Last week, the Florida Gators staff offered a lot of underclassmen prospects from all over the southeast as they continue to expand their board for the 2022 class.
2022 safety Jacob Matthews (6-1, 204, Ponchatoula, LA. High) was one of the guys who picked up an offer from Florida after he talked to a support staff member.
“Coach [Keiwan] Ratliff offered me,” Matthews said of the coach from Florida who offered him. “He just outright let me know that they want me to be a Gator. He also mentioned that it’s hard to find a safety with the skill set that I have.”
Matthews has a lot of big offers already but he admits he was waiting for an offer from the Gators.
“It’s pretty crazy to get the offer from Florida,” he said of his reaction to getting the offer. “That’s the offer that I’ve been craving for a while now. I kind of just sat back and smiled, I’m proud of myself for achieving such a big dream.”
Keiwan Ratliff explained to Matthews last week just how he would fit into Florida’s defense if he comes to Gainesville.
“They like me as a down three safety,” Matthews said on where Ratliff sees him playing. “I have nice size and can move better than most other defensive backs so they like me up top, at nickel, covering the slots and also anywhere else in the box for them.”
Matthews says he has a lot of interest in the Gators for several different reasons but most importantly because of the Gators’ history with his position.
“They’re the real DBU,” he said on what he likes and knows about Florida. I have 1000% interest in the Gators because they send multiple defensive backs to the league and they also win.”
INSIDERS NOTE: Matthews says he’s also hearing from LSU, Oklahoma, Mississippi State, and Texas a lot.”