After recently decommitting from Mississippi State, Jeramiah McCloud of Gadsden County in Havana, Florida, has committed to the Florida Gators.

The 6-foot-4, 285-pound defensive lineman is rated as a three-star player. On the 247 Sports Composite, he is ranked 50th among defensive linemen and 501st overall. He is ranked 38th among defensive linemen and 459th overall in the On3 Industry Rankings.

McCloud’s defensive play from the previous season earned him a berth on the Tallahassee Democrat All-Big Bend team. Working from various positions up front, he demonstrated versatility as he racked up 55 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and 12 sacks.

Since January, McCloud had made Mississippi State his home. Nevertheless, things started to change in February when Florida expressed interest.

More than any other school, McCloud made three visits to Florida after obtaining an offer. On his most recent visit, he brought a coach and his mother. Early in April, he made hints about a possible shift in commitment.

The front-runners were LSU and Florida, but he also included UGA in his top three. McCloud was eventually signed by Florida, mostly because of defensive line coach Gerald Chatman’s efforts, with Austin Armstrong and Billy Napier also playing significant roles.

Upon learning of his commitment to the Bulldogs, several teams showed interest, including LSU, Colorado, Georgia, Auburn, and USC.

This past February in Orlando, McCloud secured the defensive line MVP title at the Under Armour camp. In the OL/DL 1v1s, he did not lose a single rep, which resulted in additional offers.

He was compared to Chris Jones and Fletcher Cox at Mississippi State. McCloud’s competitive nature and his perseverance on the field were emphasised in the camp review, earning him the position of defensive lineman. The Most Valuable Player honour

McCloud is a “big-bodied and muscled up football player with very good length in his limbs and a sizeable upper body,” according to Neil Stopczynski of 247 Sports.

He points out that McCloud can line up in the 2 and 3 point stances as well as at the ends of the defensive line, at DE and 3T.

McCloud is capable of playing as a defensive end or moving inside with a little more size. According to him, Florida values his versatility in playing at the end of the defensive line as well as inside. He’s a fascinating prospect because of his versatility and Power Five level size.

The Gators currently have four pledges in their 2025 recruiting class thanks to McCloud’s commitment.

McCloud joins Jalen Wiggins of Tallahassee, a four-star prospect, Waltez Clark of Plant, a Tampa-based running back, and Josiah Abdullah of Atlanta, a three-star wide receiver, all from Woodward Academy.