The past two recruiting cycles, the Gators coaching staff has had good luck being able to sign JUCO defensive lineman.
This year, Florida is looking to do the same and one of their top targets is Milledgeville (Ga.) Georgia Military defensive end DaVonte Lambert.
“Coach (Brad) Lawing and the defensive coordinator (D.J.) Durkin came by to see me today (Wednesday),” Lambert said. “Coach Durkin was telling my coach that the difference between a school offering you and wanting you. He said if a school offers you but doesn’t talk to you, they don’t really want you but if they talk to you a lot, like Florida does, than that means they want you a lot. Coach Durkin told my coach that they love my film and that they really want me to be a Gator.”
The 6-foot-3, 275-pound Lambert called defensive line coach Brad Lawing after practice to talk to him about Lambert’s practice.
“I called coach Lawing tonight (Wednesday),” Lambert said. “I usually talk to him once a week. He told me that I had a good practice and that he wants me even more now than before. He told me that I can play both defensive end and defensive tackle on the line for Florida.”
Durkin told Lambert the same thing, he said that the Gators coaching staff really liked his film and style of play.
Since Lambert is a JUCO prospect he is able to talk official visits this summer and he already has three planned.
“I plan to visit Florida on June 15th weekend,” Lambert said. “I plan to visit Georgia on the weekend of June 8th and Tennessee on June 21st weekend. Those are really the three schools recruiting me the hardest but I’m not going to make a decision anytime soon. I may wait until during my season, since I will enroll in January.”
Most Florida fans will remember Georgia Military school from last year when Florida signed offensive lineman Trenton Brown.
Lambert says that he and Brown are good friends and that he plans to speak with Brown soon about his first week in Gainesville.