Payton has Florida Gators up there in his recruitment

The 2019 class for the Florida Gators is already one of the top in the country and the staff is still in on a lot of other highly rated players.

On Saturday in the Swamp the Gators had the chance to host 2019 receiver Jeremiah Payton (6-3, 180, Neptune Beach, FL. Fletcher) who liked the feel of the Swamp.

“It was definitely a whole bunch of energy,” Payton said of Saturday’s visit. “I was excited to come back, a different vibe than last year. Just seeing everything is amazing. Getting here, getting comfortable with the guys, the coaches and recruiting staff is going well.”

The Gators have two coaches personally recruiting Payton in receiver coach Kerry Dixon and linebackers coach Tim Skipper.

“I talk to both of them,” he said of talking to Skipper and Dixon. “Just stick with the program and enjoy the process.”

Payton sees that the Gators offense is trying to improve and quarterback commit Matt Corral is someone he’s watching closely.

“I really like that they’re bringing that young quarterback in next year,” Payton said of what he likes about Florida’s offense. “I want to see what he does and go from there I think I’ll make my decision.”

Payton has been around the program several times in the past and he likes the fight that the players put up.

“All of the players are going to bring the fire,” he said of what he noticed about Florida’s team. “They’re just going to come and play how they can and they’re going to bounce back and do pretty well.”

Despite several big offers, the 2019 receiver is taking things slow but he knows one schools that is up there.

“Right now I really don’t have a top,” Payton said of any schools standing out. “Florida fits up there, definitely up there.”

The Gators however have a built in advantage as Payton has always had Florida on his mind.

“The school I grew up rooting for was Florida,” he said. “I just always grew up loving Florida and the recruiting process came and I got an offer from Florida. It’s just a dream come true.”

 

INSIDERS TAKE: Payton says Ohio State is coming after him hard but the Gators will always be a team truly in the mix. Miami and Florida State are also in the mix for Payton.

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.