Three-Point Stance: Recruiting in Florida, Alabama, Aaron Gregory
Rivals national recruiting analyst Greg Smith addresses the battle for recruiting supremacy among Florida's Big Three, Alabama's midseason resurgence on the field and the recruiting trail and the battle for 2026 superstar receiver Aaron Gregory.
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1. The battle for the No. 1 recruiting program in Florida is heating up.
We are in the stretch run until the Early Signing Period kicks off in December. There are a lot of fun battles yet to unfold on the recruiting trail but there is one that has already begun: The battle between Florida’s Big Three as Florida State, Florida and Miami vie for the recruiting crown this cycle.
In the last couple weeks each school has landed a big-time commitment. Miami picked up Tampa defensive end Booker Pickett. Florida got a commitment from LJ McCray. Both are great additions and will be productive college players. However, Florida State made the biggest wave this month when it flipped five-star Armondo Blount from Miami. He also reclassified to the 2024 class and will enroll early in Tallahassee.
After all that activity Florida State now sits at No. 3 in the team rankings. Florida is at No. 4 and Miami is 12th. We’ll check back in on this race after the Early Signing Period but there is a chance they all end up in the top 10.
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2. Alabama laying in the weeds, on and off the field.
This offseason it started to become popular to discount Alabama’s chances this season. The whispers were starting. Is the end near for Nick Saban?
Then Texas went to Tuscaloosa and beat the Tide 34-24 in early September. Alabama quickly became an afterthought in the College Football Playoff discussion.
Things have changed quickly.
All of a sudden, Alabama has found its stride. The Tide haven’t lost since then and are coming off a 34-20 victory over Tennessee. The path is wide open for an SEC championship date with Georgia. Saban’s team controls its own destiny to make the College Football Playoff in a year that people were throwing dirt on him to start the season.
Also, don’t look now but the Tide are also lurking in the recruiting rankings. They typically finish strong and make a surge up the rankings. I expect to see that again as I’m told the team is looking to add 10 more recruits to the No. 10 class for the 2024 cycle.
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Battle heating up for elite 2026 WR Aaron Gregory
Douglas County (Ga.) superstar wide receiver Aaron Gregory is a name the country will know soon. The four-star is currently ranked in the top 12 in the entire 2026 cycle. Gregory already holds 26 scholarship offers from around the country. He was in Columbus last weekend for Ohio State’s big matchup with Penn State.
“It was great! The stadium and fan energy is crazy," Gregory said. "I also had a great conversation with (receivers) coach (Brian) Hartline.”
Hartline didn’t go over the specifics of how he sees Gregory in the offense. But the pair did discuss coming back in the spring to see more practices to get to know the program better. Hartline also talked about how hands-on he is with his players, which appeals to the Georgia native.
“I definitely like that style,” Gregory said. “You feel more like a family than just another number. Your coach cares about more than you being on the field; it makes you want to go out and give your all.”
Next up for Gregory is a trip to Florida State for the matchup with Miami.