After an eventful spring, Florida football coach Dan Mullen is looking to rebuild much of UF’s momentum on the recruiting trail.
The Gators will host their second annual Gator Grill Out, a recruiting event featuring several prospects rated highly by Mullen and the coaching staff, inside UF’s practice facility to kick off the summer recruiting session.
Florida is hosting six official visitors throughout the weekend, led by four-star offensive lineman Joshua Braun. Ranked the No. 26 offensive lineman in the 2020 class by 247Sports, Braun is no stranger to Gainesville, although the Gators aren’t alone when it comes to pushing for his services. The Live Oak native has Auburn, Georgia and South Carolina in hot pursuit, too, with official visits already set up with the Bulldogs and Gamecocks within the next month.
Highly ranked defensive back Jahari Rogers out of Arlington, Texas, will take an official visit to UF over the weekend after seeing his recruitment escalate over the spring. The No. 11-ranked cornerback in the 247Sports composite rankings, Rogers’ arrival in Gainesville comes on the heels of the 6-foot-0 prospect picking up offers from Alabama, Tennessee and Penn State.
Just touched down in Gainesville 🐊🐊!!!!— Jahari Rogers🐺🤫 (@jay4_era) May 17, 2019
Fadil Diggs recently committed to Texas A&M, but the defensive end still intends to take an official visit to UF over the weekend. The four-star prospect out of Camden, New Jersey, is ranked one of the top-10 defensive end prospects in the 2020 class by several recruiting services, and Florida defensive coordinator Todd Grantham may have his work cut out for him if he hopes to flip Diggs to UF from TAMU.
Baton Rouge native Major Burns has shown UF plenty of interest throughout his recruitment, and he’ll look to get a better picture of Gainesville when Burns arrives at Florida for his official visit. The four-star safety has the hometown Tigers clamoring for his services as well, meaning UF will have its work cut out if they hope to pull Burns out of Louisiana.
And Burns isn’t the only defensive end expected to spend the weekend on an official visit in Gainesville. Fellow four-star Braiden McGregor will make the trip to Florida from Port Huron, Michigan, and the Gators are just one of several teams to finish top-10 last season that are in the mix to sign McGregor. McGregor took an official visit April 5 to Notre Dame, and Clemson has recently upped its pursuit of McGregor, too.
On my way to the swamp!! pic.twitter.com/YZyJ3LGJXJ— Braiden McGregor (@BraidenMcgregor) May 16, 2019
In-state receiver Elijah Canion wraps up Florida’s list of official visitors, and the Chaminade-Madonna Prep standout recently received offers from Southern California, Oregon and Michigan.
Florida will also extend some of Shannon Snell’s “relationship ribs” to several unofficial visitors, including UF commits Anthony Richardson, Gervon Dexter, Leonard Manuel, Jaheim Bell, Jeremiah Johnson, Johnnie Brown and Jaquavion Fraziars.
The push for a top-five 2020 class continues in Gainesville on Saturday with plenty of barbecue, activities and, to the hope of Mullen and the Florida fanbase, some momentum on the recruiting trail.
Spinning wheels
Huh?
Sly, where ever you are out there, I was only kidding about Mac’s Stinkin’ BBQ Sauce being served!!!!!
It appears the word with its associated three letter abbreviation has been banned. Mullen is not having an XXX, he’s having a grill out. Instead of serving XXX sauce, it’s called grill out sauce.
Boy, am I ever glad you cleared that up! We haven’t gotten the word out here yet tho — we even have special fancy guns we wear to BBQs, oddly enough called “BBQ guns”. I’m dyin’ if I’m lyin’ — look it up.
By golly, I love reading your quips. Learn something new all the time. BBQs must be like church over in Texas. They wear their Sunday best to them. I would bet they also spit shine their cowboy boots before the event just like the Army grunts do before an inspection at boot camp. However, at the Mullens’, they won’t be called BBQ guns even if he allows them on the premises. Not sure if he banned guns or just the 3 letter abbreviation for a cooking technique or type of sauce.
Actually, as big a shooting enthusiast as I am, most Texas BBQs also involve the National Beer of Texas — aka, Lone Star Beer — and I’ve never been a big fan of mixing ETOH and guns. Also not too big on open carry even if it is legal out here……but I’ve still got a BBQ gun! I tell you, that particular 1911 is so pretty, it would be a real honor to get shot by it.