Florida Has 'Jumpstart' For Top-10 Running Back

Florida Has 'Jumpstart' For Top-10 Running Back originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The Florida Gators have three national titles in their program history (1996, 2006, 2008) and are trying to return to competing at that level under head coach Billy Napier.

The Gators are attempting to build their program through recruiting. Rivals' John Garcia Jr. reported Friday that Florida has a "jumpstart" with four-star running back Tranard Roberts.

The program is trending for another exciting prospect recently, with four-star receiver Brysen Wright from the 2028 class going viral for his insane one-handed catch at the NFL Flag Championships.

Roberts stated that Florida was in the lead because the Gators recruited him first.

"Florida was here first, so of course, they get the jumpstart!” Roberts said. “Auburn is pretty much showing me everything Florida is showing me when it comes to this process."

Roberts is the No. 7 running back in the Rivals Industry Rankings for the 2027 class. He is a native of Williston, Florida, and attends IMG Academy.

The Rivals Recruiting Prediction Machine believes that Florida is in the lead as well, giving the Gators the best shot of landing him at 76.1%. The UCF Knights (1.6%) and Florida State Seminoles (1.4%) are the next closest.

Florida is the only school to have visited with the running back, having him in Gainesville for four unofficial visits thus far.

Many eyes are on Gainesville this offseason after Napier's first winning season. Greg McElroy even said that the Gators could be a problem if they can run the ball effectively.

Florida's lone commit from the 2027 class is four-star athlete Tramond Collins. Although there is only one commit from the class, adding Roberts would be a great way to kick-start it.

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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 25, 2025, where it first appeared.