Florida football is eyeing four-star 2028 running back Zaiden Jernigan, who is one of the nation's highest-rated players at his position. At 5 feet 10 inches, 195 pounds, the top-ranked back in the state of Mississippi is being pursued by the Gators along with Mississippi State, Alabama and a host of other Power Four programs.
Jernigan will be on campus at Florida on Saturday for the season opener against Florida Atlantic. The Gators are one of 10 visits on his schedule, but the recruit told Swamp247 that the Gators were "top five." The fall visit schedule gives contenders an opportunity to begin separating themselves from the pack prior to the more serious stages of recruitment.
Though the sophomore is two cycles from the signing window, he is still
drawing significant interest after totaling 1,806 all-purpose yards and 24 touchdowns last season. As a freshman, he rushed for 1,798 yards and 27 touchdowns, adding 266 yards and three scores through the air.
He was a driving force in helping Louisville High School reach the Mississippi Class 4A State championship game. The blue-chip athlete is also elite on the track, posting 100-meter dash times nearly 11.2-seconds.
Zaiden Jernigan's recruiting summary
Jernigan is the No. 94 overall prospect in the 2028 recruiting class and No. 2 at his position, according to 247Sports composite; On3 industry rankings have him at Nos. 44 and 2, respectively. He is also listed as the top recruit in the state of Mississippi.
According to On3's RPM prediction, Mississippi State holds the best odds to land the wideout at 19.5%, Ole Miss trails at 17.1%, followed by Auburn at 14.6%. Jernigan currently has 24 offers, including 11 other SEC programs — among them LSU, Texas and Texas A&M.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida set to host coveted 2028 RB Zaiden Jernigan on Saturday
