Florida football adds blue-chip ATH Heze Kent to 2026 recruiting haul

USA Today

a day ago

It may be the dog days of summer, but Florida football's recruiting efforts remain in high gear.
On Saturday, the Gators added four-star athlete Heze Kent out of Brunswick (Georgia) to their 2026 recruiting class. The 6-foot-6-inch, 310-pound prospect chose the Orange and Blue from a list of 38 offers, which included the Florida State Seminoles, Miami Hurricanes and Texas Longhorns, who were included among his top four destinations.
Kent's main focus when evaluating various schools was the ability to remain at the tight end position, where he has logged the most time during his prep playing days. However, his size and athleticism make him a great fit on both the offensive and defensive lines — and many programs have noted this — but Florida was among the few who believed in his ability to play tight end.
To that point, his relationship with offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Russ Callaway helped seal the deal on his verbal pledge.
"That's like a father or a brother to me," Kent told Swamp247. "My coach had told me how he was as a person, like the same person he is on the field is the same person he is off."
He also added, "My relationship with Florida is how you see Kyrie (Irving) and LeBron (James)."
Heze Kent's Recruiting Summary
Kent is ranked No. 149 overall and No. 9 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite, while the On3 industry ranking has him at Nos. 158 and 14, respectively.
"One of the more unique evaluations in the 2026 cycle," 247Sports national analyst Hudson Standish.
"Jumbo athlete hovering around 6-foot-6, 310 pounds who primarily plays tight end at the prep level but likely projects to offensive tackle or defensive tackle on Saturdays... Shows significant developmental blocking upside when asked to stay attached, possesses nimble movement skills and redirection ability that directly translate from his work as a forward on the basketball court...
"Uncommon movement skills from a player of his size in the open field and will make acrobatic ladder-climbing snags in the red zone... Dominates South Georgia 5A competition in a variety of ways and has even found success as a ball carrier... Could start his career as a specialty tight end in 12/13 personnel groupings before transitioning to a long-term positional home...
"Sheer size and athleticism point to obvious long-term NFL upside, especially if he embraces a role along the offensive or defensive line at the next level."
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