Florida Gators One of Three Programs Standing Out to ATH Arlis Boardingham
Photo: Billy Napier; Credit: Zach Goodall
Since being announced as the Florida Gators wide receivers coach, Keary Colbert has wasted little time reaching out to and offering recruits on the west coast. One of those prospects is Birmingham (Cali.) athlete Arlis Boardingham. Boardingham is someone that already had a relationship with Colbert from when he was at USC and that relationship has carried over now that he’s working for Florida.
“Coach Colbert offered me, and he let me know that he loved that I am versatile and that I am a mismatch pretty much wherever I [line up]," Boardingham told AllGators, asked what Florida’s coaches liked about his game. “I had spoken to Coach Colbert previously when he was at USC, so we had already touched base before. Just him coaching in Cali and being at Florida and me being from Cali, we’ve had a bit of a connection.”
Boardingham is a prospect that plays multiple positions for his high school program and is listed as an athlete by a number of recruiting services. The Florida coaches don’t want to pigeonhole him into one particular spot at his time, but undoubtedly, they want to get the ball in Boardingham's hands so he can make plays.
“They didn’t really specify [a position], but I believe it’s definitely for wide receiver, tight end," said Boardingham. "That’s what I’m going for.”
Florida head coach Billy Napier has been extremely active in the recruitment of multiple prospects, texting and speaking with them over the phone to make sure they know that they are wanted by the program. And that’s no different here with Boardingham, in fact, the recruit even got to speak with Napier face to face, sort of.
“We actually hopped on a Zoom call, and we have texted before as well.” Boardingham shared. “He knows that it is a far travel [from California] across the country, but he believes that a man of my perseverance and intelligence can make that trip and that journey and be a part of the [Florida] family.”
Boardingham will get to see just how far that trip from California to Gainesville is when he takes his official visit to Florida on January 14. When Boardingham makes that trip, he knows exactly what he’s looking for from the program.
“Just a better understanding of what’s going on out there," Boardingham explained. "There are a couple questions that I have for their intentions of what they are trying to do for me as an athlete. Just see the environment, and to see if this is a place I can call home for the next [few] years.”
You don’t often see prospects make the cross-country trek when they finally decide where they want to play college ball. Such a distance often plays a huge factor in a prospect's decision, and it did for quite a while with Boardingham. However, that is not the case anymore.
“It was for a little bit, but I don’t really think so. Me and Coach Napier were talking and if I end up going to the league, which I plan to do, I’m not going to have that luxury of choosing where I get to be at," said Boardingham. "So, I kind of let the distance thing go, it doesn’t really play a factor into anything anymore.”
Boardingham has no shortage of offers to choose from with just less than 20 schools competing for his services, but there is a school besides Florida that is pushing hard for the talented playmaker. And, otherwise, a few schools are standing above the rest at this time.
“[Aside from Florida] I would say Oregon right now, with that recent offer. They want me a lot,” Boardingham said. “At this time I would probably say Florida, probably Oregon as well, and USC [are standing out].”
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