Florida football recruiting: Four-star 2018 safety C.J. Smith commits to Gators

On Saturday, the Florida Gators landed their third commitment from a player in the high school class of 2019, giving them more commitments from juniors-to-be than seniors-to-be.

On Tuesday, thanks to South Florida safety C.J. Smith committing to the Gators — per a report from Ryan Bartow of 247Sports that was followed by a #ChompChomp tweet from Jim McElwain — that competition is once again knotted.

Smith also tweeted out his commitment.

Smith is the nation’s No. 209 player in the 247Sports Composite rankings, and the No. 17 safety in those same rankings. He hails from West Palm Beach’s Oxbridge Academy, and was recruited by Florida running backs coach — and Palm Beach County native — Ja’Juan Seider, according to Bartow.

Smith profiles as an athletic, rangy — he’s 6’3” and about 190 pounds — safety who could start at either position as a collegian. His highlights show him making plays both on offense and defense, and in both coverage and run support.

Florida’s 2018 recruiting class is now three commits strong, with Smith joining Jalynn Williams and Divaad Wilson in the fold. That class could swell substantially in the coming weeks, especially if Florida attracts a large number of talented players to campus to take in the Gators’ spring game next weekend.