When fall camp started Florida Gators head coach Jim McElwain revealed that two defensive tackles had taken medical redshirts, which meant Florida was low on depth at the position.
The Gators have been recruiting that position hard in 2017 and already have two commits at the position and another prospect visited on Saturday.
Defensive tackle Tyrone Truesdell (6-3, 325, Augusta, GA. Laney) was on campus all day Saturday and he enjoyed his time in Gainesville.
“The visit was great, I had a good time down there,” Truesdell said of his Florida visit on Saturday. “I got to do some sight seeing of the campus, I got to meet some of the players and the coaches. I got to see what they were doing during camp and I got to watch practice.”
The defensive tackle had never seen Florida practice before but he was impressed by how fast the Gators practiced.
“Practice was exactly how I thought it would be, it was high tempo,” he said. “Everyone was moving with urgency and everyone was getting after it. Everyone was competing and getting the job done.”
After practice was over with Truesdell got to meet with defensive line coach Chris Rumph and the meeting went great as the two have bonded lately.
“It felt just like how it’s when we talk on the phone,” Truesdell said of his time with Rumph. “We just sat down and he was asking me if I could play the three technique and the nose. We watched film and he showed me some stuff on film and he told me how he wants his defensive linemen to be.”
Rumph explained to Truesdell that the Gators must sign a big defensive tackle class and explained how the tackle could play early in Gainesville.
“He talked about how they need tackles this year because he’s going to be losing two guys this year,” he said of Rumph’s message. “He said that he’s looking to replace those two guys so I would have a shot at playing as a true freshman if I choose Florida. He said that they’re going to have sign a few tackles this year.”
McElwain also expressed a big need for Truesdell in the class of 2017 and that’s something that the tackle called a great opportunity.
“Coach McElwain said pretty much the same thing that Coach Rumph did,” he said of McElwain’s message. “He was telling me some stuff that I would have to learn in college and how I should come in ready to work hard.”
Not only were the Gators coaches recruiting Truesdell hard, but several players were giving the defensive tackle a message about Florida.
“I got to talk to all of the players and I really got a chance to speak 1-on-1 with Caleb [Brantley] about things,” Truesdell said. “He pretty much was just telling me that Coach Rumph knows what he’s talking about and that he’s going to set it up so that you can succeed. He said that Coach Rumph just wants everyone to give effort.”
Florida has always been a school that Truesdell liked and he says that the Gators check off the needed boxes for him.
“Right now Florida has pretty everything there that I’m looking for,” he said of Florida. “I still have a couple more visits to take and I don’t plan on committing anytime soon. If I do then it’s going to be because I can feel it and it feels right. My family doesn’t want me to rush anything.”
Truesdell hasn’t cut his list or named a leader but he did reveal where the Gators sat with him and what almost happened on Saturday.
“Florida is very high with me, mainly because of the vibe I got from the players and the coaches,” Truesdell said of his interest in Florida. “I mean I did think about committing to Florida on Saturday but I still had to come home and talk to my family about it. I’m just going to wait and I know that I’ll be going to some more games down there this year.”
Next up for the defensive lineman is a few more visits including a return to Gainesville for a game.
“I’m going to visit Louisville and Ole Miss soon,” he said of other visits he wants to take. “I’m going to be at Florida for the first game and I plan to see some more games down there too.”
INSIDERS TAKE: Auburn and Florida seemed to be the two schools most talked about with Truesdell, but it seems a few other schools are also in the mix. The Gators seem to have the momentum here and with coming back so soon it can only help Florida out.