The Florida Gators football team was thisss close to picking up a 2016 wide receiver commit.
Cavin Ridley (6’1”, 190 lbs., Deerfield Beach) had set a commitment date for June 22, planning to announce his decision on where he would play college football.
As the date drew close though, Ridley began to realize he might want to dip his toe in the recruitment pool at least a little bit.
“I just actually wanted to just push the 22nd back because I just wanted to embrace my recruiting process and take everything slowly,” Ridley told GatorCountry.com.
If he had stuck with his date of the 22nd, the Florida Gators would have headed into the summer with another recruit on the board.
“I would’ve have [made a decision], but I’m not really sure right now, but it would’ve been Florida.”
It was a decision recently made by two of his high school teammates, Aaron Robinson and Lavarus Tigner, who both committed to the Gators football team at the beginning of June. While those two gave a verbal early on, Ridley says he’s waiting for his moment before making that all-important announcement.
“It was their time”, Ridley explained.
“I have to wait for my time to come. They felt it was right at the time and that’s what I’m waiting for, the right time… it’s the feeling.”
While the receiver did postpone his commitment, a commitment that would’ve made him a Gator at least verbally, he says this doesn’t mean Florida and Head Coach Jim McElwain are out of the running.
“I just want to enjoy the process a little bit more you know. [Florida] didn’t make a fall, they didn’t do anything wrong, I just wanted to go through it all.”
So while the Gators coaching staff isn’t necessarily doing damage control, they are staying strong with other schools coming into Ridley’s vision.
“They just saying, asking me did they do anything wrong, I tell them no. They’re telling me that they really want me and stay focused… I think I would’ve been moving around like outside, inside, just being a playmaker.”
Having Florida want him is still thrilling for Ridley, who says for years he always wanted Florida for himself, never thinking the feeling would be mutual.
“I really like Florida so I really don’t have any pros and cons”, Ridley explains.
“I like Florida a lot, I grew up being a Florida fan so it’s really the same when you look at Florida… I really actually told someone that I would really love a Florida offer. It was truly a blessing.”
With some pundits and sites claiming the University of Alabama Crimson Tide is taking the lead for Ridley, the 2016 recruit insists even he’s not sure of his leader right now, much less where he’ll end up. Since he’s not setting a firm timeline for his new commitment date, instead waiting for his own right time, Cavin Ridley wants to assure fans he’s going to take the process in its entirety, enjoying every moment until the right moment comes along.
“I’m just gonna go wherever is right with me and I can’t say that’s Bama and I can’t say that’s Florida but I’m just gonna see at the end, all the schools I think about and all together and I’ll find out myself.”