4-star S Kailib Dillard denies Oregon, commits to Florida

It was a mild surprise when the Oregon Ducks were selected as one of three finalists for four-star safety Kailib Dillard. However, it wasn’t a surprise when the star defensive back out of Tulsa, Oklahoma, elected to take his talents elsewhere.

Dillard announced his commitment to Florida on Tuesday. He chose the Gators over Oregon and Georgia. Dillard is the No. 244 overall recruit in the class, per Rivals, and the No. 8 player from the state of Oklahoma.

Not long after Oregon’s spring game concluded, Dillard announced the Ducks were one of his finalists, but many Rivals recruiting experts had already logged predictions for the safety to wind up in Gainesville. Fortunately, the Ducks do have some depth in the secondary already in the 2027 class, having secured commitments from four-star safety Semaj Stanford and four-star corners Ai’King Hall and Josiah Molden.

Don’t expect the Ducks to give up on Dillard, however. He’s only rising as a recruit, and it’s well-known at this point how good Dan Lanning is at closing recruitments just before signing day. If Dillard puts together an impressive senior season at Jenks High School and continues to rise, Oregon might test his commitment.

If not, the Ducks can still feel comfortable with their class, which ranks No. 6 nationally according to Rivals. Defense has been a focus, with eight of their 11 commits coming on that side of the ball.