Did FSU Seminoles pass Florida Gators in football recruiting trail over holiday?

Come the Fourth of July, we look to the sky expecting to be awed.

Fireworks are standard, even compulsory, at this time of the year. The same is true when we look to the recruiting trail through the Independence Day weekend.

The middle of the summer is among the busiest times in recruiting, and many of the nation's top players made their college decisions around the holiday. Few made a bigger splash than Calvin Russell, the five-star wide receiver out of Miami Northwestern, who spurned Michigan, Miami, Oregon, and others in favor of Syracuse.

Russell, the No. 4 player and No. 1 receiver in the USA TODAY Florida Top 100 for 2026, became the Orange's highest-ranked commitment in two decades.

Chauncey Kennon, another five-star from Sarasota Booker, became the crown jewel of Mike Norvell's class after he joined the Seminoles on Sunday evening.

Miami flipped Mandarin cornerback Brody Jennings away from Michigan, a commitment Jennings held for nearly a calendar year. The Gators reeled in a commitment from coveted Cocoa safety CJ Hester as well.

Other notable commitments over the weekend included First Academy safety Devin Jackson to Oregon, Freeport wide receiver Julius Miles to Louisville, and IMG cornerback AJ Marks to Wake Forest.

Here are some of the biggest questions from the recruiting trail after a big Fourth of July weekend.

Can a winner of the summer be declared out of Florida's Big 3?

Wilson: Florida State adding Chauncey Kennon has seriously threatened the lead Florida has held this summer in-state. The 'Noles have gotten more top 100 commitments this summer (three) than wins they had last year (two), and Kennon is the highest-rated commit staying in-state (No. 8 overall). Miami has crushed it out of state and the Brody Jennings flip from Michigan was a nice addition. Florida has probably won the summer up to this point after adding seven Top 100 recruits to the class this summer alone, but it's a much closer race looking into August.

Santucci: For the summer? Not yet because we’ve still got a couple weeks to go in July and we both know that schools are working hard on flipping guys as well as still trying to get some of the uncommitted players that are still on the board. But Florida has done a great job so far and is showing that the strong 2025 finish — both on the field and on the recruiting trail — wasn’t a one-off. The Gators are a clear No. 1 recruiting the state of Florida, with Florida State second and Miami a close third.

Should Florida programs be worried about Fran Brown and Syracuse?

Wilson: Fran Brown and his staff have proven they are heavyweights in Florida and know where to establish pipelines. Look to Miami Northwestern as an example. The Bulls have retaken the throne in Florida under Teddy Bridgewater, and few schools have had more success recruiting the Bulls than Syracuse (four commitments in the last two cycles.) Here's a stat for you: The Orange hold as many Florida top 100 commitments this cycle (four) as Alabama, Texas, and LSU combined. There is still a long way to go until signing day, but Syracuse has defended elite talent before (see Demetres Samuel Jr.). If staffs in-state aren't keenly aware of the threat Syracuse poses in Florida, they're simply asleep at the wheel.

Santucci: Absolutely, but with an asterisk. They should be more worried about Brown than Syracuse. Brown already earned a reputation as an elite recruiter before arriving at Syracuse. Last year, he got Demetres Samuel Jr. from Heritage and then flipped him back after a short commitment to Florida. The Orange also signed Kaylib Singleton from Fleming Island and added some high-upside projects from Florida to the program. This class is even better. Syracuse is identifying the players it wants early and recruiting at an elite level. Getting Calvin Russell is the next step at showing how serious Syracuse’s staff needs to be taken as elite recruiters. The asterisk? Brown’s recruiting prowess is no secret. Another strong season at Syracuse and bigger programs will have him high on their wish list. It’s worth wondering what’s has higher odds: Syracuse keeping its 2026 class together or keeping its coach on campus past December?

Is there an in-state program with the most work to do this fall?

Wilson: USF sits atop the AAC rankings on 247Sports and has well with some really impressive commitments from Amari Jones, CJ Cresser, Demetrius Geathers, and Rhys Brush. They've done much better in-state than conference foe FAU, which has faltered to this point of the year. The Owls' in-state commits are interesting under-the-radar recruits, like Tampa Bay Tech's Erick Parks and Tyson Stroud, but the quantity is waning. Any school with 'Florida' in its name should have at least one nationally ranked commit by July 4, period. There's too much talent within arms' reach, and in FAU's case, being a Division I program based out of south Florida makes it that much tougher to swallow. These next few months will be important on the trail for the new staff in Boca Raton.

Santucci: UCF. Hands down. Overall, this summer has not gone in a way that has Knights fans excited. Tyren Wortham looked like a steal after he dominated at the Under Armour camp, but he recently flipped to Michigan State. Losing both Antoine Sharp and Kymani Morales wasn’t good either. That being said, they have talent in this class. Kaj Baker and Arthur Lewis will improve the running back room. I think Amarion Queen has high upside. This may be a great class. Maybe UCF's staff is identifying attributes and skills that don’t immediately equate to high star ratings. But it just doesn’t feel like UCF is recruiting at a Power 4 level right now.

Favorite commitment of July 4 weekend?

Wilson: Syracuse landing Calvin Russell is so big for so many different reasons. They already had such an impressive class from a Florida perspective and have been in the fight for top guys for a long time. I said last year that Syracuse had been getting mentioned more and more by elite players in the state, and this cycle is starting to bear the fruit of that labor from Fran Brown and company. I love the commitment from a football perspective because Russell is one of the most electric pass-catchers in the country, but from a wider lens, Syracuse converting on a lot of hard work and fundraising efforts in the state of Florida over the last few years is interesting to see.

Santucci: Such a good question because the talent here is outstanding. Russell is a human highlight reel who will make two or three stunning plays every game. Kennon is ball hawk and the top cornerback on the top 100. Jennings has had as good an offseason as any player in the state. But I’m going with Devin Jackson. He’s been one of my favorite players in this class for a long time. He is a true playmaker and a game-changer. Every time I see him in person, I come away more impressed. Getting him out of Florida is a big win for the Ducks.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: FSU Seminoles vs Florida Gators football recruiting: Where things stand