Gators Wire

July 9, 2026, 2:29 p.m. ET The 2026 MLB Draft will take place this weekend in Philadelphia. With the annual professional selection process right around the corner, The Score's Bryan Mcwilliam looked back a decade ago at the 2016 MLB Draft and conducted a redraft with the benefit of 10 years of hindsight.

July 9, 2026, 1:00 p.m. ET The 2026 MLB Draft kicks off this weekend, and this summer, a handful of Florida baseball players are eligible to be picked in the major league's annual selection process held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Junior right-handed pitcher Liam Peterson has the highest ceiling among the Gators whose names could be called during the two-day event.

July 9, 2026, 8:02 a.m. ET The new College Sports Commission said it has rejected more than $90 million in NIL deals. The agreements were submitted through the NIL Go clearinghouse since it launched following the House settlement. Duties of the clearinghouse include reviewing third-party NIL bargains to determine whether they represent a valid business purpose and fair market value. Around 1,500 deals have reportedly been approved by the commission.

July 9, 2026, 7:03 a.m. ET CBS Sports redrafted the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, with former Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall taken eight spots higher than he was in the original draft. The outlet based its shuffle on what's transpired over the last two seasons in a list that has reshuffled a host of young stars. Pearsall validated his first-round status in 2025 and is anticipated to take another leap this upcoming campaign.

July 8, 2026, 6:59 p.m. ET Jac Caglianone is headed to the Home Run Derby. Caglianone only has 21 homers through 147 career games at the major-league level, but he's earned a reputation for being one of the most powerful hitters in the game. At Florida, Caglianone set the program record for homers in a season twice — 33 in 2023 and 35 in 2024. He also has the program record for career home runs (75) and slugging percentage (.760).

July 8, 2026, 8:30 a.m. ET USA TODAY Sports projected the 12-team College Football Playoff field for the upcoming 2026 season in its too-early predictions. Using current national championship odds as a roadmap to identify leading contenders before preseason camp, national college football columnist Blake Toppmeyer and senior sports columnist John Adams opted to leave Florida out of the picture.

July 8, 2026, 8:02 a.m. ET Rivals identified Florida's 2027 receiver haul as a major strength for the Gators, pinning this group as one of the nation's top wideout classes. Following June's official visit season, UF ended up with four-star Elias Pearl, four-star Tramond Collins, and four-star Anthony Jennings. All three blue-chip pass catchers will remain in the Sunshine State to attend Florida, illustrating the program's ability to keep top talent at home.

July 8, 2026, 7:30 a.m. ET Florida football landed its No. 26 commitment of the 2027 cycle on Tuesday when four-star cornerback Raheem Floyd chose the Gators over their conference rival, the Missouri Tigers. The Prairie State native credited Florida's culture under new head coach Jon Sumrall as a factor that catapulted the program to No. 1 on his list. His pledge comes less than a month after defensive backs coach Brandon Harris hosted Floyd in Gainesville for an official visit.

July 8, 2026, 7:01 a.m. ET The U.S. News & World Report college and university rankings have been updated, and once again, the University of Florida ranks among the top schools in the nation — much to the delight of the Gator Nation. Each year, the publication ranks the top undergraduate schools in America based on academic excellence. This time, the Florida Gators maintained their overall ranking at No. 30, tied with the University of Texas.

July 7, 2026, 6:37 p.m. ET As the professional volleyball offseason continues throughout the summer, eight former Florida Gators are representing the program across multiple professional leagues in the United States and overseas. Major League Volleyball's Orlando Valkyrie added a pair of former Gators in early June, signing setter Ellie McKissock and libero Marlie Monserez for the 2027 season.