The transfer portal window has come and gone, and after adding four players during last year's cycle, Florida coach Tim Walton made a major splash in this offseason's portal class.
Just six days after the portal opened, Walton secured his first addition when graduate transfer catcher Kairi Rodriguez announced her commitment to the Gators on Instagram.
Rodriguez, a West Palm Beach native, is already familiar with the Orange and Blue. She attended Palm Beach Gardens High School, whose colors are orange and blue and whose mascot is the Gators.
Rodriguez spent four seasons at Duke. As a freshman in 2023, she made 13 starts behind the plate while batting .232 with a .464 slugging percentage. Her promising debut season ended prematurely after she suffered a knee injury in Duke's regular-season finale against Pittsburgh, forcing her to miss the entire 2024 campaign.
She returned in 2025 and enjoyed a breakout season, starting all but one game at catcher while batting .320 with a .556 slugging percentage. Rodriguez also belted nine home runs and drove in 39 RBIs, which earned her NFCA All-Region Second Team honors following the season.
In 2026, she started 47 games behind the plate. Although her batting average dipped to .238, Rodriguez matched her career high with nine home runs while driving in 26 runs.
Rodriguez joins a Florida catching group that includes senior Ella Wesolowski and incoming freshman Avery Killian.
UF added another marquee transfer on July 24 when junior infielder/utility player Tori Edwards announced her commitment to the Gators. Edwards spent her first two collegiate seasons at SEC rival LSU, where she was named the 2025 SEC Freshman of the Year.
In the 2025 campaign, she was also named a top-10 finalist for the NFCA Freshman of the Year, as well as a top-25 finalist for USA Softball Player of the Year.
Edwards entered the portal as one of the most sought-after players in the country, ranking among the top 10 available transfers after the portal opened June 8.
The Flower Mound, Texas, native burst onto the college softball scene in 2025 with one of the best freshman seasons in LSU history. She started all 58 games at first base, set the program's single-season slugging percentage record at .802 and tied the school record with 18 home runs.
Her production dipped as a sophomore in 2026. Edwards' hit total fell from 62 to 44, while her slugging percentage dropped from .802 to .568.
Despite the decline, Edwards brings proven SEC experience and power to Gainesville and is expected to help fill the void left by the departure of slugger Jocelyn Erickson.
Florida secured two transfer portal additions without losing a player of its own, underscoring the program's stability and strong locker-room culture heading into the 2027 season. Along with the key additions, the Gators signed the nation's No. 2-ranked recruiting class in 2026 as the program aims to return to Oklahoma City.
Contact Zach Moore at zmoore@alligator.org. Follow him on X @zach_moore27.
Zach is a sophomore sports journalism student in his first semester at The Alligator, covering softball. He also has experience as an intern in the Florida Collegiate Summer League. Zach enjoys watching sports in his free time, primarily the Minnesota Vikings, Orlando Magic, and Arsenal FC.
