Tight end Jalen Goss (6-5, 250, Valdosta, GA. Lowndes) was the Florida Gators second commit on Friday night when he announced his commitment while on campus.
Goss who visited Florida two weeks ago and picked up an offer during that visit explained why he decided to commit on Friday.
“I was here earlier today [Friday] and I went on tour and I liked everything I seen and I’ve also wanted to come here since I was in middle school,” Goss said on why he committed to Florida. “That also had something to do with it, and it’s close to home.”
The tight end that committed to Florida while on the field before the spring game on Friday, wasn’t shy about showing how much this meant to him.
“I was happy I was fixing to be a Gator and I was just smiling from cheek to cheek,” Goss said of the moment he committed. “My parents were excited.”
When Goss told head coach Jim McElwain and the staff that he was committing, the staff reacted accordingly.
“They were excited and pumped up about it and welcomed me to the family,” he said on what the staff did when he told them he was committing.”
Goss hasn’t played the tight end position since middle school but he’s happy to play wherever is best for him and the Gators.
“I like it. I could get used to playing it,” Goss said on the thought of playing tight end. “I just want to do whatever I can do to make the team win, help the team win.”
Tight ends coach Greg Nord was the one who was recruiting Goss and he had a simple message for him on Friday.
“Coach Nord,” he said on who his main recruiter is. “He told me that I could really help them. He wants to help me get better at it.”
McElwain also met with Goss and his parents on Friday and explained how important the tight end was to the Gators.
“I’m a big guy and I’ll play a big role,” Goss said on what McElwain told him about playing at Florida.
Friday night was the first time for Goss to see a game in the Swamp and he was impressed and ready to return this fall.
“I like it. It’s crazy,” he said on what he thought of the Florida atmosphere. “This is the spring game, but I wanna see it in a real game.”
INSIDERS TAKE: Goss is a guy that can certainly fill out more once he gets into a college weight room but his long arms will help him out a lot at the tight end position. Florida has really been looking for that big blocking tight end since McElwain arrived.