippi State.
But Smith chose to reconsider his early commitment to the Bulldogs on May 8, and once his recruitment was reopened there was another chance for the SEC team from the state of Florida to pounce. That’s exactly what UF did, offering Smith a scholarship 8 days later, which triggered a recruiting process that ultimately ended with Saturday’s commitment to the Gators.
Rivals’ Chad Simmons reported Smith’s commitment to Gainesville, which came after Florida built momentum in his recruitment during the spring and summer following Smith’s reconsideration from his commitment to Mississippi State. Ironically, his commitment comes on the same day as Mississippi State’s rival, Ole Miss, plays the Gators at The Swamp, and Smith was on hand on Saturday to watch the huge Week 4 game.
According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, Smith is rated as the 345th-best prospect in the Class of 2028. He’s also the 29th-rated safety and the 43rd-ranked player from the state of Florida, according to the Composite rankings.
While Florida scored a huge recruiting victory for the 2028 season, the current Gators are trying to win as much as possible on the field in the first season of a new coaching regime. Here is what the Kalshi market is currently saying about Florida’s potential win total for the 2026 season:
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
