2027 DL Cain Van Norden commits to Florida

Jon Sumall and the Florida Gators have landed yet another prospect from the 2027 class, as 3-star defensive lineman Cain Van Norden announced his commitment Friday night.

Earlier this week, the 6-foot-7, 265-pound Van Norden told Gators Online that Florida was sitting in the No. 1 spot. Now, defensive line coach Gerald Chatman has landed his commitment.

“They’re recruiting me pretty hard, probably the hardest,” Van Norden told Gators Online this week. “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.”

Florida defensive line coach Gerald Chatman has played a major role in Van Norden’s growing comfort with the Gators, especially as he continues his rapid development on the defensive side of the ball.

“I’m new to football, so it’s really about development and coach Chatman is a great coach. Development wise, he would be a good coach for me and coach Brad White as well. They like how I move for my size and they see me playing the 5-tech. They can see me playing 9-tech all the way down to zero, so they like how I’m versatile.”

That versatility has stood out throughout Florida’s evaluation, but so has the personal effort shown by the staff. That’s especially the case with defensive coordinator Brad White, who made an in-person visit despite not being on the road as frequently as others.

“It went well. He taught me some things and I liked how he came to see me. It shows me how much of a priority I am for them,” said Van Norden.

Norden, who will return to Gainesville on June 4-6 for his official visit, is Florida’s 15th commitment for the class of 2027. He checks in as the 53rd-ranked defensive lineman in the 2027 class.

The Florida Gators have landed several elite prospects this cycle

*Five-star offensive lineman Maxwell Hiller of Coatesville, Pa. Hiller is the No. 4 overall recruit in the country and No. 1 interior offensive lineman in the Rivals Industry Rankings. If Hiller follows through on his pledge to Sumrall and offensive line coach Phil Trautwein, he would become the program’s first 5-star offensive line signee in more than a decade. Martez Ivey in 2015 was the last one.

*Cottondale (Fla.) 4-star athlete Tramond Collins: Colins, the No. 105 overall recruit in the country, had 36 catches for 613 yards and five touchdowns last season. 

*Sarasota (Fla.) Cardinal Mooney 4-star quarterback Davin Davidson: He is Rivals’ No. 12 QB and chose UF over Georgia, among others.

*Four-star cornerback Aamaury Fountain of Warner Robins (Ga.) Northside: The No. 17 cornerback in the country for the Rivals Industry, he flipped to the Gators from South Carolina last weekend.

*Three-star tight end Tommy Douglas of Princeton (N.J.) Hun School: The No. 23 tight end in the country for Rivals committed to the Gators over schools like Alabama, USC, Michigan, Miami, Ohio State, Clemson and Penn State.

Those are just some of the notable prospects in Florida’s class so far.

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