Saturday night wasn’t pretty in the swamp but the Florida Gators recruiting commit list got bigger on Sunday morning as JUCO athlete Dre Massey (6-0, 185, Goodman, MS Holmes C.C.) made the decision to commit to the Florida Gators.
“Florida was just the right move, I’ve been waiting to do it for a long time,” Massey said of why he committed. “The atmosphere and the offense was a big reason too. I have a big opportunity to play early at Florida. I noticed during the game that there were a lot of opportunities at Florida.”
Massey is commitment number 24 for the Gators, and when he told the Florida Gators coaches, he was met with excitement.
“Everyone was really excited when I told them I was committing,” he said. “All of the coaches told me welcome to the family.”
Head coach Jim McElwain knows he needs more playmakers in Gainesville and he told Massey that he sees the JUCO athlete becoming a big piece in the Gators offense.
“Coach McElwain was basically telling me that he wants to use me like how No. 4 [Brandon Powell] plays,” Massey said. “He said that I could contribute speed and play making abilities to the team. He said that I can play multiple positions on offense and that he wants me as a kick returner.”
Not only was McElwain talking to Massey but the entire Florida Gators coaching staff was trying to get Massey in the Orange and Blue.
“I really talked to all of the coaches this weekend especially those on offense,” he said. “Coach [Doug] Nussmeier just kept trying to get me here all weekend and he was telling me that I can contribute early. He said that he needs more weapons on offense.”
Massey, who’s originally from South Carolina, came into the weekend expecting a good visit, but he says the weekend exceeded expectations for him.
“It was loud and crazy in the Swamp all game,” he said. “The atmosphere in the Swamp is great. Really the whole weekend was great, I had a great weekend at Florida and it was better than I thought it would be.”
While Massey was in Gainesville he had the chance to hang out with a lot of players and he felt the family vibe around the team.
“Nick Washington, Daniel McMillian and a few other guys were my hosts,” Massey said. “Really all of the recruits hung out together during the visit. All of the players were cool and like a big family to each other. It was cool.”
Massey had several visits set up for the next few weeks, but he says that he’s done with all of my visits now.
“I’m done with all of my visits, I’m done with my recruitment,” Massey said. “I’m going to sign with Florida in the next two weeks. This is just a weight lifted off of my shoulder and I’m ready to get to Gainesville.”