The first true commitment of the Jon Sumrall era in Gainesville came on the second day of the early signing period (Thursday, Dec. 4) as four-star defensive back Dylan Purter flipped from LSU to join the Florida Gators.
Florida got in contact with the Tuskegee (Ala.) Booker T. Washington standout shortly after Sumrall was hired. Brayden Berezowitz, Tualne’s safeties coach, also built a strong relationship with Purter, according to Rivals. Berezowitz held the same position under Sumrall at Tulane, but the Green Wave lacked the resources to make a competitive push against an SEC team like LSU.
Advertisement
Sumrall and Berezowitz joining the Gators changed that, and Purter’s familiarity with the former Louisiana-based coaching duo made the decision easier, despite holding a commitment to the Tigers since March.
“It was tough because of the relationships I had with people at LSU,” Purter said to Rivals. “But there was a coaching change there, and I wasn’t sure what was next. But I was ready to play for Coach Sumrall. I always wanted to play for him. Tulane just wasn’t the right school for me, but Coach Sumrall is who I want to play for. And I love it at Florida.”
Billy Napier’s staff hosted Purter on a Junior Day at Florida, but that was his only visit with the Gators. Purter likes the campus, and his high school teammate — four-star receiver Marquez Daniel — also signed with Florida.
“I’m excited about that right there,” he said to Gators Online. “That’s my boy. It’s good having someone from where I’m from going through all this with me in college.”
Advertisement
Considered a safety, Purter is physical and not afraid to put a big hit on the ball carrier. While he may eventually end up at strong safety, Purter is likely to start his career at Florida at nickel (STAR). His ability to get downhill is a plus at that position, but he’ll need to add more muscle, weighing in at 165 pounds.
Player rankings breakdown
Purter was ranked No. 360 on the 247Sports composite back in March. He moved up the rankings to a peak of No. 184 by July and settled at No. 207 (No. 20 S, No. 10 AL) by the end of his senior year.
The site’s independent rankings system, the Top247, followed a similar pattern, moving him from the No. 301-305 range to No. 188 and landing at No. 217 (No.21 S, No. 10 AL).
Advertisement
Rivals has Purter ranked No. 181 overall, No. 15 among safeties and No. 8 in the state of Alabama on its industry ranking (composite). Rivals’ independent ranking system has him a bit lower at No. 208, No. 20 and No. 10, respectively.
ESPN is the most bearish on Purter, putting him at No. 226, No. 23 and No. 10, respectively.
Player Profile
|
Hometown |
Tuskegee, Alabama |
|
School |
Booker T. Washington |
|
Height |
6-0 |
|
Weight |
170 |
|
Position |
DB |
|
X/Twitter |
|
|
|
Player Notes
-
Touted as a consensus 4-star recruit in the 2026 signing class by Rivals, 247 Sports and ESPN.
-
Named the No. 181 player nationally, the No. 15 safety and the No. 8 player in Alabama per the Rivals Industry Rankings.
-
Selected to the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game.
-
High school teammates with Florida 2026 WR signee Marquez Daniel.
-
Racked up 148 tackles, eight TFLs, three sacks, two interceptions and 11 pass deflections across his junior and sophomore seasons.
-
Flipped his commitment from LSU to Florida, choosing the Gators over Auburn, Georgia Tech, Miami, Missouri, South Carolina and Vanderbilt, among others.
Recruiting Summary
Andrew Ivins, 247Sports Director of Scouting
“Wiry defensive back with the desired set of tools that has proven to be a plus tackler as he strikes in the hole and can wrangle ball carriers to the ground in the open field. Should offer some safety-corner flex at his next stop and has gotten valuable reps at both spots throughout prep career. Seems to be most comfortable positioned over the top at this stage.
Advertisement
“Can be a bit leggy in his transitions with his longer limbs, but can turn and run with assignments into the deeper third. Finds leverage in run support as he comes to balance after closing gaps with his burst. Will fire through the hips when he earns the chance. Not a ton of takeaways on the resume, but produced as a running back during senior campaign and showcased the ability to make some dynamic movements, which also suggests that he could eventually hang on the perimeter.
“Projects as a potential multi-year starter at the Power Four level that will add versatility to any secondary. Physicality should not be overlooked.”
Follow us@GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook
This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida football recruiting flips 4-star DB Dylan Purter from LSU
