Orlando (Fla.) Jones four-star edge rusher Frederick Ards III has narrowed his list of more than 40 offers down to five schools, he tells Rivals’ Hayes Fawcett.
The 6-foot-3, 220-pounder is now focused on Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, Texas A&M and Florida State, with official visits set to four of the five already. The Crimson Tide will get him on campus first the weekend of May 28, followed by Florida (June 4), Texas A&M (June 12), and South Carolina (June 19).
Ards also has plans to visit the Seminoles but hasn’t confirmed a date yet with Mike Norvell’s staff. He is, however, expected to be in Tallahassee this weekend for an unofficial visit.
He already visited the Aggies, along with Missouri, earlier this month. He told Rivals’ Chad Simmons on Tuesday that he planned to narrow his list soon, would lock in official visits, and figure out which schools he also wants to see this spring.
“I will start to focus on making my decision in the coming weeks and getting list down,” he told Simmons. ” … When I commit, the history of the school, the coaches’ track record of getting guys to the league, and how the staff develops players will matter the most. How genuine the people are is another big thing I’m looking for.”
Ranked No. 107 in the 2027 Rivals Industry Ranking, Ards put together a dominant junior season, recording 73 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and 11 sacks for one of the Sunshine State’s top programs.
SEC schools squarely in the hunt for Ards
Along with Texas A&M, Florida has made a big impression on Ards under new head coach Jon Sumrall.
“It was easy to see Coach Sumrall is ready to make a major impact,” he said. “I really think it will be a complete fresh start for the Gators. The visit to Florida definitely changed things for me. They made me feel more comfortable than I expected.”
Tennessee and South Carolina remain in the mix as well, despite the coaching changes on their staffs this offseason.
For a full update on Ards’ recruitment, read the latest from Simmons.
