Florida Beats Out In-State Rival for 4-Star DL originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
After losing out on five-star wide receiver Cederian Morgan to the Alabama Crimson Tide earlier in the day on Wednesday, the Florida Gators got some much-welcomed news a few hours later, as they landed a four-star defensive lineman.
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Kendall Guervil, who is rated No. 9 among all class of 2026 recruits in the state of Florida and the 12th-best at his position in the country, per the Top 247 rankings, announced his commitment on Wednesday afternoon to head coach Billy Napier and UF through Rivals’ Hayes Fawcett.
Guervil was one of Florida’s top targets in the 2026 class, as the Gators beat out both Florida State and Texas for the blue-chip’s pledge.
The 6-foot-5, 315-pound lineman from Fort Myers, Florida, becomes UF’s eighth four-star commit in the 2026 class and the 15th overall. He is the second-highest rated commit in Florida’s class, according to On3, coming in just behind cornerback CJ Bronaugh.
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Guervil is also the third defensive lineman that has committed to Napier and the Gators in the class, with the other two being four-star JaReylan McCoy and three-star Jamir Perez.
The Fort Myers High School star will join co-defensive coordinator Ron Roberts and defensive line coach Gerald Chapman in the trenches, a place where UF has flourished in recent years, and looks to be improving still. The Gators’ defensive line ranks fourth in the nation for the position group in Pro Football Focus‘ 2025 preseason rankings.
Florida Gators defensive lineman Cam Jackson (99) and Florida Gators edge George Gumbs Jr. (34) tackle Samford Bulldogs quarterback Quincy Crittendon (2) during the first half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.© Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images
This is a huge pickup for Florida to begin the month of July after what was a fantastic June on the recruiting trail. Napier is not done, however, as UF still has several targets set to announce where they will play their college ball in the coming days and weeks.
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With Guervil’s commitment, it could be just the beginning of a monstrous month for the Gators’ future.
Related: SEC Rival Hands Florida Massive Recruiting Loss on Wednesday
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 2, 2025, where it first appeared.