Last Saturday, the Florida Gators hosted several prospects including a newly offered defensive back on campus when the Gators defeated Vanderbilt for homecoming.
Defensive back Gregory Smith III (6-3, 191, Riverview, FL. Sumner High) was on campus and enjoyed being back in the Swamp.
“This is my first visit here this season, but I’ve been here before,” Smith said of his visit to Florida on Saturday. “I enjoyed it, I liked the atmosphere here and I liked the way they played. I would love to be back.”
Smith is an athlete who plays both ways in high school and on Saturday he watched a particular group because the Gators want him on the defensive side of the ball.
“I really watched the defensive back group because they’re recruiting me at that,” he said on what he paid attention to during the game. “I watched the whole team, they play as a team, like a brotherhood. They move around fast; they play with speed, and I love that about them.”
Defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong and secondary coach Corey Raymond explained to Smith just how he would fit into the defense if he was to pick Florida for college.
“Safety, corner, outside linebacker, just the secondary,” Smith said on where Florida wants him at. “I like the scheme; I like how the defensive backs played in and I feel like I can fit in their defense. They said they’re low on safeties so I would be able to come in and play fast and play as a freshman.”
This was the first time for Smith to spend an extended amount of time around the staff and they had a simple message for him.
“They showed a lot of love and I love that about them,” he said on talking to the coaches in person. “They brought me in, and they kept it real with me. They just want to take me in and show me that I fit with this team.”
The Gators offered last week and Smith now says the Gators in his top group of schools and he also has an official visit set to Gainesville.
“I feel like Florida fits in my top five, top three schools,” Smith said. “They play a big part because they show love. Florida is in my top five. I’m going take my official visit here on December 8th.”
Florida isn’t the only school coming on strong with Smith as several other programs have reached out to him and he plans to visit Ole Miss and Virginia already.
“Louisville hit me up, West Virginia, Oklahoma also has been on me hard,” he said on schools close to offering him. “Some other schools are too.”