Jon Sumrall continues massive recruiting heater by securing commitment from ‘Big Sandwich'

Florida head coach Jon Sumrall talks with Florida cornerback Ben Hanks II (12) during practice during spring practice at Sanders Practice Fields in Gainesville, FL on Thursday, April 2, 2026. Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun

The Florida Gators have been recruiting all across the nation with a wide variety of prospects, and this one has an elite nickname.

How many better nicknames are there than Big Sandwich? Let’s be honest, not many.

The Florida Gators landed another recruit on Friday afternoon in defensive lineman Cain Van Norden, and they call him Big Sandwich.

Florida Gators land three-star DL Cain “Big Sandwich” Van Norden

On the defensive line, the Gators have landed some really intriguing recruits. Van Norden is the third three-star defensive lineman who has major upside, and it might have something to do with his size. Outside of No.1 overall recruit, head coach Jon Sumrall and defensive coordinator Brad White seem to be focusing more on landing high-upside athletes who are being undervalued as recruits.

Van Norden hails from Bishop McNamara in District Heights, Maryland, ranking as the 53rd-best defensive lineman recruit in the nation. He’s relatively new to football, but his size and versatility are certainly appealing. Being that he’s new to the sport, Van Norden’s athletic profile will be one that can be molded to play all across the defensive line. In Florida’s defensive scheme, it will likely be at 5T like Caleb Banks used to play, but has the flexibility to move up and down the line.

Sumrall now has 15 recruits committed to the Gators, which is significantly more than what Billy Napier had at this point last year. It’s an impressive start to Sumrall’s tenure, and he understands that high school is the way to rebuild the program. Here are all 15 commits thus far: