The Florida Gators will start hosting official visitors for January this coming weekend and they’re expected to host several big targets.
Offensive lineman Ira Henry (6-5, 320, St. Louis, MO. Trinity Catholic) is one of those guys expected to visit Florida this weekend and he says the coaching staff is a main reason he wants to visit.
“The coaches really kept their loyalty to me throughout the recruiting process,” Henry said on why he wants to visit Florida. “Florida is winning and they had a good season. I really like the school myself so I want to see it myself.”
Offensive line coach John Hevesy visited Henry’s school several times in December and one simple message for the lineman
“That he doesn’t only want me but he needs me in the program,” he said on Hevesy’s message to him. “He likes my feet and my film and he likes me at guard and tackle.”
Head coach Dan Mullen has also spoken with Henry on the phone about how the Gators need him in Gainesville.
“Basically the same thing as Hevesy, that they need lineman,” he said on Mullen’s message to him. “He said that he really needs me and that they’re winning games with their offensive line.”
The Gators signed seven offensive linemen in December but that isn’t something that scares Henry away and is something Florida has talked to him about.
“He said that no matter how many linemen he signed he still wanted me,” Henry said on Hevesy signing 7 linemen in December. “He said that he’s going to sign a lot of linemen because they’re losing people. No matter where I go, there’s going to be a lot of linemen and you are going to have to earn a spot.”
This weekend will be Henry’s first visit to Gainesville and he has list of things he wants to see and do while in town.
“I want to talk to the academic counselors about the academics there,” he said on things he wants to accomplish during the official visit. “I want to talk to all of the coaches and get a feel for them and then mainly get around the players that I’m going to be with the whole time.”
After Henry visits Gainesville this weekend, he has three official visits left and he’s in the process of setting them up.
“I already took one to Iowa State,” Henry said of official visits. “I’m taking one to Florida this weekend, then the 25th I’m taking one to Florida State. I’m setting one up to Oklahoma and I don’t know who I’m going to take my last official visit to.”