The Florida Gators have lost a commitment.

Four-star safety Demetres Samuel of Palm Bay (Fla.) Heritage flipped to Syracuse on Sunday night, he told On3’s Hayes Fawcett. He had been committed to the Orange before backing off that pledge and committing to Billy Napier and Co. this summer.

Samuel’s exit from the class leaves the Gators with 13 commitments. He is the No. 18 safety and No. 207 overall recruit nationally in the On3 Industry Rankings.

With this de-commitment, the Gators now sit at No. 20 in the On3 class rankings. More importantly, Florida now does not have a safety committed for 2025.

“Orange fans I’m locked in! Let’s do it!” he told Fawcett.

Just last week, Palm Bay (Fla.) Heritage coach Mykel Benson told Gators Online that Samuel had the potential to play in the NFL.

“If he stays the course, I see him playing on Sundays,” Benson told Gators Online. “As far as the defensive side, when you’re one of the best in the county and nation, a lot of people throw away from him,” Benson said. “Right now, he’s being very physical on defense, tackling wise. Offensive wise, he’s right around 250-300 receiving yards with three touchdowns. And he has a punt return for a touchdown. He’s having a solid season all the way around.”

When Samuel flipped his commitment to Florida from Syracuse this summer, he also reclassified from 2026 to 2025. So instead of being a junior, he’s now a senior. A young one at that. Samuel is still only 16.

“At times, he’s playing as a top senior, and at times he’s playing as a top junior,” Benson said. “But I think when all is said and done, he’ll be playing as a top senior. He’s young. Our biggest thing that we’re working on, is making sure he’s mentally ready to go play at the next level at a young age.”

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