The last month the Gators’ coaching staff has handed out a ton of offers to underclassmen players out of state. With spring football in full swing in Florida’s backyard, the coaching staff has returned back to Florida and has begun handing out scholarship offers to instate prospects.
One 2016 prospect that received an offer from Florida this week was 2016 receiver Tavares Chase (6-1, 174, Plant City, FL High) who had one of the Gators’ coaches at his practice but received the news from Florida’s head coach Will Muschamp.
“Coach [Derek] Lewis was by my practice and he went back to tell Coach Muschamp about me,” Chase said. “After he got back I was told to call Coach Muschamp on the phone and when I did, Coach Muschamp offered me a scholarship. He was telling me that he liked my film and that he liked how that I could play defense too and that I tackled well.”
Muschamp didn’t mince any words with Chase over the phone; his message was straight to the point, that Chase is wanted in Gainesville.
“Coach Muschamp said that at the end of my recruitment he wants me to be a Gator,” Chase said. “He said that he wants me at receiver and said that Coach Lewis told him that I could play receiver really well and that would be a good fit at Florida.”
Florida’s offer made it 22 scholarship offers in total already but he says the Gators’ offer was a big one because of location and the new Florida offense.
“Yes sir, that’s a really big offer for me,” Chase said. “Florida is really close to home and they have a good football team and they are throwing the ball a lot since they got the new offensive coordinator. I don’t really have a leader but I know that this is a big offer.”
Chase was on campus for the Orange and Blue spring game in April and he plans to return to Gainesville in the coming months.
“This summer I plan to go back up to Florida with my family,” Chase said. “I’m also going to visit Florida State, Clemson and Miami hopefully.”