The Florida Gators recruiting class is looking to load up at the defensive back position in 2017, as the Gators are trying to reload a position that has been dominant.
Cornerback A.J. Terrell (6-2, 170, Atlanta, GA Westlake) is one of the top targets and he was in Gainesville this spring for a visit to see Florida.
“It went great, it was a real exciting visit,” Terrell said of his Florida visit. “I got to watch the spring practice that day and I toured the campus a little bit. I was really impressed with practice. I liked it a lot. The intensity and the tempo was all nice and I liked it.”
During the practice Terrell focused on the defensive back position and he was impressed by the play of the Florida secondary.
“It was exactly how I expected it to be,” he said of his impressions of Florida’s defensive backs during practice. “They all played up to what I expected. Jalen Tabor, Quincy Wilson and all of them I really liked what they were doing. They were being physical and locking down there guys.”
Defensive backs coach Torrian Gray has drawn praise for his coaching style of the defensive backfield and that’s something Terrell noticed as well.
“Coach Gray’s coaching style is real good out there,” Terrell said. “He’s real intense and also he knows how to be in control and be calm. He knows how to teach and correct you on the things that you mess up on during practice.”
Terrell is no stranger to Gray, as the two have built a good relationship with each other and the Atlanta prospects likes the Florida coach a lot.
“I had met Coach Gray before so this wasn’t my first time meeting him,” he said. “He’s a good coach and good father figure to me. We’ve known each other since he was at Virginia Tech.”
Gray has been recruiting Terrell for a few years now and made sure to let the Atlanta defensive back know that he wants him in Gainesville.
“He told me that I have a great opportunity of coming in and making a name for myself at Florida,” Terrell said of Gray’s message to him. “He really is stressing that they have a big need for defensive backs in this year’s class since they have some guys leaving this year.”
Head coach Jim McElwain also met with Terrell and his father during the visit and he delivered a different, but important, message to the Atlanta prospect.
“I spoke to Coach McElwain in his office during the visit,” he said. “He talked some good stuff to me and told me some stuff about the school and not just football. He told me about the academics and majors and what it can do for me in life after football. He told me that Florida is a good fit for me and it really put Florida in the mix for me a lot.”
Following his first visit to Gainesville Terrell left Florida with high praise for the Gators and Gray.
“I have a lot interest in Florida and also a couple of other schools,” Terrell said. “I’m starting to narrow things down and right now I’m at five schools, Florida, Auburn, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina. I would say that all of the schools are 50/50 right now. I plan to make a decision either in the summer or before the season. I have some more visits to take before then, I’m going back to Florida.”
INSIDERS TAKE: Terrell has a lot of interest in Florida and talked up the visit a lot. You could tell he’s very high on defensive backs coach Torrian Gray. Terrell is a guy that would help out the Florida Gators recruiting class if he chooses Florida.