The 2018 Florida Gators recruiting class was a good one but the Gators didn’t sign many on the defensive line so a big key in the 2019 class is finding players at defensive tackle.
Two weekend’s ago for the Orange and Blue game, the Gators hosted a defensive tackle when Patrick Lucas (6-3, 290, Wetumpka, AL. High) visited Gainesville.
“It was good,” Lucas said of his visit to Florida. “I got to look around the campus a little bit and see what it was looking like. It was nice around there and then we went to the stadium and talked to the coaches.”
While on campus, Lucas spent some time getting to know defensive line coach Sal Sunseri who’s his main recruiter.
“I talked to Coach Sal [Sunseri],” he said on the coach he spoke with. “He was just telling me that I looked good. He talked to my mom and said hello to her because this was our first time to see each other in person.”
Sunseri spent time showing Lucas where the Gators would like for him to play on the defensive line if he chooses the Gators.
“He said that he sees me playing a three technique for them,” Lucas said on where Sunseri sees him playing. “He was just saying that he thinks that is where I fit best at and he thinks I would be a good three technique.”
Despite this being the first time for Sunseri and Lucas to meet each other, the defensive tackle has already been impressed by the defensive line coach.
“He’s cool,” Lucas said of Sunseri. “We’re just starting to build our bond, that was our first time to meet each other in person. So hopefully it will get stronger as we see each other more. He always tells me who he has coached and who he put in the league. It got my attention.”
Lucas spent the Orange and Blue game watching the defense and he walked away impressed by the defense and he has high expectations for them next year.
“I think they’re going to be pretty solid defensively,” he said on what he thought of the scrimmage. “I think they’re going to be a different team than they were last year. They’re active on defense.”
The Gators impressed Lucas and his mom during the visit but the defensive tackle has always had his eye on Florida.
“It did but I always interested in them,” Lucas said on if this visit helped Florida’s chances with. “I just needed to get down there before I cut down my list. I needed to make sure I liked it down there.”
INSIDERS TAKE: Lucas says he plans to narrow his list down sometime in May and will likely wait until after the season to make a final decision. Lucas says he would like to get back down to Florida as well for another visit.