Florida Picks Up PWO Commitment From Local Wide Receiver
GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- Billy Napier's walk-on army at Florida continues to grow, this time with the addition of wide receiver David Schmidt from nearby Newberry (Fla.) High School.
Schmidt announced his commitment on Thursday night choosing Florida, which he described as his dream school, over opportunities from Miami, Stetson and Brown.
"There's going to be something different in me compared to all these other guys who are from all over the country. They want to be a Gator, but I grew up a Gator," he told All Gators. "I've lived in Gainesville my whole life. I grew up watching guys like Tim Tebow, Percy Harvin, Kadarius Toney. I have the ability to be in their shoes and make a name for myself just as they did when I was a kid.
"Just blessed and excited to be on this path."
Schmidt first received a preferred walk-on (PWO) offer on Dec. 15 after speaking with UF director of football logistics Ashour Peera and personnel quality control specialist Lamar Sorey, he posted on the social media platform "X."
In two years at Newberry, he caught 56 passes for 1,099 yards and 11 touchdowns, according to his stats listed on MaxPreps. He added 119 yards and three scores on the ground and scored touchdowns on both kickoff and punt returns in his time with the Panthers.
Schmidt's full 2023 highlights with the Panthers can be viewed here.
His offensive coordinator at Newberry was former UF wide receiver Travis McGriff (1994-98).
"Anytime you coach young kids, you just want them to have a chance to realize their dreams, and David being a Gainesville kid and a Gator fan and attending Gator games the majority of his life, I know that's kind of a dream come true for him," McGriff said.
Schmidt becomes the fifth known class of 2024 PWO commitment for Florida following offensive linemen Chase Stevens (Vero Beach, Fla.) and Mark Faircloth (Tallahassee, Fla. Florida High) alongside wide receiver DeBraun Hampton (Willis, Tx.), the high school teammate of five-star signee DJ Lagway.
Class of 2023 quarterback Paul Kessler (Los Angeles, Calif.) signed with the Gators as a PWO on Thursday morning.
He also joins a wide receiver class of four-stars Jerrae Hawkins Jr. and Tawaski Abrams, both of whom signed Wednesday.
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