2019 athlete commit Trent Whittemore (6-3, 190, Gainesville, Fla. Buchholz) isn’t the highest rated recruit in the Gators’ upcoming class, but he has some great potential that he could bring to Florida, and he showed that on Friday night as he played the first game of his senior year.
Whittemore is a guy who wears many hats for his high school team. While grabbing a touchdown catch at receiver and making several big plays at safety, he also saw some time at punter and punt returner and even came in and completed a 27-yard pass at quarterback.
There is not much this kid can’t do on the football field.
“It’s fun,” he said of playing multiple positions. “Sometimes it’s hard to focus on one of them, but if that’s what we have to do to win, that’s what we have to do.”
Whittemore still isn’t sure exactly where he’ll wind up playing once he gets to Florida.
He played well at safety on Friday, but really stood out on offense and looked to have all the makings of a great receiver. He is quick enough to play wide receiver, but with some added weight and muscle in Nick Savage’s training program, his size would work well at tight end.
He honestly doesn’t have a preference of offense or defense. He is just excited to finally be able to focus one position.
Until then, he plans to try to work some magic on the recruiting trail by talking to top players on opposing teams, including Vanguard and Columbia, throughout his high school season.
“I tell them Gainesville is a great place,” Whittemore said. “It’s home to me and I really enjoy it. Also, I think Dan Mullen’s body of work speaks for itself. When you show them that and just show the intensity that they’ve brought to the program, it’s appealing.”
There were some questions about how Whittemore would fit in with the new coaching staff as he committed to the previous staff last May and has not received much interest from other big-time programs.
He said his relationships with Mullen and the other new coaches are great and they stay in constant contact.
“I text a lot of coaches,” he said. “I stay in contact with nearly every coach on the staff, so that’s really nice. You know, waking up to messages with Dan Mullen and guys like that, that’ll brighten your day.”
Whittemore maintains relationships with other schools despite his commitment, but Florida is the only place he wants to be. The hometown kid wants to stay home, and the things he’s seen from this staff only make him more anxious to begin his journey with the Gators.
“They’ve just brought a lot of excitement,” Whittemore said. “They said they’re gonna win there, and I believe it, and I want to be a part of it. They’ve just brought a real new intensity to the team.”