While Friday Night Lights typically attracts the best recruits from all across the country, this year’s FNL will feature a decidedly hometown flavor. Local 2014 running back Tony James is attending the event. James plans on working out for the Gator coaching staff at FNL.
“I’m just out here trying to compete and have fun, that’s what I’m going to take from the experience,” James said. He has no expectations for what Florida’s coaches want to see from him.
“There’s nothing that the coaching staff is looking from me specifically. They’re just looking for me to come out here and perform like I can,” James said.
With James being local, Florida is a school that he’s visited several times unofficially, the Gators are among his top-6 schools. The others, in no particular order, are Oregon, Nebraska, Kentucky, Auburn and Ohio State. He has no leader at this time.
FNL will be James’s last visit for the summer, this fall he already has an official visit lined up to Oregon and hopes he can get inside the Swamp for an official as well.
James views his recruitment very favorably, something many top athletes don’t.
“It’s been lovely, it’s been wonderful actually. I’ve been treated well. I get phone calls at all times of night for stories, I’ve been on visits…I’ve just been lucky,” James said.
Where UF is concerned, James says he’s been treated “heavenly” during his recruitment process. Florida running backs coach Brian White is recruiting the Gainesville standout primarily for the staff.
James ran a 4.48 40-yard dash and posted a 32.5 inch vertical leap at February’s Miami SPARQ combine.