This past week, the Florida Gators coaching staff hosted several prospects on campus including several out of state targets.
Defensive lineman Ja’Reylan McCoy (6-6, 245, Tupelo, MS. High) was on campus and got to experience everything Florida has to offer.
“I got a tour of campus, it actually went really good,” McCoy said of his visit to Florida this week. “I talked with Coach [Billy] Napier, Coach Mike [Peterson] and pretty much the whole staff on defense. It was pretty good and we got to eat some good food, had some Gator tail. We viewed the academic facilities, the dorms where you stay your freshman year. It was pretty cool.”
McCoy was originally scheduled to leave Florida on Friday and visit Miami but he stayed in Gainesville until Saturday night before returning home.
“When I seen the first practice, I was like I got to see the next practice,” he said on why he decided to stay at Florida for multiple days. “I was like it’s only right that I see that second practice and it was a good thing that I did because they came out ready to practice that second time. Them boys went in there and the defense handled business.”
While watching practices this week, the coaching staff told McCoy to watch several players during practice on defense.
“They told me to watch number 96 the transfer from the JUCO school, he’s about height and about my same weight,” McCoy said on the coaches telling him to watch certain guys. “He played the same type of edge. They told me to watch number 24 [Kam James], number 11 [LJ McCray], number 34 [George Gumbs]. They kind of based my plan, my playing skills on how they play.”
Head coach Billy Napier met with McCoy multiple times during the visit and explained to him that he’s going to be handling his recruitment himself.
“Coach Napier told me that I’d be good and then he told me he was going to recruit me and my family himself,” he said on Napier’s message to him. “So it just kind of feels good you know, to be recruited by him.”
Outside linebackers coach Mike Peterson also broke down with McCoy just why the Gators want him in Gainesville.
“Just me being me,” McCoy said on Mike Peterson’s message. “He just wants me to do what I’m trained to do and what I’ve been doing and that’s what they want me to do. He feels like he can unlock more in me and teach me stuff and coach me up. I just feel like he knows I got a good skill set and he just wants what’s best for me.”
McCoy just left the LSU class a few weeks ago and he says he has a new leader in his recruitment now.
“Florida is definitely my leader,” he said. “I’ll be committing probably the second week of July after I take official visits to Auburn, Florida, LSU, Ole Miss and Texas.”