Florida Gators land high-upside DL Cain Van Norden

Florida Gators land high-upside DL Cain Van Norden

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Florida Gators land high-upside DL Cain Van Norden

Florida Gators

Jon Sumrall and the Florida Gators have added another piece to their 2027 recruiting class, landing a commitment from defensive lineman Cain Van Norden on Friday night.

The Bishop McNamara (Md.) three-star chose UF over Georgia, Ole Miss and Maryland, according to Rivals’ Hayes Fawcett. Each of the four were set to get official visits this summer, but Van Norden has opted to lock in with the Gators.

Florida’s staff pushed for him as hard — or harder — than any of the other programs on his list. And that ultimately paid off.

“They’re recruiting me pretty hard, probably the hardest,” Van Norden told Gators Online earlier this month. “Everything is going well. (Defensive line) coach (Gerald) Chatman came up to see me a few weeks ago and then (assistant defensive line) coach (Jonathan) Saxton and the defensive coordinator (Brad White) came to see me last week, so we are building a strong relationship.”

The 6-foot-7, 265-pounder is new to football, primarily playing basketball for his high school before trying out the gridiron.

Once that happened, the offers started pouring in. He amassed more than 20 in total, and eventually took visits to Virginia Tech, Syracuse, Ole Miss, Georgia, and eventually Florida. The Gators now have their 15th commitment of the cycle and their 12th since April 1.

Van Norden is the No. 828 overall prospect and No. 80 defensive lineman in the class nationally, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, an equally weighted average that utilizes all three major recruiting services.

Rivals, however, higher on him than both 247Sports and ESPN. In the most recent rankings update, he was tabbed as the country’s No. 53 defensive lineman and No. 12 player in Maryland.

Florida Gators commitments by position

Find a full list of Florida’s 15 commitments below:

Quarterback
Four-star Davin Davidson, No. 113 NATL. (No. 9 QB)

Running back
Four-star Andrew Beard, No. 165 NATL. (No. 9 RB)

Wide receiver
Four-star Tramond Collins, No. 115 NATL. (No. 20 WR)
Four-star Anthony Jennings, No. 291 NATL. (No. 44 WR)

Tight end
Four-star Jackson Ballinger, No. 398 NATL. (No. 24 TE)
Three-star Tommy Douglas, No. 694 NATL. (No. 35 TE)

Offensive line
Five-Star Plus+ Maxwell Hiller, No. 3 NATL. (No. 1 IOL)
Four-star Elijah Hutcheson, No. 91 NATL. (No. 7 OT)
Four-star Peyton Miller, No. 130 NATL. (No. 10 IOL)

Defensive line
Three-star Stive-Bentley Keumajou, No. 476 NATL. (No. 48 DL)
Three-star Cain Van Norden, No. 828 NATL. (No. 80 DL)
Three-star De’Voun Kendrick, No. 839 NATL. (No. 81 DL)

Cornerback
Four-star Aamaury Fountain, No. 133 NATL. (No. 18 CB)
Four-star Amare Nugent, No. 231 NATL. (No. 26 CB)

Safety
Three-star Kailib Dillard, No. 736 NATL. (No. 79 SAF)

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