Billy Napier's Florida loses commitment of four-star CB in the Class of 2026

By Maliha

Modified Feb 17, 2025 13:28 GMT

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Four-star cornerback Jaelen Waters decommitted from Florida's 2026 class on Saturday. The Armwood High School (Florida) standout had been committed to Billy Napier's program since June.

The 6-foot-2, 180-pounder previously committed to Florida State in April after an unofficial visit but backed off the pledge a month later.

Waters is the No. 11 cornerback in the 2026 class and the No. 122 prospect in the nation, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. He is the first player to decommit from the Gators in this cycle, and his departure also leaves them without a cornerback in their 2026 class.

Florida is now left with two committed players in the 2026 class: quarterback Will Griffin and safety Devin Jackson, who are both in-state prospects.

Which school is trending for Jaelen Waters following his decommitment from Florida?

Jaelen Waters has amassed 54 scholarship offers, and even during his commitment to Florida, several programs continued to recruit him. Now that he has decommitted from the Gators, those schools are expected to intensify their efforts, but Miami is viewed as the favorite in his recruitment as of now.

"It is Miami, the coaches want me there and it is always great to be around the people at Miami,” Waters told On3 last month.

So far, Waters has scheduled two official visits: Florida on May 30 and Miami on June 13. The Hurricanes' decision to hire former Florida defensive backs coach Will Harris on Feb. 13 might have influenced Waters' decision to back off his commitment.

“I’m going to look over it and stuff,” Waters told On3 following Harris' move. “But it does impact my recruitment. Coach Harris, that’s my dawg. He’s like an extra father figure.”

With Harris now at Miami, Waters seems likely to follow him to Coral Gables. 247Sports has already logged a Crystal Ball prediction in favor of the Hurricanes, while On3 currently gives Miami the best odds at 52.1%, followed by Florida (32.7%) and Florida State (14.7%).

Miami cornerbacks coach Zac Etheridge is making a strong push to secure Waters' commitment. The Hurricanes have a cornerback in the 2026 class in four-star Camdin Portis.