Last Saturday, the Florida Gators hosted three prospects on campus for unofficial visits including a newly offered prospect.
Linebacker Caleb LaVallee(6-1, 215, Mableton, GA. Whitefield Academy) picked up an offer earlier this month and he was on campus on Saturday.
“It was great,” LaVallee said of his visit to Florida on Saturday. “It was my first time down there, so it was really great to be able to get a first-hand experience of things and see it with my own eyes. I got to walk around campus and see what the new facilities look like.”
LaVallee had never visited Gainesville until Saturday, but he says it was important to visit as soon as possible as he likes several things about Florida.
“Because of how great of an academic intuition it is,” he said on why it was important for him to visit so soon after being offered. “They play in the SEC which is the best football in the world.”
Linebackers coach Jay Bateman spent the majority of the time with LaVallee on Saturday and explained why Florida fits the Georgia linebacker.
“I spent the whole day with Coach [Jay] Bateman the linebackers coach,” LaVallee said on who he spent time with. “His message to me was that he really thinks Florida provides everything that I’m looking for and that I can really succeed in their system and play there. He sees me as a WILL linebacker.”
After the visit, LaVallee was impressed by several things the Gators’ have to offer and he hopes to make it back down to Gainesville for another visit.
“It was a really good visit, I’m trying to get back down there, I don’t know when,” he said on his interest in Florida. “We have some things to talk about as a family to see how we viewed it. I really liked the academics which is the most important thing. I really liked the feel when I was down there.”
Up next for LaVallee could possibly be more visits but the linebacker wants to make a decision before the start of his senior year.
“Some of the other schools really recruiting me hard right now are North Carolina, Wake Forest, Florida State, Georgia Tech, and some others,” LaVallee said on who is recruiting him hard. “I don’t have any officials set and I’m not sure if I will take them, but I want to commit this summer so when I feel ready.”