Florida Gators add another big defensive tackle in 2017

The Florida Gators picked up its seventh commitment of the class of 2017 on Thursday afternoon when JUCO defensive tackle Javier Edwards (6-3, 350, Brenham, TX Blinn College) announced his commitment to Florida.

Edwards, who didn’t pick up his offer from defensive line coach Chris Rumph until Thursday, committed to Florida on the spot and made head coach Jim McElwain a happy man.

“Coach Rumph actually offered me earlier today [Thursday],” Edwards said. “He asked me if I was ready to be a Gator and if I was willing to play. Just stuff like that and I told him yes and that’s when I committed to them. The whole staff went crazy when I told them. It felt like the phone was shaking and Coach McElwain said ‘oh my god’ and he went crazy.”

Growing up in Houston, Texas you wouldn’t expect Edwards to know a lot about Florida, but his knowledge and love for the Gators is what made him commit on the spot.

“I committed because Florida has been one of my dream schools since I was little,” he said of why he committed. “I’ve been talking about being a Florida Gator since I was like eight years old. My big cousin is a big Gators fan and I liked watching them. I grew up watching them with him and I like the way they play and their uniforms. I like everything about them.”

When Edwards spoke with Rumph on Thursday morning, the Gators coach explained how the JUCO transfer would fit into the Florida defense.

“They say they want me to come play, they said me and some other guy they want us to plug up the middle together,” Edwards said of Rumph’s message. “He said he’s 350 plus too and they want us to come play together and plug up the middle for them on their defense.”

Edwards is a guy that has flown under the radar due to academic issues, but came onto the Florida radar after his coach reached out to the Gators staff.

“They haven’t come by to see me but they heard about me from one of my coaches,” he said. “One of my coaches was on staff with a coach at Florida and they got my highlights from him. They fell in love with my highlights and wanted to offer me.”

The JUCO defensive tackle says that his decision to commit to Florida is pretty solid and he plans to be in Gainesville very soon.

“I’m a 2-for-2 guy and I graduate in December,” Edwards said. “I’m confident in my decision to Florida and I’m sticking with it. I plan to make my first trip to Florida by the end of this month.”

INSIDERS TAKE: Edwards is a guy that has always had the game to play in college, but academics held him back in high school, which caused many big schools to shy away from offering him. A few people have told Gator Country that Edwards has a good motor for his size and can really plug up the middle. Edwards simply described this moment as a “blessed moment.”

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.