New OL Commit Tommy Kinsler Already Recruiting for Florida Gators
Billy Napier and his coaching staff have made it clear that rebuilding the Florida Gators' offensive line is a priority since their arrival in Gainesville, and that much has been made clear as UF's 2023 recruiting class has begun to take shape.
Florida welcomed its sixth commit of the haul on Sunday, Trinity Catholic's (Fla.) Tommy Kinsler. Kinsler is the Gators' third offensive lineman to join the class, alongside IMG Academy's (Fla.) Knijeah Harris and Rockledge's (Fla.) Bryce Lovett, meaning offensive trench prospects make up half of the group of pledges thus far.
RELATED: OL Tommy Kinsler commits to Florida
Kinsler admitted to AllGators on Sunday that he committed to Florida during his official visit over the weekend. He formally announced the pledge on Sunday evening.
"It was fun," Kinsler said of his visit. "I got to talk to the coaches, getting to see how they work and stuff, how their personalities are. And I got to spend time with the players, got to know how it is. I had a great time, my family had a great time too."
The short trip north from Ocala marked Kinsler's fifth visit to Florida, dating back to 2021 when he was pursued by UF's previous coaching staff led by Dan Mullen and including three campus stops this year.
Unlike the unofficial visits, however, the three-day stay in Gainesville with the new staff — particularly his time spent with Napier as well as offensive line coaches Rob Sale and Darnell Stapleton — provided Kinsler with enough information and comfort to team up with the Gators for the future.
"It got to open my mind and see if I could come here and get developed more, and it did open my mind because I committed [Sunday]," Kinsler said. "I really can see myself getting developed here. Coach Sale and coach Stapleton seem like the guys to do it, to get me prepared for the next level."
Kinsler even admitted that he admired Stapleton, a former starting guard and Super Bowl champion with the Pittsburgh Steelers, while growing up and watching football on Sundays.
Sale and Stapleton envision Kinsler, 6-6, 333 pounds, playing tackle for the Gators. That being said, they have invited Kinsler back to UF for a camp on Monday to assess his game in person and determine whether he truly projects outside or would fit better at guard.
One way or another, the duo of offensive line assistants like the skills that Kinsler brings to the table: "Speed, technique and hand placement."
Another crucial aspect of Kinsler's OV that prompted him to commit was the relationship he build with Gators' offensive lineman Richard Leonard IV, his player host for the weekend.
Leonard was able to confirm what Kinsler had already begun to believe. that UF's new coaching staff can put him in the best position to succeed.
"They're gonna push me every day to be the best, in the classroom, on the field, everywhere," Kinsler said of the staff, recalling Leonard's insight. "They're just going to push me to be the best."
Even though he just announced his commitment, Kinsler plans to honor his previously scheduled official visit to Miami on June 24. Napier and Co. have approved the trip, offering Florida fans no reason to fear the visit interfering with Kinsler's decision.
Kinsler has already begun recruiting fellow prospects to join him in the orange and blue for college, such as offensive linemen Roderick Kearney of Orange Park (Fla.), Monroe Freeling of Oceanside Collegiate Academy (S.C.) and Sean Thompkins of Newton (Ga.). Freeling and Thompkins officially visited alongside Kinsler over the weekend.
"We've got a good chance of getting them," Kinsler claimed.
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