While the Florida Gators were hosting camps in Gainesville, on Sunday several coaches including head coach Dan Mullen were in California at the USC camp.
They were at the camp because several of Florida’s top targets were participating or at the camp including defensive back Chris Steele (6-1, 188, Bellflower, CA. St. John Bosco) who was at the camp.
“It’s always good to catch up with Coach Mullen and the rest of the staff,” Steele said of seeing the Florida staff at USC on Sunday. “They actually had a few people out there. I got to chop it up with Coach [Todd] Grantham, Coach [Ron] English and some of the other people on the staff. It’s always good catching up with them and continuing to build the relationship.”
Mullen and his staff made sure to let Steele know that he was one of the main reasons they made the long trip to California.
“They told me several times during the camp that they were really just there to see me,” he said on what it meant to see Florida out there. “That really means a lot to me and shows me how much of a priority I am to them.”
Over the last month the Gators have hosted Steele on campus twice and he says that has helped him to develop a better relationship with the Florida coaching staff.
“Me and Coach English have always had a good relationship but I would say my relationship with Coach Grantham has grown the most,” Steele said on his relationship growing with the coaches. “We’ve had a lot of conversations about football and just about different type of defenses. I feel like I’ve grown to really trust him these past few months and I know that he can develop me into the type of player I want to be if I did decide to go there.”
Defensive coordinator Todd Grantham has explained to Steele just what he thinks the cornerback can do if he chooses Florida for college.
“He actually mentions that he’s looking for me to come in and play right away,” he said on how Grantham plans to use him in the defense. “I think that’s a great opportunity to be able to play early for a defense like the University of Florida has, and obviously it’s a great opportunity. That has been his main pitch.”
Mullen also has made sure to let Steele know that the Gators have him high on their board and need him in Gainesville.
“He told me that he came out there just to see me really,” Steele said on the message from Mullen. “He told me that I’m a priority to him and that means a lot to have the head coach tell you that. It means a lot to me.”
The two trips to Gainesville has helped Steele and his family get to know the city better and it’s place that the cornerback is comfortable with.
“My family really likes it, it’s place that I can go to and really focus,” he said on how he and his family like Gainesville. “That’s really what I like about it to. I can just go there hopefully and just stay three years and get developed and get to the league. It’s definitely a place I can see myself playing at, studying at and living at. I like the city and it’s not to far from Orlando so you get that college town feel but at the same time, I’m a city boy so I would like to get that city vibe to so Orlando is right there if I needed it.”
Steele is looking to wrap up his recruitment early but first he has a few more visits planned.
“Yeah just USC and South Carolina officials,” Steele said on what’s next for him. “Then I’m going to be making a decision sometime in July.”