Commit, Then Rout: Four-Star Safety Cyion Smith Picks Florida Before 52-28 Win Over No. 4 Ole Miss
GAINESVILLE — Florida won twice Saturday: on the recruiting trail before kickoff, then 52-28 over No. 4 Ole Miss in front of Cyion Smith and a Swamp full of prospects.
Smith, a four-star safety from Blountstown High in the Florida Panhandle, committed to the Gators hours before kickoff, Florida Gators On SI reported. He is the second commitment in Florida’s 2028 class, joining Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna four-star receiver Armani Strong.
Smith (6-foot-2, 175 pounds) is the No. 279 overall prospect and No. 30 safety in the 2028 class in the Rivals Industry Ranking, which weights all the major recruiting services.
Why Florida
“Home. The coaches. Player development,” Smith told Rivals. “It was really a pretty easy decision. I have been feeling this way about Florida for a while.”
Smith told Rivals he has been to Gainesville about four times since Jon Sumrall’s staff arrived, and that a summer 7-on-7 trip is when “Florida made a big move.” Safeties coach Chris Collins led the recruitment; Gators Online reported that Smith has talked with Collins almost every day since Florida offered in May, with Sumrall, defensive coordinator Brad White and Dae’one Wilkins also involved.
“They really show they really want me, so they give me all they got,” Smith told Rivals. “I’m ready to give them all I got.”
What he saw in The Swamp
Smith plays safety, and the biggest defensive play of the night came from one. With Ole Miss at the Florida 22 late in the fourth quarter, Gators safety DJ Coleman intercepted Trinidad Chambliss at the 5. Florida forced two turnovers, a Jayden Woods sack-fumble that Myles Graham recovered and Coleman’s pick, and gave the ball away zero times.
The offense did the rest. Jadan Baugh ran for 142 yards and three touchdowns, Duke Clark added 126 yards and a 45-yard touchdown, and Florida scored touchdowns on its first five possessions of the second half on the way to 302 rushing yards. Read the full game story.
A big weekend for Sumrall’s staff
Florida hosted more than 70 prospects from the 2027, 2028 and 2029 classes for the Ole Miss game, according to Florida Gators On SI. Smith also held offers from Auburn, Miami, South Carolina and USF, according to his Rivals profile, and USA Today’s Vols Wire reported earlier this week that Tennessee had offered the former Mississippi State commitment.
Florida’s 2028 class now has two pledges, and the Gators have a 4-0 start, a 2-0 SEC record and a win over a top-five team to sell. Next up: Florida at Missouri on Saturday, Oct. 3, at 3:30 p.m. ET.
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