Gator Country

Arthur Fontaine wants to be absolutely sure about the college he chooses, and he wouldn’t mind if Florida ends up in the mix.

That is why Fontaine, a talented tight end at Dartmouth High School in North Dartmouth, Mass., decided recently to take a trip through the southeastern United States and put his verbal commitment to Boston College on hold.

“I wanted to see other schools and see what else is out there,” said the 6-foot-5, 245-pound Fontaine, who committed to the Eagles back in May but then reopened his recruitment.

The first stop on his recruiting road trip was Gainesville, where Fontaine got a chance to meet members of the Gators coaching staff, including head coach Urban Meyer.

“I didn’t get to talk to coach Meyer much, but he was a pretty nice guy,” Fontaine said. “I could definitely tell that he knows what he is talking about.”

Offensive line coach John Hevesy is handling Fontaine’s recruitment and spoke with the tight end during his visit. Last season, Fontaine, who has been timed in the 40-yard dash in 4.72 seconds, caught 10 passes for 156 yards and three touchdowns. He also played on defense and recorded 62 tackles, three sacks and forced two fumbles.

“It was a really nice place and the coaches were really cool guys,” Fontaine continued. “Unfortunately, I was only able to stay there for a day. The coaches want me to come back for Friday Night Lights, but I won’t be able to make it.”

While Fontaine won’t be able to make the trip back to Gainesville in July, there’s a chance he will make an official visit during the fall if he hasn’t made a commitment by then.

“If I know where I am going to go and have no insecurities about it, then I will commit before taking official visits,” Fontaine said. “If I don’t make a decision before official visits, then I will probably take one to Florida.”

Even though Fontaine de-committed to Boston College, there is a good chance he still could end up there because of its closeness to his home. In addition to Florida, Fontaine also checked out Georgia, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Virginia and Maryland. Boston College, Georgia and North Carolina appear to be his top three choices.

“Academics are the most important thing to me,” Fontaine said. “I want a school that is well rounded. The school doesn’t have to be the No. 1 team in the country, but it needs to have a winning tradition. Of the schools that I am looking at now, I don’t think I can make a wrong choice. I just need to make the best choice for me.”

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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