Gators WR Commit Andy Jean Talks Bond With Florida Coaches, Visit Plans

WR Andy Jean looks back on his commitment to Florida, and forward to what comes next.

Photo: Andy Jean; Credit: Zach Goodall

Roughly three weeks ago, Miami (Fla.) Northwestern receiver Andy Jean announced that he would be committing to the University of Florida, shutting down his recruitment early in favor of the Gators.

Since that commitment, Jean has kept a low profile as he prepares for his senior season of high school. However, AllGators was able to catch up with the talented pass catcher after his game Saturday that took place at Camping World Stadium in Orlando. Jean broke down why he committed to the Gators, his relationship with the staff, programs continuing to recruit him and much more.

“That was a great decision because, for me, I like being focused during the season, focused on school,” Jean told AllGators on the timing of his commitment.

Going in-depth on why Florida was the right fit for him, Jean referenced the family environment, the ability to play close to home and in the SEC as draws to why he chose to commit to the Gators in late July.

“I live in Florida, I love Florida, and Florida is a good school," Jean said. "I actually sat there and I spectated how the coaches react and how the coaches talk to me, and they treat me like family. [Sometimes] we don’t even talk about football, we talk about family things, how things are going at home, mental health things like that. 

"That really caught my attention because when I look at Florida, it’s like another family, they treat me like family like my coaches treat me here [at Northwestern]. And I'm staying in Florida, so I'm still staying home, it's just another atmosphere. I want to play SEC football, I'm built for the SEC, so that's what made me really nip [Jean's recruitment] in the bud with Florida, because Florida’s a great school.”

When it comes to the recruiting process, having a good relationship with coaches is huge for prospects and that’s no different here. Jean has established a strong relationship with head coach Billy Napier and wide receivers coach Keary Colbert beyond football, and that is something he really values.

“Coach Napier is a great guy. He goes to church and that really caught my eye because I go to church, I believe in God a lot. God got me this far so me hearing coach Napier talking about church, that really caught my attention," Jean said. 

"Me and coach K.C., our bond is tight. On my official visit, we sat in the room for three hours watching straight film, his film from college, high school and NFL. So, he and I have a good bond. We call every day, like before the game we talked and he said ‘Andy, have a great game’.”

Florida’s academic prowess is another thing that really caught the attention of the Miami (Fla.) standout because he knows football doesn’t last forever.

"The school really caught my eye as an insurance policy," Jean noted. "That’s what I really care about, because in life you’re going to have problems, you never know what can happen so you can fall back on going to a top five [public] school in education.”

A while back, Jean posted a video on his Instagram story of current NFL WR Amari Cooper, who was coached by Napier at Alabama and is a Miami Northwestern alum who wore the same number for the Bulls, No. 2. Cooper gave Jean's talent a shoutout and recommended him to train with Florida's Director of Speed Improvement and Skill Development, Tiger Jones. 

Since then, Jean has been able to exchange messages with Cooper and build a relationship with the four-time Pro Bowler. While it definitely helped Florida that Cooper shouted out a member of its staff, Jean said that the message has helped him just as much to validate his hard work.

“I shot a couple of texts with [Cooper] through Instagram. He’s a cool guy, he said he’s gonna come to one of my games whenever he has time.” Jean shared. “That [message] helped Florida but it [also] helped myself because it showed me how I've been working. He complimented me, so that motivated me and wanting to work hard and get where he's at right now. 

"He played for Miami Northwestern, he wore number two. I really got the number because of tradition so I want to keep it going for sure.”

With a prospect as talented as Jean, schools aren’t going to stop recruiting him just because he's committed, and he knows that. He still wants to take the visits he’s worked hard to earn, but says he likes where he’s at with his commitment and calls Florida ‘home."

"Every school is recruiting me right now because I haven't signed on the dotted line yet, but I feel good where I'm at right now with Florida," Jean said. "But Miami is still recruiting me, Florida State, Georgia, there are more schools. I plan on taking other visits just to visit places and travel the world. My mom still wants me to travel the world, but she knows Florida’s home for me.” 

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