In-state forward Nolan Nelson includes Florida basketball in top 5

Three-star power forward Nolan Nelson out of Providence High (Jacksonville, Florida) included the Florida Gators in his top five on Friday.

Florida is the only Power Four team to make the cut, alongside Furman, Harvard, Santa Clara and South Florida. He told 247Sports’ Travis Branham that he’s been in contact with head coach Todd Golden and associate head coach Korey McCray since taking an unofficial visit in June.

“Florida would have a similar development plan for me as Denzel Aberdeen and Isaiah Brown,” Nelson told Branham. “I wouldn’t be projected to play right away, but I know what I could do if I went there, and I will have an impact on the team when I get there.”

Nelson has official visits lined up with Furman (Aug. 28), Harvard (Sept. 10) and USF (Aug. 21). He says he’s looking for “a culture full of guys who work hard and like to win.” Nelson is expected to make a decision by the end of the year, likely in October or November.

Final 5! Grateful for the opportunity pic.twitter.com/bSGOpNqTfh

— NolanNelson2027 (@NolanNelson2027) July 23, 2026

Nelson is ranked No. 26 among power forwards in the class of 2027 and is the No. 26 recruit out of Florida, according to 247Sports’ standalone rankings. The 247Sports composite puts him at No. 174 nationally, No. 28 at his position and No. 26 in the state.

ESPN ranks Nelson No. 36 among power forwards, No. 52 in the Southeast region and No. 18 in the state, also granting a three-star grade.

He stands at 6-foot-8-inches and previously played at Creekside in St. Augustine, Florida. He has flashed some touch from three-point range but does most of his work in the post, showing good production on the glass. As a junior, Nelson averaged 13.5 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.2 steals per game over 13 tracked games on MaxPreps.

In addition to Nelson’s top five, he held offers from Ball State, Columbia, Florida Gulf Coast, Florida State, Jacksonville and Richmond.

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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: In-state forward Nolan Nelson includes Florida basketball in top 5