Gator Country

While the Florida Gators had tons of recruits at last weekend’s spring game, one recruit who had planned on coming was noticeably absent. Darrell Givens of Indian Head (MD) Lackey planned to be at The Swamp for the Orange and Blue Debut but he had to postpone when something came up in the middle of the week.

“I wasn’t able to make it down because I had a conflict,” Givens said. “I called Coach Meyer on Wednesday and told him I couldn’t make it down for the spring game and that I was going to have to wait until the fall and take an official visit. He told me he understood everything.”

Even though Givens couldn’t make it down to Gainesville to see the game in person, he was able to watch the game on ESPN and liked what he saw.

“I definitely enjoyed watching it,” the 6-1, 176-pounder said. “Florida has a lot of great young athletes who make plays. I think they have the talent to win another national championship.”

Givens, who will be playing in the Under Armour All-American game, plans on taking an official visit down to Gainesville this fall and also knows three other schools he will visit: Penn State, Ohio State and Miami. He talked about what appeals to him about each of the schools, but refused to say they were favorites, rather calling them schools that are “very high” on his list.

FLORIDA: “Florida speaks for themselves. But, also one of my closest friends and former teammates [from Friendly High School] Joe Haden is there, which is good. They are recruiting me hard and I know they have a young depth chart but I still feel like I can come in and play early. I want to see what it is like as a Florida Gator.”

PENN STATE: “I like them a lot. They have another one of my friends, [cornerback] AJ Wallace who plays there and also a lot of other players from this area. Coach [Larry] Johnson and Coach JoPa [Joe Paterno] are really cool. Also, I like the environment and I have the chance to play earlier there.”

OHIO STATE: “I like the coaching staff there a lot. Plus, one of my best friends [athlete] Lamaar Thomas is going there this fall. Also, one of my friends from Ohio, Jamie Wood [class of 2009] has committed to going there and I keep in contact with [offensive lineman] Michael Brewster who recently signed with Ohio State.”

MIAMI: “I grew up wanting to play there and when I went to spring game I liked everything I saw. So, that made me want to come back for an official visit.”

As far as where he might take his fifth official visit, Givens has several schools he is considering. The list includes Rutgers, Virginia Tech, Michigan and Illinois.

Givens missing the spring game isn’t a huge blow for the Gators. He is still very interested in Florida and the interest seems to be mutual. He is not in a rush to make a decision so Florida should remain in the hunt to land this outstanding corner. An official visit in the fall could be just what the Gators need to earn a commitment from Givens.

About the author

Ryan Moss

Ryan Moss recently graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in Marketing in the spring of 2008 and have since left “Title Town” and returned back to Northern Virginia. In addition to working for Gator Country, he also works for a startup-consulting firm that specializes in online marketing called Eyetraffic Media. Ryan is a die hard Gator fan who was fortunate enough to have attended all three national championships.

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