Florida lands commitment No. 11

The Gators landed their second defensive back commit on Monday night as Bradenton Southeast athlete Brian Poole, Jr. verbally committed to the University of Florida.

Poole, who joins Willie Bailey (6-1/170, Hallandale/ Hallandale HS) as the other defensive back commitment for the Gators, is ranked as the No. 9 defensive back and the No. 136 overall player in the country, according to the new ESPNU rankings.

Poole said it was his close relationship with Florida defensive backs coach Travaris Robinson that sealed the deal.

“The reason I chose Florida was because I have a strong relationship with coach Robinson,” Poole said. “He is not only a good coach but he is like my mentor too.”

Poole, who has chosen to play in the Under Armour All-American game in January, said the coaches were excited about his commitment.

“They kind of already knew that I wanted to go there – but coach (Will) Muschamp and coach Robinson were both really amped when I told them.”

Poole is unsure if he will take other visits, but he considers himself a strong commitment to Florida.

Verbal commitments are non-binding until National Signing Day in February.

Gator Country Recruiting Coordinator Derek Tyson can be reached at Derek@GatorCountry.com. You can also follow him on Twitter at DerekTysonGC.