Elksnis breaks down why he committed to the Florida Gators

The Florida Gators last big recruiting event on March 7th netted the 2021 class a new commitment and it was a instate prospect at a position of need.

Tight end Nick Elksnis (6-6, 220, Jacksonville, FL. Episcopal) committed to the Gators after decommitting from Penn State a few weeks prior to his decision.

“Florida just has the total package in my opinion,” Elksnis said of why he committed to Florida. “They have a great football program, they’re a great school academically, it’s close to home and they use their tight ends well.”

Elksnis didn’t totally catch tight ends coach Tim Brewster off guard but the the Gators coach was happy to land Elksnis’ commitment.

“I had been talking to Coach Brewster a little bit and I was giving him small hints that I might be committing soon,” he said on Brewster and Mullen’s reaction to his commitment. “They were all really excited and happy. They were just glad that I made the decision and that I’m a part of the family.”

The tight end announced his decision by saying “I was raised a Gator by my grandmother and now it’s time to play as one,” and Elksnis got to experience that moment with his grandparents during that junior day visit.

“It was pretty awesome, the farther away I get it from it, the cooler it becomes,” Elksnis said on experiencing the moment with his grandparents. “My grandmother if she would’ve passed away that moment, she would’ve been the happiest grandmother alive. I realize that they got to be a part of something very special.”

Brewster finished off Elksnis’ recruitment but he credits the Gators former tight end’s coach for helping Florida get in the mix.

“I like Coach [Tim] Brewster, he’s a great coach and he’s a great person. He’s a guy that I want to be coached under,” Elksnis said of his impressions of Brewster. “I really liked Coach [Larry] Scott, he’s a great guy and he really opened the gate for Florida but Coach Brewster definitely closed it. We seemed to hit it off well.”

Elksnis has talked with Brewster and Mullen about how they will use him in the Gators offense now that he has committed to Florida.

“They want me to be more of in the [Kyle] Pitts role,” he said on how Florida sees him fitting into the program. “I’m more of a flexed out guy, going out wide and making plays but they’re also going to want me to inline block.”

 

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.