Bishop a rare athlete at defensive back: Florida Gators recruiting

There is no denying that the Florida Gators recruiting class of 2017 needs to be filled with playmaking defensive backs to help feel a void that will be there in the fall of 2017.

One of those prospects that the Gators are after for defensive back is Tray Bishop (6-3, 190, Dawson, GA Terrell) and two Florida coaches visited him this spring.

“Coach [Geoff] Collins and Coach [Torrian] Gray have both come by to see me this spring,” Bishop said. “It went pretty good, they just stopped to see me and talk to my coaches. Coach Collins came by first and then Coach Gray came by to watch me practice last week.”

Gray and Bishop speak often over the phone and last week the Gators defensive back coach explained what he liked from the athlete in practice.

“I talk to Coach Gray the most from Florida,” he said. “With him being the secondary coach that’s what they offered me as. He came by to watch our spring practice and told me that he was impressed and that in his honest opinion I could play any position in the secondary that I want too.”

The Gators assistant coach also spoke with Bishop about how rare it’s to find an athlete his size that can play defensive back.

“He was basically saying that it’s rare that you find a 6-3 cornerback in high school,” Bishop said of his conversation with Gray. “We’ve been talking more about that and he has told me that he likes long defensive backs that are athletic enough to play anywhere in the secondary.”

Bishop who has over a dozen offers already says that he has narrowed down his list to three schools.

“My top 3 is Florida, Auburn and Georgia in no order,” he said of his top group. “Florida offered me on defense and Auburn and Georgia have offered me on offense but to me it doesn’t matter. I just want to make some plays.”

The Georgia athlete says that he knows a lot about Florida but there is one thing he’s waiting to do this summer.

“I like Florida so far, right now I’m just waiting to visit Florida on June 10th and 11th,” Bishop said. “I’m very familiar with Florida and I know that they’re known as DBU and stuff like that. I’m going to check things out more when I get down there.”

 

INSIDERS TAKE: Bishop says that he would like to make his decision in August or September after he visits all three schools this summer. Bishop made sure to say that nobody stands out as his leader right now and that he’s open to all three schools.

Andrew Spivey
Andrew always knew he wanted to be involved with sports in some capacity. He began by coaching high school football for six years before deciding to pursue a career in journalism. While coaching, he was a part of two state semifinal teams in the state of Alabama. Given his past coaching experience, he figured covering recruiting would be a perfect fit. He began his career as an intern for Rivals.com, covering University of Florida football recruiting. After interning with Rivals for six months, he joined the Gator Country family as a recruiting analyst. Andrew enjoys spending his free time on the golf course and watching his beloved Atlanta Braves. Follow him on Twitter at @AndrewSpiveyGC.