Some of the most talented players from across the country made a trip to Gainesville this week to take in Florida’s campus during Friday Night Lights.
One of those players, was 2014 University School cornerback Quincy Wilson. Gator Country has spent a lot of time with Wilson this summer, watching him at two 7-on-7 tournaments, a spring practice at his high school, and again in Oregon at The Opening. Wilson has been pretty tight-lipped throughout the summer about his recruitment but, Florida is a school that has been very high on his list every time we have spoken with him.
Wilson’s visit on Friday was his first back in Gainesville since March. He used this trip primarily to spend time with the coaching staff, as well as bond with fellow recruits and players at Florida.
“I’m pretty much just coming here to watch some film with Coach T-Rob [Travaris Robinson] and to be around some of the coaches and the people who are already committed,” Wilson said right after he arrived on campus.
With music blaring from the sound system and highlight videos playing on the big screens above, FNL gives players an idea of what kind of atmosphere the Swamp offers on Saturdays in the fall. We spoke with Wilson after the event and he talked a bit about that atmosphere.
“It was a good experience to come out here and hang out with some of the players and recruits that I’m friends with,” Wilson said.” I just came out here and got a feeling for the atmosphere. The atmosphere was cool. I liked it.”
Wilson brought his cleats just in case the coaching staff wanted to see him work out tonight, but after a summer full of camps and 7-on-7 tournaments, the staff had seen enough of what he can do on the field. Wilson took in the night from the sidelines with some of the 2013 recruiting class.
“I hung out with Marcus [Roberson], Vernon [Hargreaves], Nick Washington and Marcell Harris,” Wilson said of his time on the field Friday night. “They’re real cool. They were telling me how they have a need for cornerbacks and that Florida is a great place to be.”
Florida will lose Jaylen Watkins to graduation and could also lose Loucheiz Purifoy and Marcus Roberson to the NFL Draft after this season, so cornerback is definitely a big position of need for the Gators in this recruiting cycle. Wilson said that being able to come in and make an impact would be a big factor in his final decision.
“Definitely,” Wilson said. “Because I’m trying to go to a place where I’ll have an opportunity to play and make an impact.”
Another position where Florida is looking to add some talent this recruiting cycle is wide receiver, and Wilson is very good friends with Florida’s top receiver target, Ermon Lane. Lane and Wilson played on the same 7-on-7 team and have talked – and tweeted – about attending college together.
Wilson told Gator Country that he and Ermon will announce their college decision in August and that they will both choose the same school. When we asked Wilson if he already knew in his mind what school he wanted to attend, he smiled and said, “I do. But I haven’t told the coaches [of that school] yet.”
Wilson narrowed his list down to five schools on Twitter with Florida, Notre Dame, Ohio State, South Carolina and Southern Cal. Ermon Lane also released a top list of schools Friday night. Lane’s list included Alabama, Florida, Ohio State, Miami, Southern Cal and Florida State. With both Lane and Wilson saying pretty affirmatively that they will attend the same school together, one can do some deductive reasoning and quickly see that only three schools (Florida, Ohio State and USC) match up on their lists.
Both Lane and Wilson have been tight-lipped about their decision, but they’ll let the world know where they both will attend school on August 10.