Durden is a big fan of the Florida Gators recruiting efforts

There have been several prospects on the Florida Gators recruiting visitors list for all of the Gators home games this year. Many of them have been commits but one 2017 prospects has been in the Swamp every game as just as target of the Gators.

That prospect is 2017 defensive tackle Cory Durden (6-4, 287, Newberry, FL High) and he says the reason he’s on the Florida Gators recruiting list every week is because of his respect and belief in Gators head coach Jim McElwain.

“It’s close to home and I really like Coach Mac and what he’s doing here,” Durden said. “I’m a fan of the way Coach Mac is coaching and I’m a big fan of Coach [Chris] Rumph’s coaching style. I like the way the coaches are coaching the team.”

Durden has been to two of the Florida Gators biggest games in the last four weeks and he says that the atmosphere in the Swamp was impressive to him.

“It was just good to see them boys get a big win like that against Ole Miss,” Durden said. “I couldn’t hear my voice in there. This is my fourth time at Florida this year and they have all been sold out. It’s just close to home and it’s a great atmosphere to be apart of.”

Not only is Durden a big fan of the coaching staff, but he also says that they are the biggest reason he’s interested in the Florida Gators recruiting pitch.

“The coaches are the biggest sell for me at Florida and why I like them,” he said. “Coach Rumph is one of the best defensive line coaches in the country and the way he runs the rotation on the defensive line would let me get a lot of playing time.”

McElwain and Rumph both are giving messages to Durden on the Florida Gators and he likes both of the messages.

“Coach McElwain is just telling me that he’s getting the program right here,” Durden said. “Coach Rumph says that he likes me and that I can be a big time player for them if I come to Florida.”
Despite being on the Florida Gators recruiting list for every home game this year, Durden says that an instate rival leads for him right now.

“Florida State is still my leader,” Durden said. “After Florida State I would say that Florida is number two.”

INSIDERS TAKE: Durden and his cousin 2017 Florida State defensive line commit Jalen Parks will continue to listen to Florida and be at games so the Gators will have their chances here.

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.

2 COMMENTS

    • He’s a real prospect for Florida. He’s a 2017 guy that is still growing but he’s a guy that will play inside and be a good football player.