2022 RB on Florida Gators: 'Everything Is Working Out Perfectly Right Now'
Despite the recruiting woes at running back for the Florida Gators over the past few cycles, there is growing optimism for the future of the position in Gainesville.
Looking forward to 2022, Florida has drawn significant interest from some of the top names in the class, specifically, Woodward Academy (Atlanta, Ga.) product Damari Alston.
In an interview with Sports Illustrated - AllGators following his offer from the University of Florida just over a month ago, Alston expressed his interest in the program and the opportunity it presents for a player of his caliber.
That interest has heated up as of late, and the relationship being built between him and Gators, the coaching staff—mainly running backs coach Greg Knox—has led to Alston naming UF his leader to this point, as first reported by GatorsTerritory. In another interview with SI-AllGators, Alston discusses what led him to this decision, and the factors playing into Florida standing atop the list.
“The relationship I’m building with all the coaches. I’m pretty sure I’m going to talk to Coach Mullen in probably about a week or two. Everything is working out perfectly right now, and it’s just falling in line. That’s why I named Florida my top school right now,” Alston said when asked what stands out about Florida.
Given the current state of recruiting with the COVID-19 pandemic, the outlook for on-campus visits is up in the air.
However, Knox and Alston have discussed the possibility of a virtual visit in the near future during their frequent phone calls. “We talk at least once or twice a week. He said once everything settles down, we’re definitely going to set that up and after we’ll go over some plays to show me how I can fit into Florida’s offense.”
The recruiting efforts for the all-purpose back stem further than the Florida coaching staff itself, as he has stayed in regular contact with a handful of Gators commits over the past several weeks.
“Diwun Black, the number one JUCO player in the nation committed to Florida, we’ve been talking. Daejon Reynolds, that’s my guy, and Dakota Mitchell [and I] have been talking over Instagram and over Twitter. I’m just real close with those dudes.”
On top of those familiar faces set to step foot on campus in 2021, Kamar Wilcoxson is another one that he is close to, showing the variety of player recruiters that UF currently has on board.
Looking to strike gold with one of the premier talents of the 2022 class and prove he can land top tier talent for Mullen to utilize in his offense, Knox has begun the process early to build a long-lasting relationship between himself and Alston.
In fact, Knox has gone further than the early pursuit of Alston. He has begun growing close to another Georgia prospect and a guy who appears to have Florida as his front runner in Camden County's Jamie Felix.
With Knox targeting two high caliber backs in an attempt to ensure landing at least one—if not both—Alston has expressed his interest in playing with Felix on multiple occasions.
“That’s my guy. Me and Felix, we have different playing styles, but like it could be a one-two punch. If we could bring that duo back, it would be crazy,” Alston said alluding to a freshman All-American game they were both apart of a few years back.
“It’s competition. Iron sharpens iron.”
Currently, Alston points out the fact that despite naming Florida his leader, two teams stand close behind atop the list for the talented ball carrier.
“I would say Florida is in line with about three schools right now. It’s just Florida, Georgia Tech, and Michigan that are recruiting me the hardest. I’m talking to those coaches probably like every day.”
With his top twelve coming “soon,” Florida is a certainty to be included within the list of teams.
With the fate of Alston’s decisions currently in the hands of the Florida coaching staff, his recruitment could boil down as one of the most important for the future of the Gators roster.
As a guy who would immediately bolster the running back room and one who is likely to be seen on the field early and often throughout his collegiate career, Alston is considered a must-land for the 2022 recruiting cycle.