Gator Country

Gators pledge Kelvin Taylor on the sidelines before Florida's game against Alabama on Oct. 1, 2011, in Gainesville, Fla. / Gator Country photo by Tim Casey

The Opening isn’t an event that really benefits running backs because running the ball doesn’t happen much in the 7-on-7 events.

That didn’t stop Belle Glade (Fla.) Glades Day running back Kelvin Taylor from attending the event earlier this month to Beaverton, Ore. The four-day event attracted 150 of the top prospects in the nation and the Florida football pledge certainly enjoyed his time there.

“Man, The Opening was awesome,” Taylor said. “I got to catch up with all of my Florida commits and just have a good time.”

The 5-foot-11, 216-pound Taylor used his time at The Opening to recruit uncommitted players to Florida.

“I was talking to anybody I could starting with the offensive linemen,” Taylor said. “I talked to Ira Denson. I think he may come down for Friday Night Lights. I was also talking to David Dawson — he’s a good one. He’s a cool guy and I was telling him that I needed him to come down and block for me.”

Taylor also said he was happy with his performance during The Opening.

“I ran a good 40 time. It was 4.50 (seconds), so almost a 4.4,” Taylor said. “My 7-on-7 team did great. We came in third place overall. I think I only dropped like one ball the whole time I was there. I was pleased with myself.”

Next up for the Under Armour All-American is visit to Gainesville for Florida’s Friday Night Lights camp on Jan. 27.

“I’ll be down there on Thursday,” Taylor said. “I’m ready to get down there and hang with my boys and the other commitments. I’m going to be recruiting everyone in sight and especially all of the good ones. I’ll definitely be talking to all of the offensive lineman there.”

About the author

Andrew Spivey

Andrew always knew he wanted to be involved with sports in some capacity. He began by coaching high school football for six years before deciding to pursue a career in journalism. While coaching, he was a part of two state semifinal teams in the state of Alabama. Given his past coaching experience, he figured covering recruiting would be a perfect fit. He began his career as an intern for Rivals.com, covering University of Florida football recruiting. After interning with Rivals for six months, he joined the Gator Country family as a recruiting analyst. Andrew enjoys spending his free time on the golf course and watching his beloved Atlanta Braves. Follow him on Twitter at @AndrewSpiveyGC.

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