Joshua Braun Explains Flip from Georgia to Florida
Joshua Braun is one of the more physically imposing offensive linemen in the 2020 cycle. Not only is his 6'6 335-pound frame enough to make defenders a bit weary, but he plays with an aggression that is uncommon for his age.
Braun committed to Georgia back in June of this year and just days after the news that Sam Pittman was leaving UGA to take the head coaching job at Arkansas, Braun's commitment was no longer.
We reported on Wednesday of this week that Braun was de-committing from Georgia and there was heavy speculation that he would inevitably flip to the Gators. Friday, the speculation was confirmed as Braun did indeed commit to Florida.
Today, Bruan sat down with The Bulldog Maven to provide an understanding of just why the nation's 22nd ranked tackle decided to go back on his commitment.
When asked how much of his de-commitment from UGA was tied to Sam Pittman's departure, Braun responded:
"It was the sole reason. We developed a relationship over the two years that he recruited me, and with that relationship, I was comfortable dedicating five years of my life to him and his program. I was not comfortable with a new coach and only two weeks to develop a relationship." - Braun on why he de-committed
We asked if he even had a chance to meet coach Luke and at least try to develop a semblance of a relationship prior to early national signing day:
"No. We did not meet. I committed to Florida before he could come."
We expected opposing coaches to go after some of Georgia's highly touted offensive linemen after the news broke about Pittman, and Braun isn't the only one that was and is being heavily pursued. In fact, Broderick Jones could flip any day, and Chad Lindberg's camp has been rather quiet as well.
Braun had a chance to develop a relationship with Coach Hevesy at Florida prior to his commitment to Georgia but claims that Hevesy honored Braun's commitment up until this past week:
"Once I committed to Georgia, he respected my decision and did not contact me. Our relationship is close. I love his coaching style and I will enjoy playing under him."
We got the sense that delaying his signing period in order to develop a relationship with Coach Luke wasn't something Braun was interested in. A shot at early playing time these days means early enrollment, and as he stated, the two weeks of turnover was too quickly for him to make that type of decision.
"Being able to enroll early is very important. I want the extra semester of free college and to be able to have an extra spring practice is priceless."
So, bottom line it all boils down to the fact that Braun was solely committed to play the next five years for Sam Pittman. Not Matt Luke, and that's no shot at the new offensive line coach at Georgia. It's more of a testament to the kind of recruiter and relationship builder that Pittman is.
