Inside DL Derrick LeBlanc Xs and Os-Heavy Florida Gators Official Visit
In the pool of recruits the Florida Gators are pursuing to fill up their 2023 recruiting class, Osceola defensive lineman Derrick LeBlanc is undoubtedly atop the list of program familiarity.
Visiting the University on eight separate occasions unofficially, the sought-after defender made another trek to campus this weekend to take part in his official visit.
He talked to AllGators, and other media, following his trip to Gainesville, rekindling his time spent with UF players and their reactions to Florida's head coaching change late last year.
"It was smooth," he explained.
"Talking to everybody, it's just really cool. I mean, talking with a player, that's something I really wanted to do. I mean, even though I knew him, it was just really like getting a deep understanding. Most of them wanted to leave after [former head coach Dan] Mullen and them, but [new head coach Billy] Napier made them stay. They really fell in love with the campus, and that's what they trying to make me do."
Seeing nearly everything the program and campus have to offer on the trips he has made in the past, being able to talk to his player hosts, fellow defensive lineman Gervon Dexter and Tyreak Sapp, was memorable in the unfiltered advice they can offer him.
"It was cool just talking to players because, you know, the players tell you the truth, the hard truth. So it was really good," he said.
As someone who has been to Gainesville on numerous occasions since Napier took over, LeBlanc didn't have much to learn when it came to the UF campus. He was helping direct other recruits alongside him to various parts of the facilities over the weekend as a result.
"I already knew what it was," he said.
Skipping the usual pleasantries with the staff, as a result, LeBlanc took part in a schematic deep dive with defensive line coach Sean Spencer and head coach Billy Napier.
He said he learned valuable information about his potential usage in that extensive meeting.
"I was in there with them for hours just talking football," he said. "They're just telling me like, stuff I could be more dominant [at]. They said, my best football is ahead of me, that's what they kept telling me.
"I mean, they were just really telling me I could play anywhere across the line. That's something they said like that's the key for me playing, that I could play everywhere."
LeBlanc, who was previously scheduled to announce alongside fellow Orlando-based prospects Payton Kirkland and Malik Bryant on July 23, recently pushed back his commitment. Instead, the Osceola product elected to declare his pledge with teammates John Walker and Ja'Keem Jackson on October 22.
"So I can get more people, like, I can influence John and Ja'Keem," he said when asked about the reasoning behind the decision.
The trio has consistently discussed the possibility of playing with each other, according to LeBlanc, especially since they set a date for their joint announcement.
"Wherever I go, I'm influencing them. They're gonna come. I'm making them come with me."
He will continue weighing his available options until then, taking a visit to Penn State on June 17 and is looking to get a trip to Miami and a return visit to Oklahoma at some point in the coming months. He also shared his desire to attend the Gators' season opener against Utah in The Swamp.
All in all, LeBlanc has a solid idea of how he will narrow down his top choices to just one come October 22.
Simply put, he wants programs to keep it straightforward with him about his game and fit into the system. That aligns with his no-nonsense persona.
"I say, sitting in a room and talking with them, like development-wise," LeBlanc said about what will make the difference. "Because, you know, everybody's gonna tell you what you want to hear. It's just like, who's gonna tell you, like, what you're not good at? Who can develop me for the next three or four years?"
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