Elijah Haven (The Dunham School, Baton Rouge) is a 6-foot-5, 215-pound dual-threat quarterback who burst onto the national scene as an underclassman.
As a freshman starter, he completed 122 of 180 passes (67.7%) for 2,205 yards with a school-record 35 touchdowns against just three interceptions. He added 641 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns, leading Dunham to an 8-3 record and a District 6-2A championship.
He elevated his production as a sophomore, completing 193 of 321 passes (60.7%) for 3,093 yards with 37 touchdowns and seven interceptions, while adding 925 rushing yards and 19 rushing scores. Haven guided Dunham to a 14-1 record and Louisiana’s Division III Select state championship game, earning MaxPreps National Sophomore of the Year honors.
In 2025, he was named Louisiana’s Gatorade Player of the Year and currently ranks as the No. 1 quarterback and No. 2 overall prospect in the 2027 class, according to 247Sports.
As a result, Haven now holds more than a dozen Power-Five offers, with Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, and Florida emerging as the primary contenders.
While Alabama is widely viewed as the favorite, On3’s recruiting predictor currently lists the Crimson Tide at roughly 79%, with Florida surprisingly second at 19%, placing the Gators ahead of both Auburn and Georgia.
Florida endured a disappointing 2025 campaign, finishing 4–8 overall and 2–6 in SEC play, leading to a midseason coaching change, with fourth-year head coach Billy Napier fired on Oct. 19, 2025. The program formally turned the page on Nov. 30, hiring Jon Sumrall as its new head coach.
Roster turnover followed quickly. Quarterback DJ Lagway entered the transfer portal and later committed to Baylor, while former four-star wide receivers Eugene Wilson II and Aidan Mizell also departed.
In response, Florida retooled aggressively through the portal, adding Georgia Tech quarterback Aaron Philo to stabilize the QB room, along with top transfer wide receiver Eric Singleton Jr. (Auburn), running back London Montgomery (East Carolina), and tight end Luke Harpring (Georgia Tech).
Still, with Lagway gone and Philo possessing limited starting experience, Florida remains in the market for a long-term quarterback solution in the 2027 class.
As of Wednesday, the Gators’ 2027 class features just one commitment: four-star cornerback Amare Nugent.
Landing a five-star prospect like Haven would immediately elevate Florida’s 2027 class ranking, provide a foundational long-term option under center, and serve as a significant recruiting statement within the SEC quarterback market.
Winning a head-to-head battle against Alabama, Auburn, or Georgia would also reinforce Sumrall’s early recruiting momentum and demonstrate Florida’s ability to compete for elite talent in the NIL era.
