Florida's 2027 football class is loaded. Here are 10 players to know

By this time of the recruiting cycle, most seniors are signed, sealed and delivered.

A large portion of recruits have already reported to campus by the start of the New Year, and just two players from the USA TODAY Florida Top 100 remain uncommitted headed into the February signing day.

The evolution of NIL and the transfer portal has essentially pacified what was once one of the biggest recruiting days of the year, and most programs already have a pretty clear picture on what their roster will look like for the 2026-27 season.

With that in mind, we’re using the end of the 2026 cycle to look ahead to the class of 2027.

This class of rising seniors was already impressive, but with players like Eric McFarland and Champ Monds reclassifying, this cycle is as loaded as any in recent memory.

With camp and combine season getting underway, here are 10 players from the class of 2027 you need to be familiar with before the start of next season:

IMG Academy EDGE Zyron Forstall

Height, weight: 6-3½, 235 pounds

247Sports Composite ranking: 5-star, No. 2 overall in Florida, No. 2 edge rusher in the nation

What to know: Originally from New Orleans, Forstall transferred in to IMG as a junior, where he registered 9.0 TFL, 5.0 sacks, and four QBH against some of the stoutest offensive lines in the country. The 5-star holds offers from the likes of Ohio State, Oregon, Alabama and Texas. He took unofficial visits to Texas A&M and USC last year. He earned Under Armour All-American honors and an invite to the Polynesian Bowl.

Carol City WR Nick Lennear

Height, weight: 6-0, 170 pounds

247Sports Composite ranking: 5-star, No. 3 overall in Florida, No. 4 wide receiver in the nation

What to know: Lennear shined at Miami Northwestern and was credited for 381 receiving yards and seven touchdowns on 20 catches, an interception and a pair of pass breakups through seven games as a junior, earning an invite to the Navy All-American Bowl. Now at Carol City, Lennear is arguably the most coveted receiver in the 2027 class with offers from Miami, Texas A&M, FSU, Michigan, LSU and others.

St. Thomas Aquinas OT Mark Matthews

Height, weight: 6-6, 300 pounds

247Sports Composite ranking: 5-star, No. 1 player in Florida, No. 1 offensive tackle in the nation

What to know: Matthews is as heralded a lineman as any in the country, and is being pursued by the likes of Miami, Texas A&M and Notre Dame (all of which he took unofficial visits to in September.) An Under Armour All-American and Polynesian Bowl invitee, Matthews helped the Raiders average over 375 yards of total offense per game on the way to another state title.

IMG WR Eric McFarland III

Height, weight: 5-9, 175 pounds

247Sports Composite ranking: 5-star, No. 4 overall player in Florida, No. 5 wide reciever in the nation

What to know: McFarland might be the most dangerous offensive weapon in the state, and he reclassed from the class of 2028 to 2027 after tallying 595 receiving yards and 11 scores on 29 catches as a sophomore and being invited to the Under Armour All-American Game and the Polynesian Bowl. He holds offers from the likes of Michigan, LSU, Oregon, Florida, Miami, Georgia and others.

Tampa Jesuit LB/EDGE Kaden Henderson

Height, weight: 6-foot-1½, 215 pounds

247Sports Composite ranking: 5-star, No. 5 overall player in Florida, No. 2 linebacker in the country

What to know: Henderson is a top-percentile athlete with the size and twitch to play off the edge and the mobility/skill to move to linebacker. He tallied 49 tackles, 13.0 TFL, 9.0 sacks, and 20 QBH on the way to invites to the Under Armour All-American Game and the Polynesian Bowl. He’s a priority for Florida, which signed teammate and quarterback Will Griffin in the 2026 cycle, and is also being pursued by the likes of Tennessee, Texas A&M, Alabama and FSU.

West Boca Raton DT Jamar Thompson

Height, weight: 6-3, 305 pounds

247Sports Composite ranking: 4-star, No. 10 overall in Florida, No. 9 defensive lineman in the nation

What to know: Thompson was the anchor for what have have been the best defense in the state last year, tallying 16.0 TFL, 5.0 sacks, and 42 total tackles for the back-to-back Class 6A champion Bulls. He added Ohio State, Michigan and Oklahoma to an already lengthy offer list last season.

Godby WR Jamarin Simmons

Height, weight: 5-11, 150 pounds

247Sports Composite ranking: 4-star, No. 12 overall player in Florida, No. 19 wide receiver in the nation

JAMARIN SIMMONS RECRUITING: Godby 4-star WR top 3 schools include two in Florida

What to know: Simmons reeled in 59 passes for 932 yards and 14 touchdowns on offense for Godby, and added 25 tackles, three interceptions and six PBUs on the other side of the ball. FSU is pushing for the Tallahassee native, along with Clemson, and LSU.

IMG LB Amarri Irvin

Height, weight: 6-0, 220 pounds

247Sports Composite ranking: 4-star, No. 26 overall player in Florida, No. 14 linebacker in the nation

What to know: Irvin, an Under Armour All-American and Notre Dame commit, posted 36 tackles, 6.0 TFL, 4.0 sacks, and 13 QBH through nine games for the Ascenders. One of the most coveted defensive players in the country, he chose the Fighting Irish over Alabama, Florida and FSU.

Vero Beach QB Wonderful ‘Champ’ Monds IV

Height, weight: 6-2, 225 pounds

247Sports Composite ranking: 4-star, No. 28 overall player in Florida, No. 17 quarterback in the nation

What to know: Monds was the most touted player in the class of 2028, and was ranked as the No. 1 player in the country by Rivals before reclassifying to the class of 2027. He suffered a leg injury in the Indian’s season opener, and didn’t return until November when he threw for 564 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions across three games. He recently added Notre Dame to an offer sheet that includes FSU, Michigan, Ohio State and Ole Miss.

St. Thomas Aquinas WR Julius Jones Jr.

Height, weight: 5-10, 175 pounds

247Sports Compositeranking: 4-star, No. 7 overall in Florida, No. 11 wide receiver in the nation

What to know: The son and nephew of former NFL running backs Julius and Thomas Jones, he led the south Florida powerhouse with 876 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns on 58 catches while earning an invite the Under Armour All-American game. He holds offers from the likes of Florida, Miami, Oklahoma, LSU, Oregon and Ohio State.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Florida’s top 10 high school football recruits for class of 2027