Billy Napier has often said that his goal is to keep Florida’s best high school football players from leaving the state, so it’s no surprise that the Bolles School (Jacksonville) linebacker Simeon Caldwell – a top 100 recruit in the class of 2026 – near the top of the Gators’ recruiting board.
Florida pursued Caldwell in recent months, but it wasn’t without its challenges. A number of Power Four programs have also emerged as contenders for four-star talent, and the Gators are after some big names, according to 247Sports National Recruiting Analyst Tom Loy.
“Definitely Ohio State, Notre Dameand then all the schools in Florida like State of Florida, Florida and Miami,” Caldwell said. “June 15th was the first real start of the draft. Miami was the first school to call me at 12:03 and then Notre Dame at 12:05. Those are the schools that really stand out to me.”
With Miami and Notre Dame just ahead, Florida has work to do with Caldwell, but it’s still early days. The Gators offered him on April 30 and brought him to campus in late June. Things went well, but it will take a lot more to win a commitment.
“I went there and the competitiveness is something I really liked,” he said.
Caldwell also expressed interest in Florida’s high academic standards. Her sisters attended Ivy League programs, and the mix of academics and athletics is one of the reasons Notre Dame is at the top of her list. The University of Florida was recently named one of the 10 “New Private Ivies” by Forbes, giving Napier and Co.
He’s at Notre Dame this weekend to wrap up the summer recruiting period.
Recruitment Summary
Caldwell is a consensus four-star recruit, ranked highest by ESPN at No. 28 overall in the 2026 class, while Rivals has him ranked No. 69 nationally and No. 7 among safeties. The 247Sports composite has him ranked 61st nationally and 4th among linebackers, while the On3 industry rankings have him slightly lower at 69th overall and have him ranked as the No. 7 safety in the class.
Notre Dame leads the On3 recruiting prediction machine with a 29.4% chance of signing Caldwell, followed by Florida State (13.5%), Miami (11.6%) and Ohio State (9.6%) .
Right now, Caldwell looks more like a safety, but he could move into a linebacker role as he gains muscle. His father also coached inside linebacker in the NFL, giving him an advantage in the film room.
“There are athletes who play on both sides of the ball, but for me I see myself as just a defensive athlete,” he said. “I play safety, outside linebacker and inside linebacker. It just depends on the game situation and the other team’s scheme. I’m used to it everywhere.”
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