Gator Country

West Palm Beach (Fla.) Cardinal Newman receiver Travis Rudolph verbally committed to Miami in June of last year. / Courtesy photo

Will Muschamp and the Gators may have only gained three commitments on junior day, but they certainly impressed a number of other prospects.

One of those targets was West Palm Beach (Fla.) Cardinal Newman receiver Travis Rudolph, who is currently committed to Miami but now has a new leader.

“Florida is my leader,” Rudolph said. “I could really see myself playing in the orange and blue at Florida. They have opened my eyes a lot. I’m still a commit to Miami, but it’s soft.”

Rudolph wasn’t even sure about his offer until he talked with receiver coach Joker Phillips, who informed him he has had one for a while now.

“It was a good visit,” Rudolph said. “Coach (Joker) Phillips wanted me to know that I had an offer from Florida, which I have had for a long time now, but I just found out about it. It’s a great offer to have, and it means a lot to me and gives me more options.”

Rudolph said when he thinks about Florida, he sees the consistency in the program and the trust he has with the Gators’ coaching staff.

The 6-foot, 170-pound Rudolph sat down with Will Muschamp, who talked to him about how he would used at Florida.

“First, he just wanted to make sure I knew I had an offer from Florida,” Rudolph said. “He said that he wants me a lot, and that he needs me. And that I could be a great player and help Florida win a national championship on and off the field. Coach said that I could play any of the receiver positions and could be a return man, too.”

One of the other highlights of the trip was getting to meet and talk with strength coach Jeff Dillman in the weight room.

“Coach Dillman was great,” Rudolph said. “He has a motivation voice, and he is a guy that is going to push me to be the best person possible.”

When asked about the facilities at Florida, Rudolph simply said “wow” as he was given a tour of the weight room and locker room.

Rudolph plans to visit Florida again for a spring practice or this summer, but he would like to come back for a basketball game if possible.

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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