DL Keldric Faulk After Florida Gators Visit: 'They’re One of My Top Schools'
Sometimes the allure of going to a top-tier program like the Florida Gators football team shines bright when you're younger. After that point, perhaps you lose interest or discover other interests later in life, but people always find a way to circle back - eventually.
That's the case for Highland Home (Ala.) defensive lineman Keldric Faulk, who first visited the program when he was just in the eighth grade, making his way back on campus several years later to see what the program has to offer.
After his visit over the March 18-20 weekend, Faulk came away impressed, indicating the coaching staff made a "good impression" on him.
A few of the coaches Faulk was able to build a rapport with over the weekend include head coach Billy Napier, co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach Patrick Toney and co-defensive coordinator/defensive line coach Sean 'Chaos' Spencer, who certainly can fill the room with his energy.
"Coach Spencer, he's kinda an energetic dude," Faulk said while describing both Napier and Toney as more "chill" and laid back. "But what really caught me was coach Spencer, he's a pretty cool, pretty chill dude."
Coach Spencer has appeared to be one of the more important members of the coaching staff in recruiting on the defensive side of football. A veteran of more than 20 years at the collegiate and pro levels, Spencer was spent the past two years with the New York Giants as the team's defensive line coach.
Now, Faulk is heading down a path, if he were to choose Florida, with Spencer as his position coach, something that likely would intrigue him moving forward.
At 6-foot-5, 240 pounds, Faulk is a long, lean defender who has a chance to play multiple roles on any defense he is a part of at the next level. For Florida, though, the coaching staff likes him at Jack, the weak-side defensive end/outside linebacker in the Florida defense.
"Stand up, hand in the dirt, I think they said something like the Jack," Faulk told reporters. "Something I got to learn to adapt to, if I come here, and if this is what I want to do it would be pretty fun to do."
Over the course of his recruitment, Faulk has learned that teams want him to play both with his hand in the dirt and standing up, the majority of the time, both. That's what he'd be asked to do at Florida, which is something that appeals to him.
Still, with not having been back to Florida in over three years, since the eighth grade, Faulk wants to make at least one extra trip back to campus before making any statements or claims about if this is certainly the place the wants to go. He feels, though, he could tell that some of the people at Florida are genuine.
"They're one of my top schools for sure," Fault said. "But before I consider them to be like 'that school' I want to go to I want to make that [I take] one extra trip ... Especially with my mom. I got a good feeling about it, I just want to make sure she does."
Florida isn't the only school in consideration either. Faulk named Florida State, Oklahoma, Auburn and Alabama to go along with Florida for the schools he currently has a good feeling about. He also plans to visit Ole Miss sometime soon.
As for official visits, Faulk said that while they aren't set up yet, he's considering doing three in June and two more in July. The timeframe might change a bit. He plans to visit Florida with his Mom sometime in the summer, prior to the season starting.
At UF, perhaps he would fit nicely at the Jack role that Napier and his staff have introduced to players. That's something that certainly intrigues the young defender.
"Athletic, big, long," Faulk said when asked how he'd fit. "They said I could be a good fit for that position. And I was like, why not try it?"
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