LAKE BUENA VISTA– Florida’s most vital recruiting asset isn’t on its coaching staff; he isn’t a booster worth millions or a new addition to UF’s player personnel department. He hasn’t played a down for the Gators in a game and in fact, isn’t even officially a member of the Florida football program yet. It’s verbal commit Quincy Wilson (6-1, 196, Fort Lauderdale, FL University School).
With two of the top commits Florida has in the 2014 class (running back Dalvin Cook and receiver Ermon Lane) wavering, Wilson — a friend of both and a 7-on-7 teammate of Lane — has done his best to keep Cook and Lane in orange and blue.
Cook says Wilson is working on him the hardest out of anyone, and even barges into his room Gator chomping. Wilson is confident that Cook will stay a Gator.
“I think Dalvin’s gonna stick,” Wilson said. “I just think it’s a couple people in his ear telling him not to stick with Florida because of the year they had but that’s just one bad year, we just gonna bounce back.”
It’s not just those two that Wilson has tried to persuade.
“I’ve been staying on top of Dalvin [Cook], Ermon [Lane] of course,” Wilson said. “I’ve talked to Adoree’ [Jackson] and [Thomas] Holley as I hear he could have potential to flip. I talk to Travis Rudolph here and there and Jamal Adams. That’s pretty much the guys I’m on top of.”
Wilson is even more valuable as a recruiting tool in times like these, because it’s a dead period on the NCAA recruiting calendar, a time where coaches can’t directly contact high school athletes.
As far as Wilson’s own game is concerned, this week is about getting better personally under the watchful eye of many talented coaches including a former player whose career spanned 16 years, Deion Sanders.
“I think it’s gonna be cool [to work with Sanders],” Wilson said. “It’s gonna be the second time I’ve worked with him because last year at the combine I worked with him so it’ll be pretty cool to learn from the best.”
He said the biggest tip he gets from Sanders is to stay low, (something that can be difficult for a defensive back his size) as well as keeping fast feet.
While he is a cornerback by trade as well as personal preference, he spent much of his second Under Armour game practice at safety, usually in the slot, in his own words covering the “little guys.” It’s not his favorite spot on the field to be, but he always tries keeps a positive attitude.
“You know I don’t let it affect me I’m just gonna go out there and make the best of it and make plays,” Wilson said.
Florida fans hope that this week, more of Wilson’s best plays are made off the field than on it.
And a great kid