The Florida Gators are winding down spring practice, which means the staff is trying to get prospects on campus for this last week to get them around the team as much as possible.
On Monday defensive end Jordan Woods (6-3, 235, Ocala, FL Trinity Catholic) was on campus for a visit — his second visit of the spring — but this one was about learning more about the new coaches.
“It was a good visit and I got a lot of good information on the coaching staff,” Woods said. “It was a visit worth its while because of the information I was able to get on the coaches and everything. I’m just trying to get familiar with everyone.”
Monday was the first time for Woods to watch practice and he learned that SEC football practice is different than what he’s used too.
“It was a good practice and very quick moving one,” Woods said. “It was very high reps and you have to be ready to go, there is no time to mess up out there. The coaches said there was no time to be in high school out there that it was time to get reps and go about your business.”
Defensive line coach Chris Rumph has been in constant contact with Woods and Rumph tried to make the prospect feel at home on Monday.
“Coach Rumph is a great coach. He’s not a coach that is going to give you everything at one time, he’s a coach that will coach,” Woods said. “He’s a good guy and is very funny. He really makes you feel at home there and he doesn’t want you to feel out of place there. He wants you to feel like you can do things you would do at home there.”
The Gators have been able to host Woods a lot during his recruitment but the defensive end admits that he’s trying to build new relationships with everyone since the familiar faces are gone.
“I’m really trying to build my relationship with coach Rumph and we are starting to build that now,” Woods said. “There is a lot of things I didn’t know about him because with coach [Will] Muschamp I had known him for two years but now there is a new staff that I’m trying to get to know.”
The message from Rumph to Woods has been consistent and the defensive end is listening closely as he tries to see how he will fit into the new Florida defense.
“He was basically saying that they are going to get Florida back to where they use to be,” Woods said. “He said we needs recruits to come in and start the change for us. He says that I’m one of the guys he wants because I can play multiple positions. He said that I can play defensive end, rush the edge and also play linebacker.”
Despite several visits to Florida Woods has yet to name the Gators as his leader and he kept that same message following Monday’s visit.
“I’m still pretty open right now,” Woods said. “I’m just waiting on the right time for God to expose everything for me. I do plan to take some visits first though and I’m planning on visiting Florida on Saturday.”
INSIDERS TAKE: Woods has yet to name a leader but Florida is in a good position early on. Woods is likely to take his recruitment in to the summer or fall.
Want to keep Rumph and Shannon as long as possible.
Both are great recruiters.