Donaldson feels comfortable with the Florida Gators

The Florida Gators are still in search for offensive linemen to fill the class of 2017 needs at the position, right now the Gators have just one lineman committed.

On Friday the Gators got Miami offensive line commit Navaughn Donaldson (6-6, 341, Miami, FL. Central) to visit Florida for the first time.

“I like it up here,” Donaldson said after Friday Night Lights. “I feel comfortable. I like how the coaches talk to me and say how important I am.”

Head coach Jim McElwain, recruiting coordinator Drew Hughes and offensive line coach Mike Summers greeted Donaldson on campus. They all spoke at length with the Miami commit.

“They told me I could come in and get some early playing time if I learn the system,” he said of the coaches’ message. “I have a chance to get see the field, so that’s important. That’s one thing I can look at.”

The Miami commit has said in the past that he needed to get a better relationship with Summers and the two worked on that during the visit on Friday.

“We talk a lot on the phone,” Donaldson said of Summers. “We just caught up on Friday. He told me he was glad to have me up here and that if I commit, I would be able to get a great education and play early.”

Donaldson says he remains committed to Miami but several schools are after him and pushing for the flip.

“It’s a few schools like Georgia, South Carolina, Texas A&M, Florida, and Southern Cal,” he said when asked who else was in the mix.

INSIDERS TAKE: Donaldson is one of the Gators top targets on the offensive line and they will continue pushing for the Miami commit. Randy Shannon has a good relationship with him, but now it’s about getting Summers and his relationship built up.

Andrew Spivey
Andrew always knew he wanted to be involved with sports in some capacity. He began by coaching high school football for six years before deciding to pursue a career in journalism. While coaching, he was a part of two state semifinal teams in the state of Alabama. Given his past coaching experience, he figured covering recruiting would be a perfect fit. He began his career as an intern for Rivals.com, covering University of Florida football recruiting. After interning with Rivals for six months, he joined the Gator Country family as a recruiting analyst. Andrew enjoys spending his free time on the golf course and watching his beloved Atlanta Braves. Follow him on Twitter at @AndrewSpiveyGC.