Jon Sumrall flies into Tuscaloosa territory chasing Alabama prep quarterback

Jon Sumrall flew from The Trails Airport in Ocala to a rural field just west of Tuscaloosa late Tuesday afternoon, a 60-minute hop in the Gators' Phenom 100 that landed at the edge of Alabama's backyard. The date falls in an NCAA evaluation period, allowing in-person contact with prospects off campus — precisely the kind of midweek trip a head coach makes when a specific target is urgent.

The destination, roughly 20 miles from the University of Alabama campus, points directly to Saraland High School quarterback KJ Lacey, a four-star prospect in the 2027 class whom Florida offered earlier this spring, per 247Sports. Lacey, listed at 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, holds offers from Alabama, Auburn, and Texas A&M, and he has been high on the Gators' board since Jon Sumrall took over. The visit likely included an in-school meeting or a brief stop at Saraland to press Florida's case.

The flight continues a pattern of aggressive recruiting by Jon Sumrall across the Deep South. Recent hops — including a short round-robin from Gainesville last week and a trip to Destin — suggest the Gators are using the Phenom fleet to saturate the SEC footprint. Florida is currently building its 2027 class from scratch, and poaching a quarterback from Nick Saban's old recruiting grounds would signal Jon Sumrall is not afraid to go head-to-head with the conference's blue bloods on their turf.