LB Raul Aguirre: Gators Visit 'Set Everything Apart' in Recruitment

Peach State linebacker Raul Aguirre recaps the official visit that is "gonna set everything apart" in his recruitment, his recent trek to Florida.

The Florida Gators have surged ahead in the recruitment of Whitewater (Ga.) 2023 linebacker Raul Aguirre following his official visit to The Swamp this past weekend, his second trip to Gainesville this year.

Aguirre, a defender coveted by top programs across the country, didn't hesitate to admit that before his UF official visit, the Gators were on the outside looking in as it pertained to his recruitment. 

Now, after a weekend on campus where he interacted with numerous coaches and players, the Gators are firmly in the mix among what will be his list of finalists.

"I'm gonna go ahead and say, this is gonna set everything apart," Aguirre told AllGators after the visit concluded. "Before coming here, I didn't have Florida in my top five and now I'm moving them down to, if not top three, top four.

"I loved everything about it ... I think all recruits out there should take their chance on Florida."

Aguirre later shared that he intends to cut his list to five schools in the near future. Alabama and Ohio State are locks to survive the trim as well, as Aguirre will officially visit those programs on June 10 and June 24, respectively.

Aguirre went on in detail regarding what stood out during his three-day stay at UF, where he formed bonds with inside linebackers coach Jay Bateman, outside linebackers coach Mike Peterson, defensive analyst Jamar Chaney, personnel assistant Demetri Wilson, and even current linebackers Ventrell Miller and Chief Borders. 

The players affirmed to Aguirre that Florida has established a player-friendly culture under new head coach Billy Napier.

"With Ventrell Miller, the whole weekend was kind of the highlight being with him because I'll be honest ... Wherever you go on an official visit, you're gonna have some good people, you're gonna have everybody being nice to you, gonna have the facilities, beautiful this and that. It's really the players you've got to get to know and you ask them, 'Hey, is this real?' you know what I'm saying? 

"And I guess me seeing that, asking them, Chief Borders, asking them and they're like 'Man, I see it.' Then you're getting it from other people and stuff like that, it's serious. So, I'm just happy about that."

Aguirre got to see what Miller and Borders meant himself. With his two younger brothers — fellow varsity defenders at Whitewater — in tow, Florida's coaching staff treated Aguirre's siblings almost as if they were on a visit of their own.

"For them to come over here, [cornerbacks] coach [Corey] Raymond taking my little brother in and showing him some things at DB — some of the things that I've been coaching him, which made me feel good because it's like 'Okay, I'm kind of...' you know?" Aguirre gushed. "He's a great coach, showing my brother something one on one made me feel good."

In his meeting time with Bateman, the assistant broke down Aguirre's film to display how his skill-set could be used within Florida's scheme, comparing his game to that of Los Angeles Rams linebacker and six-time First-Team NFL All-Pro Bobby Wagner due to his polished footwork and strong instincts at the position. 

Aguirre explained why that meeting was another highlight of his visit, as he believes Florida has a legitimate vision for him should he elect to wear orange and blue at the next level.

"For me to hear that, for him go through film and show basically the same movements, that's what speaks to me," Aguirre said. "It's like, 'Woah, okay, so he's not just saying it, he's showing it.' 

"The most important thing, every time I go on a visit I ask myself, 'What can I take back home? What can I make my high school team better with?' And there are many things I took ... learning about how to use your body, how to take care of your body better, certain stretches you could do. All the way up to Bateman's showing me the correct way to really blitz [and] certain schemes that I can take back and I'm like, 'Whoa, this is big.' So, across the chart, it was great with him."

Adding onto the Wagner comparison — who primarily plays weak-side linebacker — Aguirre shared that Bateman gets "'fired up,' in his words" by the Peach State native's versatility at the second level of the defense. 

Aguirre has playing experience at weak, middle and strong-side linebacker, as well as safety, and is prepared to contribute anywhere he's asked to in college.

"I've never been asked to do one thing, coaches trust me enough to put loads on me, do this and that," Aguirre said. "I'm ready for it."

Aguirre confirmed that he will return to UF for another unofficial visit this summer when the Gators host recruits for a cookout in July. He intends to make his college commitment sometime near the end of the same month, and if not before July concludes, by August at the latest.

"Definitely looking forward to it," Aguirre said with a smile.

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