The Florida Gators have been at the forefront of the pursuit of Bluffton (S.C.) four-star Amare Patterson for much of the 2027 recruiting cycle, yet as the heavily coveted wideout nears a decision, the smoke has turned to fire for multiple SEC programs looking to make a late push for the Gators’ priority target. Patterson, a quickly rising prospect and the highest rated wide receiver in the state of South Carolina, has visited Gainesville more than any other campus in the country, stopping by multiple times this spring on top of having an official visit to the university scheduled for June 11. While having received multiple expert predictions to land at Florida and consistently mentioning the program near the top of his list, the Gators’ competition for the explosive playmaker has only grown in the last few weeks. “A couple schools definitely made some big moves with me,” Patterson told Florida Gators on SI in an exclusive interview. “It’s been picking up heavy this last month.…