When the Florida Gators started their annual Friday Night Lights event it was the premier recruiting camp of the offseason. Dan Mullen is trying to get back to that standard and he got a little star power from the 2020 class.
Cornerback Fred Davis (6-2, 177, Trinity Christian High School, Jacksonville) made the short drive south from Jacksonville to attend the camp and work out for the new coaching staff.
“I’m going to do a quick little workout with Coach (Charlton) Warren just to get a feel of how he coaches,” Davis told Gator Country. “The season is coming up so I’m trying to just focus on the season, really. I wanted to get down here just to get in the atmosphere, the camp atmosphere, and chill with the coaches and get down here to compete a little bit.”
Warren is new to Florida but he’s trying to make a quick and big impression by recruiting. That started close to home with Davis.
““He says he likes my athletic ability. He likes how fast and tall I am, how long I am and how I can play the position,” Davis said of Warren’s message. “You can make any school great, why not make your backyard great? I’m thinking about it.”
Davis is entering a into his junior season, so he has a long way to go before he has to make a final decision but he is at a school with a track record for sending players to Florida, including one of his coaches.
“Yeah, Gus Scott, Nick Washington,” Davis said. “I ask them a lot of questions like how they feel about it and if it would benefit me.”
Davis is a long, lean rangy prospect. He told Gator Country that he has taken notice of the Gators new strength and conditioning program and Nick Savage. He’s also very aware of the Gators’ track record of sending defensive backs to the NFL. Both are playing a role in his recruitment at Florida.
““You can never stop getting stronger. I’m glad the strength coach is good because I need to get stronger and bigger and ready for the college level,” he said. “They put a lot of people in the draft. Down the line if God leads me down this path I can see myself coming here and being a part of that with the Florida Gators.”
Davis is doing his homework. He wants to see what this coaching staff is like and that’s why he’ll workout on Friday. He’s in no rush to commit, planning on giving himself until after his senior season or to National Signing Day but he’ll be back in Gainesville over the next few years, including a game this season.