KISSIMMEE– The Florida Gators are in desperate need of linebackers in the class of 2015 and one of the Gators top targets is Notre Dame linebacker commit Tevon Coney (6-0, 221, Palm Beach Gardens, FL High) who spoke to new defensive coordinator Geoff Collins on Sunday.
“I talked to Coach Collins today [Sunday] and he said that I should live out my dreams at Florida,” Coney said. “He said that all of the talent needs to stay instate and get Florida back rolling and that I should stay instate and play close to home.”
One of the things Collins talked to Coney about was the depth chart at Florida and that’s something that Coney sees as a plus for the Gators.
“The depth chart is intriguing at Florida,” Coney said. “I just know that I have a good opportunity at Florida if I decide to switch. Florida has a great need at linebackers but really all of three schools that it came down to had a need at linebacker. Florida needs help the most and that’s what put them over the top at one point.”
The one negative for Florida is that Coney, who will early enroll, has never met Collins in-person but Coney did get a good first impression from the defensive coordinator.
“I talked to Coach Collins once on the phone and a few times through Twitter and he’s a great guy and seems like he cares a lot about his players,” Coney said. “Whatever linebacker goes there is going to have a great opportunity to get coached up by a great linebacker coach.”
Despite never meeting Collins, Coney did get the opportunity to meet new head coach Jim McElwain and McElwain impressed Coney’s mother.
“Coach McElwain came for in-home visit a few weeks ago and my mom loved it,” Coney said. “She said that Coach McElwain had some good things to say and I thought he was a good guy and a good coach. I think he’s going to turn things around and I think he will be good.”
Coney — who maintains that he’s solid to Notre Dame — says that he hasn’t told Florida to stop recruiting him.
“I’m going to keep the communication open but he [Collins] knows I’m 100% committed to Notre Dame,” Coney said. “Coach Collins said he respects that and he understands that it’s a business but he wants me to know that if something changes with Notre Dame that Florida still wants me.”
Solid or not, Coney says that he still will make a final decision in the coming days after he talks to several people.
“I’m going to talk to a lot of the players here and see what the coaches are telling them and then I’m going to talk to my parents after the game is over,” Coney said. “I’m going to make my final decision on whether to stick or not after I talk to my parents.”
INSIDERS TAKE: Coney said the right things about Notre Dame but he kept the door cracked for Florida and it seems like he’s just looking for a reason to flip to Florida. Had Florida hired Collins a few weeks earlier I think Florida would’ve already flipped him.