Florida Gators running back commit Lamical Perine (5-11, 215, Theodore, AL High) made the six-hour trip to Gainesville on Saturday to watch the Gators and he left very impressed by the atmosphere and game.
“Most definitely the loudest stadium, I’ve ever been in,” Perine said following the Gators win. “My favorite part of the game was watching Kelvin Taylor run the ball. I really liked when he ran that 55-yard run in the first half of the game.”
Perine, who has been dreaming of being a Florida Gator since the day he put on pads as a little kid, said that Saturday night was just another reminder of why he chose the Swamp as his home for the next four years.
“As soon as I came out here to the field, I wanted to put some pads on and get out there,” Perine said. “I loved the atmosphere and the crowd and I can’t wait to get out here and play. The Swamp is home.”
One thing that is certain is Perine is coming to Florida next year with thoughts of playing early after what he saw from the Gators on Saturday night.
“I feel like I can get in the mix real early here at Florida,” he said. “I think I can contribute to this offense real early because of my style of play. I think I fit in perfectly with what they are trying to do here and I know they like to play freshmen early because a lot of freshmen played against Tennessee.”
The Alabama prospect has already run for close to 1,100 yards this season for Theodore and Perine contributes that to his running style.
“I expected over a thousand yards this year but not this fast,” Perine said of his performance. “I think that I’m running a lot more physical this year and that is an asset to my game.”
Before the interview was over Perine wanted to make sure to send a message all of the Florida Gators fans out there.
“I’m 100 percent solid to Florida regardless of what anyone else says,” he said. “GO Gators.”
INSIDERS TAKE: Perine is a solid commit to the Florida Gators and talks to running backs coach Tim Skipper and recruiting coordinator Drew Hughes a lot.