If there’s one position that the Florida Gators recruiting class is lacking targets at it’s at the defensive line position, where the target number is a little smaller than other positions.
Last week, offensive line coach Brad Davis increased that number by one when he offered defensive lineman Dennis Briggs (6-4, 252, Kissimmee, FL. Gateway) after watching him in person.
“Coach Davis offered me last week,” Briggs said. “He didn’t speak with me when he offered, he actually spoke to my head coach. My head coach told me that they wanted to offer me and that I was high on their recruiting list.”
Briggs has racked in 28 offers already but the Gators offer caught him by surprise last week.
“I was shocked,” Briggs said of his reaction to the offer. “I didn’t know if I was going to really get the offer or not. It’s an offer that means a lot being a Florida guy.”
The defensive line earned that offer after Davis watched him practice during spring practice last week.
“He came by the school last week and watched me practice,” he said of Davis. “I talked to him on the phone after all that. He talks to me about everything that has to do with Florida. Coach [Randy] Shannon and Coach [Chris] Rumph really talk to me about the defense.”
Defensive line coach Chris Rumph has spoken with Briggs about where the Gators see the defensive line playing if he chooses Gainesville as his home.
“Coach Rumph says that they see me as a defensive end and a defensive tackle,” Briggs said of his conversation with Rumph. “He says mainly defensive end but that I will move around. He likes that I’m versatile guy and I like that because I train for that.”
Rumph and Davis also have defensive coordinator Randy Shannon helping recruit Briggs to Gainesville and the Gators assistant coach wants the defensive lineman to visit soon.
“He tells me that I need to get up there and visit again,” he said of his talks with Shannon. “He just wants me to get up there and continue to build the relationship with them.”
Every since Davis took over as a coach in Florida, he has recruited the Orlando area and Briggs and because of that, the defensive lineman has seen an improved relationship with the Gators.
“The relationship is getting better, it was a little shaky when Coach [Geoff] Collins was there but it’s getting better,” Briggs said. “I’m establishing a relationship with Coach Shannon and the rest of the coaches now.”
With all of the offers coming at Briggs, he’s taking a wait and see approach to naming a leader but he does have an idea of when he wants to be done with the process.
“I’m still pretty open, everybody has a chance,” he said. “I’m most likely going to make my decision on signing day but it may come sooner.”
INSIDERS TAKE: Briggs has visited Florida multiple times in the past and he liked the campus and the coaching staff during those visits. FSU, Miami, and Florida are all starting to recruit him hard but summer visits will be big and the Gators will host him this summer.