OT Monroe Freeling Names Florida Gators in Top 7

One of the nation's top offensive tackles, Monroe Freeling has included Florida in his top seven schools.

Oceanside Collegiate Academy (S.C.) 2023 offensive tackle Monroe Freeling has included the Florida Gators in his top seven schools, according to On3Sports.

BREAKING: Four-Star OT Monroe Freeling is down to 7️⃣ Schools, he tells @On3Recruits

The 6’7 290 OT from Mount Pleasant, SC is ranked as a Top 40 Player in the ‘23 Class (No. 5 OT)

More Here (FREE): https://t.co/PtSeyHojKu pic.twitter.com/Ky6hS6TsQ5

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) May 6, 2022

Freeling, one of the top offensive tackle prospects in the country, was offered by Florida's new coaching staff on March 1. Freeling quickly scheduled an unofficial visit to UF on March 19 and came away impressed by his meetings with offensive line coaches Rob Sale and Darnell Stapleton, in part due to their NFL experience. 

"I like coach Sale, he keeps it real," Freeling said. "I was talking to him in the office and he was just telling me how everything is. The NFL and college is way different nowadays, it's becoming, like, college is harder than the NFL in a way. You've gotta balance not only just playing that top-tier talent every week, you have school to worry about too.

"I talked to coach Stapleton too at lunch, and just yeah, really grew our relationship. They know what it takes to be at the next level, and they know what it's like to coach at the next level. So, I think having that insight will probably help them develop me better."

Freeling was also a fan of the environment on the UF campus. Despite the fact that Florida entered his recruitment a bit late, Freeling's experience on the visit was enough to push the Gators into his latest top teams list and emerge as a candidate to receive one of his five official visits.

"This might be one of the prettiest campuses I've been to," Freeling expressed. "When I first stepped on campus, I was like, 'Wow, this is not really what I was expecting.' I was kind of expecting a little swamp, but this is not a swamp!"

The Gators have a major need for blue-chip talent at offensive tackle and Freeling is one of several prospects they're recruiting at the position in the class of 2023. Other tackles worth keeping an eye on are Dr. Phillips' (Fla.) Payton Kirkland, IMG Academy's (Fla.) Francis Mauigoa, Clearwater Academy International's (Fla.) Lucas Simmons and Rockledge's (Fla.) Bryce Lovett, among others. 

Freeling is considered the No. 6 offensive tackle and No. 54 overall prospect in the class of 2023 by the On3Sports Composite rankings. 

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