Florida quickly enters mix for 4-star WR Malachi Lee

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Florida has quickly become a contender for four-star 2028 wide receiver Malachi Lee.

Lee is a 6-foot-2, 185-pound prospect at Loudoun Sports Academy in Virginia. The Gators are the most recent team to offer him, according to 247Sports' timeline, and Lee included Florida in his recently released top 12 alongside Arizona State, Michigan, Miami, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oregon, Rutgers, Texas A&M, UCLA, USC and Virginia Tech.

Virginia Tech will host him this weekend, according to Brian Dohn of 247Sports. Proximity and steady communication have helped the Hokies with Lee. He's also scheduling trips to Texas A&M and Michigan. There are no reports of Florida hosting him on a visit so far, but Jon Sumrall and his staff are just getting into this recruitment.

Michigan and Nebraska made strong impressions after hosting Lee on summer visits. Rutgers is another program that's been recruiting him for a while and remains in the hunt.

As far as a commitment timeline, Lee sees himself cutting things down to four or six schools after the season. He expects to announce a decision by April. Early playing time and a strong connection with his family are two prominent factors in his recruitment. Ultimately, he wants to find a program that feels like home.

Recruiting Summary

  • 247Sports: 90 — No. 67 nationally, No. 9 wide receiver, No. 2 in Virginia.
  • 247Sports Composite: 0.9802 — No. 40 nationally, No. 8 wide receiver, No. 1 in Virginia.
  • Rivals: 91 — No. 49 nationally, No. 8 wide receiver, No. 1 in Virginia.
  • Rivals Industry Ranking: 92.82 — No. 48 nationally, No. 8 wide receiver, No. 1 in Virginia. Rutgers leads the RPM at 18.6%, followed by Ohio State (16.2%), Michigan (13.9%) and Nebraska (11.6%); Florida is listed at 1.9%.
  • ESPN: 84 — No. 50 in the ESPN Junior 300, No. 8 wide receiver, No. 7 regionally and No. 1 in Virginia.

Scouting Reports

Jul 10, 2026 — Tim Verghese: Nebraska listed Lee among its top wide receiver targets. Verghese highlighted his strong hands at the catch point and YAC ability, and said the Huskers would try to bring him back for a fall game.

Jun 25, 2026 — Mick Walker: Walker ranked Lee the No. 1 offensive standout from Ohio State’s 2026 summer camps. Lee consistently separated on short, intermediate and deep routes, showed strong hands and earned an offer after Ryan Day and Cortez Hankton watched him during tournament play.

Jun 20, 2026 — Brian Christopherson: At Nebraska’s Battle of the Boneyard, Lee made multiple catches even when he appeared well covered. Tim Verghese separately praised his body control and ball skills after several tough deep catches against tight coverage.

High School Stats

2025: 69 receptions, 978 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns; seven interceptions in 13 games. Sources differ on tackles: 247Sports reported 57, while Lee’s self-reported season recap listed 68 and more than 1,400 all-purpose yards. He earned first-team all-region honors at receiver and unanimous first-team all-region honors as a punt returner; a late-playoff preview also credited him with two fumble recoveries.

Offers

Power Four: Arizona State Sun Devils, Colorado Buffaloes, Duke Blue Devils, Florida Gators, Georgia Bulldogs, Indiana Hoosiers, Kentucky Wildcats, Louisville Cardinals, Maryland Terrapins, Miami Hurricanes, Michigan Wolverines, Michigan State Spartans, Nebraska Cornhuskers, North Carolina Tar Heels, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Ohio State Buckeyes, Ole Miss Rebels, Oregon Ducks, Penn State Nittany Lions, Pittsburgh Panthers, Purdue Boilermakers, Rutgers Scarlet Knights, South Carolina Gamecocks, Syracuse Orange, Tennessee Volunteers, Texas A&M Aggies, UCLA Bruins, USC Trojans, Virginia Cavaliers, Virginia Tech Hokies, Wake Forest Demon Deacons, West Virginia Mountaineers, Wisconsin Badgers.

Others: Liberty Flames, Marshall Thundering Herd, Memphis Tigers, Old Dominion Monarchs.

Visits

  • Jun 20, 2026: Nebraska — 7-on-7/unofficial visit
  • Jun 17, 2026: Ohio State — 7-on-7/unofficial visit
  • Jun 16, 2026: Michigan — camp/unofficial visit
  • Malachi Lee top 12Apr 9, 2026: Rutgers — spring practice/unofficial visit
  • Spring 2026: Maryland — spring practice/unofficial visit

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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida quickly enters mix for 4-star WR Malachi Lee

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