The Florida Gators hit the road last week and most of the visits were to out of state of prospects including a few prospects in Georgia for the spring evaluation period.
Running back Elijah Holyfield (5-10, 195, College Park, GA Woodward Academy) was one of the few guys to receive visits on Thursday and he was visited by running backs coach Tim Skipper.
“Coach Skipper came by my school on Thursday,” Holyfield said. “It went real well even though I can’t talk to him but he talked to my coach and everything. He was telling my coach how they need me and want to get me back down there. I actually called him that night to talk to him myself.”
Holyfield has been a high priority to Florida for quite some time now and the running back admits that he’s building a great relationship with two of the Gators coaches.
“I’m building a really good relationship with coach Skipper and coach [Doug] Nussmeier,” Holyfield said. “Coach Skipper is always telling me that if I come down to Florida and get a chance to play early and also be apart of a program that is on the up rise.”
Nussmeier is someone that is known as very detail with prospects and Holyfield said that Nussmeier has explained how he would fit into the Gators offense to him.
Coach Nussmeier always talks to me about how the pro-style offense is the type of offense that fits me well,” Holyfield said. “That’s always a topic when I talk to him and he just tells me different ways that he can use me on offense and how he can get me the ball.”
In February Holyfield made his first trip to Florida and he admits that the visit went really well, including finally getting to meet head coach Jim McElwain in person.
“The visit was really good, I had a good time and I got to see everything that I wanted to see,” Holyfield said. “I got to meet all of the coaches and I got to sit down with coach McElwain and see and talk to everyone. It was a really nice time.”
During that visit Holyfield got the chance to sit down and have a conversation with McElwain about what the Florida Gators can offer him in the form of playing time.
“Coach McElwain just tells me that I have a chance to come down and play early in a big time football conference like the SEC,” Holyfield said. “I’m really interested to see how they do this upcoming season on offense and see how they use everyone.”
Despite some reports that Holyfield had cut his list down, the Georgia running back says that isn’t the case, but he does have some plans for visits this summer and decision time in mind.
“I’m still pretty open to everyone because I haven’t really released any top list or a top 5 yet, “Holyfield said. “I plan on releasing that after spring is over because right now I’m looking at either right before or right after the season for my decision. I don’t want to drag out past the end of the season. I do plan to take some visits this summer. Florida is one that I’m going to take.”
INSIDERS TAKE: Holyfield is the Gators top running back on the board and he’s a big time playmaker, but right now I believe Auburn is the front runner with Florida trailing them. I think if Holyfield waits until after the season then the Gators have a better shot because he will be able to see the offense for himself.