Florida Gators running backs coach JaJuan Seider- 1280x853
Florida Gators running backs coach JaJuan Seider- GatorCountry photo taken by David Bowie

The Florida Gators are preparing for their biggest recruiting event of the summer on Friday when they host Friday Night Lights in the Swamp.

One of the visitors expected on Friday is West Virginia running back commit Leddie Brown (6-0, 210, Smyrna, DE. High) who says he was asked to come by a coach.

“I’m visiting for Friday Night Lights with my mom and my sister,” Brown said of his visit to Florida. “Coach JaJuan [Seider] asked me to come down and visit them for the camp.”

Brown committed to West Virginia back in April but he says that running backs coach JaJuan Seider has still been hard after him despite that commitment.

“I talk to them a lot,” he said of his communications with Florida. “I usually just talk to Coach JaJuan [Seider] but I have talked to some of the other coaches too. We usually talk a lot.”

Seider has explained to Brown how the Gators are looking for someone like him at the position.

“He says that Florida is a good fit for me,” Brown said of Seider’s message. “He says that Florida still wants me and that he likes me. They have a big need for a guy like me.”

When Brown visits on Friday, he plans to talk with Seider more about how he will fit into the offense but the coach has explained what he likes about the West Virginia commitment.

“He said that he likes the way I play,” he said. “He likes the way I run the ball and how I compete.”

Brown and Seider’s relationship goes back a few years now and that has made the bond a strong one.

“It’s strong,” Brown said of his relationship with Seider. “We’ve been talking since he was at West Virginia, it’s a strong relationship. Coach Seider he doesn’t really act like a coach, he acts like a friend.”

On Friday, Brown has a few things he wants to get out of the trip to Gainesville including seeing the campus.

“Just a feel for the coaching staff,” he said of what he wants to get out of the visit. “See how they react to the players and how they like me.”

Heading into the visit Brown says that his commitment is still with West Virginia but he admits that Florida has turned up the heat.

“My relationship with West Virginia is still good,” Brown said of his commitment to West Virginia. “My relationship with Florida has gotten stronger with Coach JaJuan.”

 

INSIDERS TAKE: Florida is recruiting Brown hard despite his West Virginia commitment. Brown has seen his stock rise some this spring after he picked up an Alabama offer in May.

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.