Elite 2028 EDGE Antonio Thomas Jr. names three standouts

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

Florida has positioned itself near the front of the race for one of the nation’s premier defenders in the 2028 recruiting class.

Four-star 2028 edge defender Antonio Thomas Jr. named Florida, Georgia and Kentucky as the three schools currently standing out, according to 247Sports’ Zach Blostein. The 6-foot-3-inch, 240-pound prospect from Carrollwood Day in Tampa is approaching 50 offers and is one of Florida’s priority targets at the JACK position.

Florida separated itself during his June trip to Gainesville for Friday Night Lights. He worked hands-on with outside linebackers coach Bam Hardmon. He returned the following day for Florida's Grill in the Ville cookout.

“I really started clicking with Florida after the camp," Thomas said. "I went to the Friday Night Lights camp, and the coach was blowing up my phone wanting me to go so bad. I went, did my thing, and that's when he wanted me to commit.”

Georgia has been on Thomas since the beginning of his sophomore year, and Kentucky impressed on a trip he took to Lexington with his mother.

Thomas' skills match his blue-chip pedigree. He's quick off the line and was arguably the most impressive pass rusher at Florida's camp. He's a good match for the JACK position based on his explosiveness and physicality. Carrollwood Day coach Marshall McDuffie said Thomas ran a laser-timed 4.53-second 40-yard dash at Georgia while weighing approximately 245 pounds, and he had double-digit sacks as a sophomore.

Thomas is scheduled to return to Florida on Sept. 26 for the Ole Miss game. He is expected to take additional game-day visits before eventually using his official visits. Despite him naming his standout programs, a commitment is not expected soon.

“No, I'm probably going to commit going into my senior year — either the middle or end, somewhere around there,” he said.

Florida still has work to do to land Thomas, but the Gators have positioned themselves nicely with one of the top defensive players on their recruiting board.

Recruiting Summary

  • Rivals Industry: 94.96 — No. 17 nationally, No. 5 EDGE, No. 4 in Florida.
  • Rivals: 93 — No. 21 nationally, No. 4 EDGE, No. 3 in Florida.
  • Rivals RPM: Florida leads at 40.8%, followed by Miami (13.4%), Auburn (11.5%), Penn State (1.6%) and Notre Dame (1.6%).
  • ESPN: 87 — No. 17 in the ESPN Jr. 300, No. 5 EDGE, No. 9 regional, No. 4 in Florida.
  • 247Sports: 93 — No. 14 nationally, No. 4 EDGE, No. 4 in Florida.
  • 247Sports Composite: 0.9940 — No. 14 nationally, No. 3 EDGE, No. 4 in Florida.

Scouting Reports

June 20, 2026 — Zach Blostein: Thomas was the most impressive pass rusher at Florida's Friday Night Lights camp. Blostein highlighted his first-step quickness, ability to turn the corner and ability to convert speed to power, writing that he looked like a future five-star talent.

Jun 20, 2026 — Blake Alderman: Alderman left Friday Night Lights extremely high on Thomas, praising how quickly he gets off the ball and his physical demeanor at the snap.

Aug. 19, 2026 — Corey Bender: Bender highlighted Thomas’ fluidity, bend, first-step quickness and explosiveness, noting his double-digit sacks as a sophomore and calling him one of the 2028 defenders Florida could build around.

Aug. 26, 2026 — Chad Simmons: Carrollwood Day coach Marshall McDuffie called Thomas a “freak” after the 245-pound EDGE ran a laser-timed 4.53-second 40-yard dash at Georgia.

High School Stats

2025: 54 tackles, 25 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, two pass breakups and two forced fumbles. On offense, carried 100 times for 927 yards and 15 touchdowns.

2024: 27 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, four sacks, three pass breakups and one forced fumble.

Career totals (2024-25): 81 tackles, 39 tackles for loss, 15.5 sacks, five pass breakups and three forced fumbles.

Offers

Power Four:Alabama Crimson Tide, Arkansas Razorbacks, Auburn Tigers, California Golden Bears, Colorado Buffaloes, Duke Blue Devils, Florida Gators, Florida State Seminoles, Georgia Bulldogs, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Illinois Fighting Illini, Indiana Hoosiers, Kansas State Wildcats, Kentucky Wildcats, Louisville Cardinals, LSU Tigers, Maryland Terrapins, Miami Hurricanes, Missouri Tigers, NC State Wolfpack, Nebraska Cornhuskers, North Carolina Tar Heels, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Ole Miss Rebels, Oregon Ducks, Penn State Nittany Lions, Pittsburgh Panthers, Rutgers Scarlet Knights, SMU Mustangs, Stanford Cardinal, Syracuse Orange, Tennessee Volunteers, Texas Longhorns, Texas A&M Aggies, UCF Knights, UCLA Bruins, USC Trojans, Vanderbilt Commodores, Virginia Tech Hokies, Wake Forest Demon Deacons.

Others: Appalachian State Mountaineers, FIU Panthers, North Texas Mean Green, Rhode Island Rams, South Florida Bulls, Toledo Rockets, Tulane Green Wave, UConn Huskies, UNLV Rebels.

Visits

  • Aug. 30, 2025: Florida State — expected unofficial visit (vs. Alabama)
  • Sept. 20, 2025: Miami — unofficial visit
  • Oct. 4, 2025: Florida State — unofficial visit (vs. Miami)
  • Nov. 15, 2025: Florida State — unofficial visit (vs. Virginia Tech)
  • Jan. 31, 2026: UCLA — expected/possible unofficial visit (junior day)
  • March 13, 2026: Florida — unofficial visit
  • March 21, 2026: Auburn — unofficial visit
  • March 22, 2026: Georgia — unofficial visit
  • June 2026: Kentucky — unofficial visit (first visit; exact date not reported)
  • Jun 19, 2026: Florida — Friday Night Lights camp (unofficial visit)
  • Jun 20, 2026: Florida — Grill in the Ville recruiting cookout (unofficial visit)
  • Sept. 12, 2026: Kentucky — unofficial visit (vs. Alabama; birthday weekend)
  • Sept. 26, 2026: Florida — confirmed unofficial visit (vs. Ole Miss)
  • Oct. 10, 2026: Georgia Tech vs. Duke
  • Oct. 17, 2026: Miami vs. Florida State
  • Oct. 31, 2026: Florida State — confirmed unofficial visit (vs. Clemson)
  • Nov. 14, 2026: Georgia — confirmed unofficial visit (vs. Missouri)

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Elite 2028 EDGE Antonio Thomas Jr. names three standouts

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos