The dead period is over in college football recruiting which means the Florida Gators can now host prospects on campus for unofficial visits.
That started on Thursday when the Gators hosted Ole Miss defensive end commit Bryan Jones (6-5, 240, Baton Rouge, LA Madison Prep Academy) on a visit.
“It was a great visit,” Jones said on Thursday. “I got to see the stadium, the outdoor fields and I got to see the locker room. I spoke with coach Chris Rumph and Coach Jim [McElwain] too.”
Heading into the visit Jones didn’t have an offer from the Gators, but that changed after the visit was over with.
“Coach Chris Rumph and Coach Jim offered me,” he said of who offered him the scholarship. “They said they love the way I play and I fit into their defense perfectly. They said I could put my hand down and stand up in their defense.”
Despite being committed to Ole Miss, and this being his first trip to Gainesville. Jones was happy to receive the offer.
“I was shocked and surprised to get the offer,” Jones said. “This means that I have another opportunity to play in the best conference in college football which is the SEC.”
Jones got the chance to watch film and meet one-on-one with defensive line coach Chris Rumph and the coach had a message for the defensive end.
“He said that I fit perfectly into their defense and I think it’s a good fit,” Jones said of Rumph’s message. “He said he’ll use me as a stand up defensive end and a hand in the ground defense end, so kind of like a hybrid guy. He said that he loves everything about me and my game.”
The Ole Miss commit also got the chance to meet with Florida Gators head coach Jim McElwain and the two got along great.”
“He and Coach Rumph are both great guys, I enjoyed talking to them,” he said. “Coach McElwain also said that he loved everything about me and that he wants me at Florida.”
The next step for the Gators is to get Jones back on campus for another visit and the defensive end says that’s possible.
“I have to talk with my family about another visit,” Jones said. “I’m very interested in Florida and they are definitely on my list and in the mix. I just have to talk to my family about an official visit.”
INSIDERS TAKE: Jones doesn’t say a lot in interviews, but multiple people told me that Jones had a great visit to Florida. The key is getting an official visit here if the Gators want to have a shot.