Last weekend, the Florida Gators had several of the top players in the country for the 2019 and 2020 classes on campus for Friday Night Lights.
2020 outside linebacker Sav’ell Smalls (6-3, 227, Seattle, WA. Garfield) was one of those top players on campus for the first time in Gainesville.
“It was a great trip,” Smalls said of his visit to Florida. “It blew away my expectations and I’ll definitely have to make another trip back.”
Smalls who many rank as the top player at his position for next year got the red carpet treatment from the staff last Friday.
“I got to meet a lot of people, talk with a lot of coaches and hang out with the players,” he said on what all he got to do during the visit. “Got to talk a lot of football so it was just a overall good trip and I can’t wait to get back down there and see the progress of the program. And see how they’re going to do during the season.”
Several Gators coaches met with and talked to Smalls on Friday including head coach Dan Mullen.
“I talked to Coach Sal [Sunseri], Coach Mullen and Coach O [Otis Yelverton],” Smalls said on the coaches he spoke to on Friday. “I met all of the coaches and talked to them all though.”
Defensive line coach Sal Sunseri spent a lot of time with Smalls explaining how the 2020 prospect is already ahead of where most players his age are.
“He was like you already do some things we teach here,” he said on the message from Sunseri. “He said that I’ll come in and he will develop me even more and turn me into a first rounder.”
Sunseri also explained where the Gators like Small at on the defensive side of the ball and how he could help the Florida defense.
“He sees me at the outside linebacker spot,” Smalls said on where Sunseri sees him playing. “He was talking a lot of pass rush and had me doing the drills that I can do there. I like it and I think it would be able to really show my versatility and everything that I can do.”
Mullen also spent time with Smalls and his family and explained his goals for getting Florida back to where it use to be.
“That he’s ready to bring the program back to the top,” he said on Mullen’s message to him. “That he’s there to win and Florida’s education is a great one.”
The Gators aren’t the only top program recruiting Smalls hard as he has a lot of schools recruiting him and trying to get him on campus.
“Georgia, Alabama, Clemson, FSU, Stanford, Washington, USC and Ohio State,” Smalls said on other schools recruiting him hard.