Despite the Florida Gators having a noon game against Tennessee on Saturday, the coaching staff still hosted several prospects in the Swamp for the game.
One of those in attendance was 2022 defensive back Nikai Martinez (5-10, 170, Apopka, FL. High) who had the chance to talk with head coach Dan Mullen before the game.
“The visit was really good,” Martinez said of his visit to Florida on Saturday. “I got to eat in the Gator room, go on the field and Coach Mullen talked to us and then after the game I got to go into the locker room with the players.”
Martinez paid close attention to the Gators defense on Saturday and he liked how the defensive backs played on Saturday.
“I think their defense was straight lights out,” he said of Florida’s defense. “Even when Tennessee was close to the endzone, they stopped them. I think the defensive backs did great and they had receivers on lockdown the whole game.”
The 2022 prospect also had the chance to talk with two of Florida’s coach about what the Gators are doing in 2019.
“I talked to Coach Rat [Keiwan Ratliff] and Coach [Ron] English,” Martinez said of the coaches he talked to on Saturday. “He [Ratliff] was just telling me stuff about the team and was asking how my season was going.”
Safeties coach Ron English explained to Martinez on Saturday that the Gators are high on his game and like the defensive back.
“I only had a little conversation with him,” he said of his talk with English. “He asked how my season was going and said that they’ve been talking about me a lot.”
Martinez already holds an offer from the Gators and it’s a big one to him and he thinks highly of Mullen as a coach.
“It means everything to have the offer,” Martinez said of having an offer from Florida. “I think Coach Mullen is one of the best coaches in the game and I loved how he turned Florida in the right direction. So when he offered me I was really excited.”
The Apopka prospect has visited Gainesville several times in the past and he likes the family feeling he gets while at Florida.
“I think their program is great,” he said of his interest in Florida. “Everyone is all in and they’re like a family. I feel like Florida always has the best defensive backs and they are all elite so if one goes down, it’s not going to really hurt them.”
The Gators have one of their top rivals also recruiting Martinez hard and he plans to visit that school soon.
“Georgia is recruiting me hard,” Martinez said of other schools recruiting him. “I think I’m going to take a visit there soon.”