The spring evaluation period is a long, tiring month and a half for football coaches but last week Florida Gators’ running back coach Tim Skipper had the opportunity to return to his hometown of New Orleans to recruit for the Gators.
While in New Orleans Skipper took a trip to watch tight end Irvin Smith (6-4, 230, New Orleans, LA Brother Martin) practice and after the practice Skipper gave Smith’s head coach some good news.
“Coach Skipper the running backs coach came by school last week and after practice he told my coach that he was offering me,” Smith said. “I was told to call him that night and when I did he told me about the offer. He said that he really liked the way I practiced on Wednesday.”
Smith has talked about wanting to leave the state of Louisiana to attend college for some time now and the offer from the Gators gives him that opportunity and it’s one that Smith is taking serious.
“It was great to see a Florida coach at my school and to get an offer was great,” Smith said. “Florida has always been a great football school and has always been a school that I have watched. An offer from Florida left a big impression on me.”
Later Wednesday night an excited Smith called Skipper to talk to him more about the offer from Florida and the Florida Gators running back coach explained how the Gators could use smith.
“He just told me that he likes what I do and how that Florida could use someone like me,” Smith said. “He said I could be a good asset to the program as a tight end and he wants me to visit this summer. He said that I could play the h-back position as well as flex me out some. I like that.”
Note Dame, Florida and Miami and just a few of the schools that have offered Smith over the past few months and the Smith wants to return those offers with unofficial visits this summer.
“I plan to get down to Florida this summer,” Smith said. “I have a good bit of visits planned this summer. I think I’m going to a camp at Notre Dame and some other places. I want to take some visits this summer to kind of narrow down my list of schools.”
INSIDERS TAKE: Smith said he wants to leave the state for college and right now the talented tight end is pretty open to all schools. Florida could show Smith the need for a tight end in this class if he visits Gainesville like he says.