On Thursday, the Florida Gators started spring practice and also hosted prospects on campus to watch that practice.
Defensive back CJ Hester (6-1, 185, Cocoa, FL. High) was one of those guys back on campus and he enjoyed getting to see everything around Gainesville.
“The visit was great,” Hester said of his visit to Florida on Thursday. “I got to see the facility, the apartments where the players stay, and I got to watch the practice. The practice was impressive, the energy was high, and I got amped up just to watch.”
Hester watched the defensive backs closely during the practice and he was impressed by their play and the coaching of Deron Wilson and Vinnie Sunseri.
“The defensive backs were high on energy, and it was great to see them ball,” he said on the play of his position group. “I thought both coaches were good and coached very critical throughout the drills and corrected the player’s mistakes if they made them. They were pumped for the players when they made plays.”
After practice, Hester had the chance to talk to the coaching staff and they made sure to let him know that he’s wanted in Gainesville.
“They said that they really want me here as a true outside corner,” Hester said of the message from Deron Wilson and Vinnie Sunseri. “They said I would fit well in the system and that people here will take care of me and help me outside of football. They said that overall, I’m a priority for them.”
Despite the coaching change at his position, Hester says his relationship with the coaching staff is strong and he likes how Billy Napier handles his program.
“My relationship with Coach Wilson is very good even though he just got there,” he said on his relationship with Wilson. “I like that Coach Wilson is a cool guy to talk to and also how he’s very detailed when coaching. I like that Coach Napier is a great person to talk to and learn from too. I like how Coach Napier gets his guys to be appreciative of the people in the building that support the team.”
After the visit, Hester says the Gators are in good shape in his recruitment as several other schools are recruiting him hard.
“Florida stands high right now in my recruitment, I like how everybody shows me love and treated me like family,” Hester said of Florida. “Schools like Georgia, Syracuse, Auburn, UCLA, Iowa, Georgia Tech, Rutgers and Miami are recruiting me hard to.”