The offensive line position is one of the biggest needs for the Florida Gators in the class of 2018 and on Friday two big targets were on campus visiting the Gators.
Offensive lineman Richard Gouraige (6-5, 271, Tampa, FL. Cambridge Christian School) and his mom visited for the second time this spring and it was a successful visit on Friday.
“I love it,” Gouraige said of Friday’s visit. “Coach [Brad] Davis and all the guys and Coach Mac, he’s just keeping it real with me, so I just appreciate that a lot.”
New Gators offensive line coach Brad Davis is very different from Mike Summers and that’s something Gouraige likes.
“Coach Davis just brings that new style, just that new swag and he just keeps it real with you,” he said of Davis. “I mean, he’s gonna tell you if he really wants you or not. He’s just investing all his time in me and just saying that I can come in and make an impact on the team.”
Having Davis on the coaching staff has helped Florida but Gouraige explained the main reason that he wants to continue to visit Gainesville.
“I just felt that chemistry with all the players,” Gouraige said. “ Because I’ve been talking with all the players, like Martez Ivey and stuff like that, Zach Carter himself and all them boys. They say it’s a family over here, so I wanted to come experience it myself one more time.”
Head coach Jim McElwain is another coach at Florida that has made a big impression on Gouraige and his mom lately.
“I just love Coach Mac,” he said of McElwain. “He always keeps it real with me and he’s talking to my mom and saying that I can be a beast here and just stuff like that.”
Gouraige has said in the past that his mom would be a huge factor into his decision and so far the Gators have made a big impression on her.
“She likes it so far. That’s a good thing because I can’t do nothing without her,” Gouraige said of what his mom thinks of Florida. As long as she’s happy, I’m happy. She thinks that Florida can be the right piece for me and it’s close to home and she can see me every weekend.”
Gouraige’s mom isn’t the biggest football fan but the offensive lineman says that she’s looking for one thing from a school.
“Just seeing the coaches take care of me and surround me with great people,” Gouraige said on what his mom wants to see from a school. “Just make sure I’m safe around all my coaches and around a community, basically.”
Heading into this last month, many thought Florida was trailing other schools but he says the Gators have helped themselves out with these last two visits.
“It helped a lot because they can really sit down one on one with me and have a conversation and tell me they really need me, look me right in my eyes and say that,” he said. “Ever since Coach Summers was here, no offense, but you know, Coach Davis has been recruiting me even harder. At first, I didn’t know.”
Following Friday night’s visit, Gouraige said that one school was standing out and he explained why.
“I can say Florida, for sure,” Gouraige said. “Because of Coach Davis himself. We’ve been having a great conversation about every other week and we just talk more than football. We talk about how my family’s doing, how his family’s doing, my grades and stuff like that, talking about how I can get better as a man off the field. That’s it really.”
INSIDERS TAKE: Gouraige said he will make a decision when the time is right and that he doesn’t have any set timetable. Florida has really done a good job recruiting both Gouraige and his mom and Brad Davis should get credit for that.