McCloud and his mom like Florida

One of the most talked about recruits in America right now is running back Ray-Ray McCloud (5-10, 180, Tampa, FL Sickles) who has been picking up offers from schools all across the country this offseason. On Wednesday the Gators sent two coaches to see him in person at practice.

“Coach T-Rob and Coach [Brian] White came by to see me on Wednesday,” McCloud said. “It went great, I didn’t get to say much to them because of practice but I got a chance to call them when it was over. They told me that I had a good practice and that they enjoyed being able to watch me. It was cool to see both of them out there just for me.”

McCloud visited Florida three times this spring and he says the communication between himself and Florida is frequent, including weekly talks with the two coaches who visited him.

“I usually talk to Coach White or Coach T-Rob once a week or sometimes more,” McCloud said. “They always tell me that they want me to be a Gator and that they aren’t rushing me on making a decision and that they will support me taking my time. It means a lot that they support me waiting it out.”

Despite his high interest in the Gators, McCloud says that five schools are recruiting him the hardest with two other teams trying to get in the mix as he gets ready for a summer full of college visits.

“Florida, Clemson, Ole Miss, UCLA and Notre Dame are recruiting me the hardest right now,” he said. “Oregon and Michigan just offered me and they are starting to recruiting me pretty hard. I’m going to try and get out to Oregon, UCLA, Ohio State and Notre Dame this summer. I can visit Florida anytime I want so I can drive up there whenever.”

McCloud has said all along that he wanted to wait a while to make a decision but he says now that a summer decision could come and that his mother will play a huge part in his recruitment.

“There’s a possibility that I may make a decision this summer,” McCloud said. “If not then it will be this fall. I’m really just going to make a decision when it feels right and when my mom feels good about it too. My mom is big in my recruitment and right now she loves Florida.”

Andrew Spivey
Andrew always knew he wanted to be involved with sports in some capacity. He began by coaching high school football for six years before deciding to pursue a career in journalism. While coaching, he was a part of two state semifinal teams in the state of Alabama. Given his past coaching experience, he figured covering recruiting would be a perfect fit. He began his career as an intern for Rivals.com, covering University of Florida football recruiting. After interning with Rivals for six months, he joined the Gator Country family as a recruiting analyst. Andrew enjoys spending his free time on the golf course and watching his beloved Atlanta Braves. Follow him on Twitter at @AndrewSpiveyGC.