Johnson has the Florida Gators “high up there”

Two weekends ago the Florida Gators hosted several big prospects from the Jacksonville area on campus as they were heading down for a 7-on-7 tournament in Orlando.

One of those prospects was cornerback Tyreke Johnson (6-1, 175, Jacksonville, FL. Trinity Christian) who said he an impressive visit to Gainesville.

“It was a great visit, actually one of my better visits,” Johnson said of his latest visit to Florida. “Every time I go it feels more and more like home. I just got to see more and it was more so talking to Coach [Corey] Bell about coming in and the potential and opportunities that are there for me.”

Johnson had spoken with Bell over the phone a few times but this was his first chance to meet the new coach and the coach impressed him.

“I think that he’s a real dude,” he said of his impressions of Bell. “He seems to know what he’s talking about and has a blueprint for success. I liked him a lot for my first time meeting me.”

While meeting with Johnson, Bell didn’t say a whole about except for one key message to the cornerback.

“He said to just come leave your own legacy at Florida,” Johnson said of Bell’s message. “He said it’s right down the street from the house so I can be a hometown hero at Florida. He wants me at cornerback.”

Running backs coach Tim Skipper is the area recruiter for Johnson and the two have also built a solid relationship with each other.

“Coach Skipper is my area recruiter, we have a good relationship,” he said of his relationship with Skipper. “It’s a really strong relationship and he’s a great guy. He tells me the same thing that Coach Bell did.”

While on campus Johnson got the chance to meet with head coach Jim McElwain and according to the cornerback, it was a good conversation.

“I have a good relationship with him,” Johnson said of his relationship with Coach McElwain. “He makes time out of his busy schedule to talk to me when I’m on campus. He just tells me that I look great in Orange and Blue.”

Heading into the visit it seemed like Johnson wasn’t as high on Florida as other but he says after the visit the Gators are up there for him.

“Florida is pretty high up there for me,” he said of where Florida stands with him. “I plan on going up there for a spring practice to watch them and see Coach Bell.”

 

INSIDERS TAKE: The Gators made a strong push for Johnson during this most recent visit to Gainesville. Johnson is more open to staying in state for college now, which is a huge, plus for the Gators.

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.