Heath talks Florida Gators from Dan Mullen himself

The Florida Gators are trying to finish up the 2019 class strong but on Tuesday the Gators offered a big 2020 receiver.

2020 JUCO receiver Malik Heath (6-3, 210, Jackson, MS. Copiah-Lincoln) picked up an offer from head coach Dan Mullen on Tuesday.

“Coach Mullen was the one who offered me,” Heath said. “He said I was special player to them and that I could fit into their offense and come in and make an impact for them. He said you got an offer from Florida.”

Heath was a former Mississippi State commit under Mullen so he figured Florida would come into the picture but he wasn’t sure it would be this early.

“I was expecting it but I wasn’t expecting it either,” he said. “I was excited to get it, it means a lot to me.”

The JUCO receiver has a great relationship with Mullen and one that goes back several years and the two never stopped talking despite Mullen’s move to Florida.

“I talk to Coach Mullen every week still,” Heath said of his talks with Mullen. “Our relationship is great, I’ve known him since my ninth grade year. He’s a great guy, he’s a player coach. He just wants to see you do more than just football; he wants to see you grow as a man. He wants to see you graduate and stuff like that.”

Mullen and receivers coach Billy Gonzales have explained to Heath just how he would fit into the Gators offense.

“He sees me at the X or Z,” he said on how Florida sees him fitting into the offense. “They want me out wide and that he’s going to get me the ball and sling it around. You’re never guaranteed to get the ball but I just want to go be great and be Malik.”

Florida didn’t mince any words with Heath on Tuesday when the explained why the receiver was needed in Gainesville.

“He said he needs me down there,” Heath said of Mullen expressing a need for him. “He said I can come in and make an impact right away and be a key receiver. Stuff like that.”

The Gators have shocked a lot of people this year with their 6-2 record but Heath saw it coming from Mullen.

“I expected it but the world didn’t expect it,” he said of Mullen’s early success at Florida. “They have recruits coming in, they have a great coaching staff, I expected it.”

Now that Heath has an offer from Florida, the receiver plans to visit Florida and he admits his relationship with Mullen is an advantage for the Gators.

“Yeah it does,” Heath said on if his relationship with Mullen helps Florida. “I’m going to visit them around January.”

 

INSIDERS TAKE: Heath says Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Arkansas are all also recruiting him hard. Heath’s relationship with Mullen will be huge for Florida as the receiver plans to early enrollee in 2020.

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.