HOMESTEAD — Linebacker Darrin Kitchens knew he had a decision to make. His constant time on the road for official and unofficial visits over the last month finally came to a conclusion on National Signing Day.
“I’ve thought long and hard about this, and I’m going to be a Gator,” Kitchens said Wednesday morning.
The 6-3, 215-pound outside linebacker prospect was humbled to think about the opportunity he has been given. He burst onto the scene as a senior, leading Miami-Dade County with 19 sacks and an All-Miami-Dade Selection.
“I’m just excited to have these opportunities that were given to me,” Kitchens said. “I wanted to go to the place that best fits me.”
Ever since his first trip onto the University of Florida campus, Kitchens has been blown away by what he saw. The passion of the fan base caught his attention at football games in the fall and a basketball game on his official visit.
Those memories didn’t allow him to move on. They were imprinted on his brain as a constant reminder of the fan base he could play in front of during the future.
“Since I took my unofficial and official visits up there, the atmosphere just captures a person,” Kitchens said. “It surrounds you, and you just can’t get away from it.”
Now that he has a chance to reflect on the recruiting process, the star linebacker is glad it’s over. He has been at Kansas (1/22) and Texas Tech (1/29) the two weekends before Signing Day, while taking his visits to instate Florida (1/15) and Florida State (1/8) earlier in the month. He waited to take all of his visits until the end, having the opportunity to compare all the schools at one time.
“It’s been crazy,” Kitchens said. “I’ve never experienced anything like this. All of the schools that I visited were great schools. I connected with all of the coaches and players where I visited and I got along with all of them. I started developing a relationship with all of them. It was hard not to choose any of them.”
Kitchens’ goal now moves to staying in shape before he heads to Gainesville in the summer. He has big plans for his freshman year. His freshman title won’t hold him back from getting on the field.
“Once I get up on campus, my goal is to study, work hard and become a starter.”
**(Luke Stampini from SoFLAfootball.com contributed to this report)**