Nation’s No. 4 DL Sets Commitment Date originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Midway through the month of July, elite recruits across the country have been flying off the board, with top targets of the country’s best teams committing at a breakneck pace.
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One A-list defensive recruit for the 2026 class is about to join the rest later this week. Four-star defensive lineman Valdin Sone announced his commitment date on Wednesday, as reported by Rivals’ Hayes Fawcett.
Sone, who is the No. 4 defensive lineman in his class, according to the Top247 rankings, will decide where he will play his college ball this Friday. He will choose between the Auburn Tigers, Florida Gators, Georgia Bulldogs and Nebraska Cornhuskers.
2026 four-star defensive lineman Valdin Sone at a visit with the Florida Gators@yg_valdin/Instagram
The Blue Ridge High School defensive force is ranked 46th nationally and No. 3 overall in the state of Virginia, per 247Sports. Standing at 6-foot-4, 320 pounds, Sone is a large presence in the center of the defensive line.
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“Ox of a nose tackle that’s still relatively new to the game of American football,” 247Sports’ Andrew Ivins said of Sone. “Projects as a potential drain plug for a College Football Playoff contender that can shade up and make life hard for opposing offensive coordinators.”
Sone was born in Sweden and played soccer growing up before moving to the United States and taking up American football. He was a standout during the week of practices at the Navy All-American Bowl in January.
The four-star has been a top target of head coach Billy Napier and the Gators throughout the recruiting cycle. Napier’s 2026 class currently ranks 12th in the country, according to Rivals’ Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. Florida has 18 total commits, two of which are defensive linemen.
JaReylan McCoy and Kendall Guervil are the Gators’ top two commits in the 2026 class, per Rivals’ rankings, and both of them play the same position as Sone.
If Florida can receive a commitment from Sone on Friday, the Gators’ defensive line future would be set.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
