It took Jon Sumrall all of 30 minutes following the Orange and Blue game to make his mark on a recruit.
Cornerback Aamaury Fountain announced his flip from South Carolina to Florida football after being in attendance for the Gators spring game.
A native of Warner Robins, Georgia, Fountain committed to the Gamecocks on January 2. 247 Sports Composite ranks the Northside High player as the No. 26 ranked CB in the Class of 2027 and the 23rd-ranked prospect in the state of Georgia.
Fountain was one of over 30 recruits at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium for the “first game” of the Sumrall era. This included Jalen Brewster — the top-ranked recruit in the Class of 2027 out of Cedar Hill, Texas.
On Wednesday, April 8, the Gators landed the commitment of five-star OL Maxwell Hiller — the program’s first five-star O-lineman commit in 11 years. A day later, Sarasota four-star QB Davin Davidson signed onto the program.
After the game, Sumrall made a pitch to the recruits in the house and not. He said Florida isn’t a hard place to recruit.
“We’re the fifth-ranked public school in the United States of America academically right now. You come outside today, and it’s beautiful,” Sumrall said. “You come to the stadium, and you know the history and pageantry of what it feels like to play in this place, and you know the stadium renovations that are coming. The fan base is hungry for a winner.”
That doesn’t mean every player is going to fit in with his culture in Gainesville.
“I tell recruits all the time. If you like us now, you’re going to love us later. If you don’t like me now, go somewhere else, because I’m not changing. What you see is what you get,” Sumrall said. “If you want to improve your craft every day, it’s going to be a blast. If you’re tough and love football, it’s going to be a blast. If you’re soft and you like football, don’t come here.”
The Gators Class of 2027 ranks No. 14 in the nation with six total commits.
Noah Ram covers Florida Gators athletics and Gainesville-area high school sports for The Gainesville Sun, GatorSports.com and the USA TODAY Network. Contact him at nram@usatodayco.com. Follow him on X @Noah_ram1 and on Instagram @Ramreporter.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Florida football flips South Carolina CB Aamaury Fountain after Orange and Blue game
Reporting by Noah Ram, Gainesville Sun / The Gainesville Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
