Hargreaves preps for busy All-American week

Emerging from the Under Armour All-America Game registration, five-star defensive back Vernon Hargreaves III (Wharton/Tampa, Fla.) could hardly contain his excitement about the upcoming week, especially with all of the free gear the participants receive.

“This is awesome. My dad coaches at South Florida and they are sponsored by Under Armour,” Hargreaves said. “So I had a lot of stuff coming in, and now I have even more stuff. I don’t even know what to do with all of it.”

Hargreaves was all fun and games during registration, but the 5-foot-11, 185-pound defensive back is all business when it comes to his expectations for the week.

“I don’t really set expectations,” Hargreaves said. “Whatever happens, happens. Good, bad, or ugly, it doesn’t matter. I’m just going to do my best at whatever I do.”

The Tampa native committed to the Gators back in July, but he still maintains weekly contact with Florida coach Will Muschamp and defensive backs coach Travaris Robinson. In their talks, Hargreaves said they rarely broach the subject of football.

“I talk to Coach Muschamp or Coach Robinson once or twice a week,” Hargreaves said. “Most of the time when I talk to them, it’s not even about football, but about life, girls or whatever.”

Throughout this week Hargreaves will be surrounded by not only fellow Gators commits, but also some recruits who are still considering Florida. He said he plans on recruiting others to come to Florida as hard as he can.

“I’m going to be texting their phone and all of that,” Hargreaves said. “I’m not sure about who I want to recruit yet, but if I find somebody that has Florida near the top, you better believe [I’ll recruit them].”

Hargreaves will be wearing No. 24 for the Black Team in the Under Armour All-America Game which will be televised nationally Jan. 4 on ESPN at 5 p.m.

drewlaing
Drew is a senior at Samford University in Birmingham, Ala. When not at school, Drew resides in Lakeland, Fla. Ever since working on his high school yearbook, Drew has had an interest in pursuing a journalism career after college. In addition to being Editor-in-Chief of his school newspaper, The Samford Crimson, Drew has also been with Gator Country as an intern for one year. He enjoys the finer things in life like Tampa Bay Rays baseball and always making sure to make fun of the Atlanta Braves to Andrew Spivey’s face.