Florida Gators head coach Dan Mullen and his coaching staff had a few prospects on campus on Thursday as the staff prepares for a big weekend of visitors.
Thursday, tight end Ethan Rae (6-5, 240, Orange, CA. Orange Lutheran) was on campus with his parents for the first time.
“It was good. I really loved it,” Rae said of his visit to Florida on Thursday. “I got a chance to look at the campus. They took me around and showed me all the buildings, the tutoring area and what it would be like to be a student-athlete, which was really nice. And then, after that I got to sit with Coach [Dan] Mullen and my coach and my parents and we talked for a good amount of time about everything, about the recruiting process, just everything,”
This was Rae’s first time to meet the new coaching staff and he walked away impressed by Mullen’s staff.
“I love the feel they have,” he said of his impressions of the coaching staff. “They’re a really family-based. It just like a home feel to it.”
Tight end’s coach Larry Scott had a chance to sit down with Rae and explain why the tight end position is a big position this year for the Gators.
“He just said how it’s a good opportunity to come to that school right now,” Rae said on Scott’s message to him. “ Especially since they’re kind of rebuilding that tight end position and how they’re going to use it moving forward. It was really encouraging to hear.”
Scott broke down how they would use Rae in the Gators offense if he were to choose Florida as the staff is trying to do different things with the position.
“He talked about putting me as a h-back, inline and spreading out, kind of do everything,” he said on how Scott said he would use him in the Florida offense.
Mullen also spoke with Rae and his family while on the trip and the talk was more about the process and what the Gators can offer the tight end.
“Just talking about everything in his sort of program,” Rae said of the message from Mullen. “He just told me how he’s gonna handle it with me. He’s not gonna push me, but just let me know how to pave everything and pick a school based on this and that. He kept on saying other stuff like that.”
Rae made the long trip from California on Thursday because of his talks with the staff and the visit lived up to what he thought it would.
“Being in the SEC. I wanted to see what they offer and everything. And the tradition is really good as well,” he said on why he visited. “It definitely lived up to expectations.
The tight end who has a lot of top offers and visits planned says he’s in no rush to make a decision.
“I’m gonna be pretty patient with it. It’s just gonna be when I get that feeling,” Rae said on when he will make a decision. “It could happen earlier. Not necessarily too early, but most likely during or after my season.”
INSIDERS TAKE: Rae liked the visit to Florida on Thursday and said a return trip to Gainesville could happen but at this time he’s unsure.