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Recap Of Florida Gators’ Big Recruiting Weekend
The Florida Gators hosted an elite group of recruits this past weekend. Here's a recap of what went down for Jim McElwain's team.
January 15, 2017
The Florida Gators hosted an elite group of recruits this past weekend. Here’s a recap of what went down for Jim McElwain’s team.
Gainesville was filled with excitement this past weekend, as Jim McElwain’s Gators hosted some elite recruits for visits following the dead period.
And the biggest name on the entire guest list was throughly enjoying his time on the University of Florida campus.
Five-star recruit Devon Hunter, the No. 1 safety and No. 5 overall player in the country, didn’t need much to express his infatuation with the epicenter of Gator Nation.
“I’m in love with Gainesville,” Hunter tweeted on Friday. But he followed that up with some pictures of his good time.
GATOR NATION STAND UP ????????????#Hunter2theswamp pic.twitter.com/SxwmTeIPXc
— 7️⃣ Hunter (@devonhunter11) January 13, 2017
???????? pic.twitter.com/mp99tvGlH7
— 7️⃣ Hunter (@devonhunter11) January 15, 2017
Trying to convince Hunter to pick Florida over his home-state Virginia Tech Hokies is a tall order. However, the 5-star safety does have an excellent relationship with defensive backs coach Torrian Gray, who coached Virginia Tech defensive backs before joining the Gators.
Hunter is set to announce his college decision on Jan. 20 and is also considering Alabama, Auburn, North Carolina and Ole Miss.
If he were to choose the Gators, he’d be playing in the same secondary with 4-star Florida commit Elijah Blades, the No. 9 cornerback in the state of California. While Hunter donned the all-white, Blades chose to show off his 6-foot-3 frame in the all-orange uniform combo.
???? pic.twitter.com/SLjRPNmqq0
— ELIJAH – BLADES™ (@savageszniv) January 15, 2017
Florida does appear to be the leader for 4-star wide receiver James Robinson, who is also considering Oklahoma. The nation’s No. 17 wide receiver enjoyed watching Florida’s men’s basketball team complete a comeback victory against rival Georgia in overtime, and he took in the game with wide receivers coach Kerry Dixon.
It appears as though Robinson will end up catching passes in The Swamp for the next three to four years, as this visit helped put the finishing touches on his recruitment for Florida.
Another position of need for the Gators is defensive tackle, and 4-star prospect Cam Spence was also on campus for an official visit. He’s currently committed to former Florida defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin at Maryland and wasn’t nearly as active on social media during his visit. But he did retweet Hunter’s video while wearing the all-white jersey, and Spence did post an intriguing tweet implying he had a decision to make. However, it’s unlikely the Terrapins lose his commitment.
Florida also made an impression on 4-star outside linebacker Levi Jones, but it will continue to battle rival Florida State for his commitment.
Looking ahead to next weekend, the Gators will host 3-star outside linebacker Nick Smith, an NC State commit. They’ll also welcome 5-star prospect Tedarrell Slaton and a pair of defensive tackles in Tyrone Truesdell and Elijah Conliffe, among others.
Florida currently sits at No. 21 in the 2o17 recruiting class rankings with 15 total commits. A big finish down the stretch would likely land the Gators inside the top 10 or just outside of it.
Note: Scout rankings and ratings used in this article.
