Dale impressed by the Florida Gators DB’s

The Florida Gators have a lot of young guys in the secondary but the coaching staff is still trying to sign a safety for the Class 2015 and on Saturday they hosted one of the guys on the board.

That prospect was safety Hunter Dale (5-11, 200, River Ridge, LA John Curtis) who was making his first visit to Florida since the summer of 2013 but he walked away Saturday impressed by Gator Nation.

“It went great, I loved it down there,” Dale said. “The best part was the crowd, the fans and the hype of the game. I love the atmosphere down there and the fans get into the game. It was the loudest game I’ve been to in my life.”

During the game Dale zeroed in his focus on the safeties and even the cornerbacks and he’s singing the praises of the Florida Gators two stud cornerbacks.

“I love the way the defensive backs played during the game,” Dale said. “[Vernon] Hargreaves is a great DB but he got injured. I thought Florida could’ve won if he didn’t get injured. Jalen Tabor he’s another lock down cornerback. I like the way the free safeties will come up and hit you.”

The atmosphere of the game plus seeing guys like Tabor and Hargreaves make plays, Dale admits that he had thoughts of how he would look playing in the Swamp.

“When [Debose] scored that touchdown and the crowd got loud, I was picturing myself out there in a Florida jersey,” Dale said. “I think that I’m a good fit in the Florida defense because I’m an athletic defensive back.”

After the game was over with the coaching staff was busy with team stuff so Dale only got to briefly talk to two of the assistant coaches recruiting him.

“I got to talk to Coach T-Rob [Travaris Robinson] and to Coach Derek [Lewis],” Dale said. “I kept it short and sweet with them after the game because they were upset about the loss but I talk to Coach T-Rob on a weekly basis.”

Dale admits that Travaris Robinson has started recruiting him harder as of late and he says the message is usually the same.

“Coach T-Rob talks to me about the upcoming games for Florida and always tell him that I can pick off the deep balls for him,” Dale said. “Usually he always ask about family and how football is going. He’s starting to recruit me harder.”

Next up for the Louisiana safety is a trip to see Alabama play but he says a return trip to Gainesville is a good possibility.

“I’m going to be at the Tennessee vs. Alabama game on the 21st,” he said. “Right now I’m trying to plan out my official visits but Florida most likely will get one. I will probably announce my decision on signing day.”

 

INSIDER BUZZ: Right now Florida is keeping Dale in the fold but they really haven’t turned up the heat on him yet. He’s someone that is very interested in the Florida Gators and someone that T-Rob will continue to monitor.

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.