Mangham believes in the Florida Gators strength and conditioning staff

Last Friday, the Florida Gators hosted several underclassmen prospects on campus for unofficial visits before they hosted a big official visitor weekend.

Head coach Dan Mullen is trying to get prospects on campus as much as he can and he got 2019 running back Jaren Mangham (6-1, 212, Detroit, MI Cass Tech)

“My trip was great,” Mangham said of his visit to Florida on Friday. “I had a great time at Florida talking with the new coaches. I took a tour of the campus and the facilities.”

Mangham was in the state for a 7-on-7 tournament but made it a point to visit the Gators and he explained why.

“The coaching staff and the rich history of Florida football,” he said on why he likes Florida and visited them. “They were always high on my list.”

While on the visit, Mangham got a chance to talk to the Gators head coach about where things are going for Florida.

“I was able to talk with Coach Mullen about becoming a Gator,” he said of the coaches he spoke with. “He was saying just that there going to get Florida going in the right direction and I should be a part of something special.”

During the visit, he also got to catch up with running backs coach Greg Knox about where the Gators want him at.

“I’m being recruited as a running back,” Mangham said. “I talk with Coach [Greg] Knox all the time even when he was at Mississippi State and he says I’m the big back with soft hands that they’re looking for.”

The relationship between Mangham and Knox dates back over a year now and the two have a solid relationship.

“He just talks to me about life and preparing to be successful when I make a decision in which school to attend,” he said of the message from Knox. “He’s just a great coach and a better person. We have a good relationship.”

Despite this being the first time for him to visit Gainesville, Mangham is already very comfortable with the coaching staff but he learned a lot about the atmosphere at Florida on Friday.

“I was very familiar with the coaching staff since they were recruiting me when they were at Mississippi State,” Mangham said of his thoughts on the coaching staff and atmosphere at Florida. “So I feel very comfortable with them and what they’re trying to build at Florida. The atmosphere was crazy good and I could see and the energy from the staff and campus. The strength coach knows his stuff and will definitely get you right.”

Strength coach Nick Savage impressed Mangham a lot during the visit and the 2019 running back believes in what Savage does in the weight room.

“Just the energy and you can really feel and see the results he gets from you, he’s unreal,” he said on Savage. “I know he would make me a better athlete.”

The Gators aren’t the only school hard after Mangham, as the 2019 athlete says several other SEC and big schools are after him.

“Oregon, Colorado, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Michigan State, Tennessee and Kentucky,” Mangham said of schools recruiting him hard.

INSIDERS TAKE: Mangham is originally from Texas and he says distance won’t play a factor into his decision. Mangham also says he plans on returning to Florida for another visit this spring or summer.

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.