RECRUITING: Edwards predicted blocked kick

Lorenzo Edwards continues to take his visits to gain information about his schools of interest. This past weekend, Edwards was in Gainesville to take in the atmosphere of the Florida/South Carolina game.

Before Lorenzo Edwards could make it to Gainesville, he had to help lead the Edgewater High football team to a first round victory in the state playoffs.

“We beat East Ridge 24-10. Our defense played crazy. They only scored in the second quarter, and we shut them out the other three. We’re rolling on defense right now. We average giving up 116 yards on defense, and only letting the other team score 5.2 points per game.”

After taking care of business on the field Friday night, Edwards and his family headed for Gainesville.

“I got there about one o’clock Saturday morning, and just stayed in at the hotel. Saturday was crazy though. We were always doing stuff.”

“I got to eat breakfast with the team Saturday morning. It was cool to just hang out with all the coaches and players. We really just hung out until lunch. I got to spend time with a lot of people involved with Gator football, so that was good to see what they were all about.”

After spending time with everyone, the 6’2”, 221 pound safety got to watch these same players perform on the field.

“That game was crazy the whole time. It was a nail biter though. Seriously, I was biting my nails. The crowd was ridiculous. They were going crazy for the whole game.”

“I just want you to know that I called the blocked kick though. During the timeout, I leaned over to my teammate, Michael Brewster, and told him that they had already blocked two, and that I had no doubt they were going to block a third one. And then they did.”

“Then I got to go in the locker room after the game. Saying it was crazy is an understatement. Those guys had so much energy. I loved it.”

“After we left the stadium, I hung out with my host, Brandon Spikes, for the rest of the night. We ate dinner and then I got to see what Gainesville is like at night. Brandon was a really cool guy. He said Florida is the place to be.”

Edwards was also impressed at the amount of freshmen who played for the Gators.

“I liked how they played those freshmen a lot. I couldn’t believe they’ve played 15 of them. I really like how they mix them in. But it goes to show that if you come in and work hard, the coaches will play you. It’s a great freshmen class here now, and it’s obvious they’ll be good in the future.”

One of the most important things to the Gator coaching staff is not only that the high school seniors have fun while in Gainesville, but that they get to meet other recruits that they could potentially be playing with for the next four years.

“I got to meet a lot of the guys who were also taking officials this weekend. I met the committed quarterback, Cameron Newton. He’s cool. He was going crazy the whole game. I also met the wide receiver from Texas, Terrance Toliver. Those are the two I probably got to know the best.”

The four star defensive recruit also got to speak with many of the coaches.

“I talked to just about all the coaches this weekend, mostly Coach Holliday and Coach Meyer though. Those guys are great. They’re doing some great stuff there.”

Sunday, as usual for official visitors, was mostly an academics focused day.

“The academics presentation was very interesting to me. They have a great architecture program, which interests me a lot.”

“It was good for my parents too. They had a lot of academics questions, but the presentation was so good their questions were answered before they could even ask them. Even when my parents did stay after and talk to some advisors, they were very good with answering the questions. That was a very good part of my visit.”

After this trip to Gainesville, Edwards only has one more visit left.

“I’ve already seen Notre Dame, Michigan, Georgia Tech, and now Florida. I’ve just got Clemson left to go to which I will do soon.”

After taking his time to see what each school brings to the table, Edwards plans on waiting to take his final visit before reaching his decision.

“Right now I’m on track to announce at the Army All-American Game. That’s the plan.”

Overall, the Gators can be assured they put on a show for Lorenzo Edwards. With only one more visit left, fans can look for his decision in January. With the press that the Gator coaching staff has put on Edwards, it is obvious that he is a top priority to recruiting the defensive side of the ball.