Gabe Ervin Talks Recruiting Momentum and Georgia
Gabe Ervin has grown up around football excellence. You see, at Buford, anything less than a GHSA State Championship is looked upon as a "down year". From 2001 to 2014, The Wolves of Buford won 10 State Championships. That run included three-peats from 2001 - 2003 and 2012 - 2014 and a four in a row from 2007 - 2010. So the fact that Ervin and his teammates hadn't yet won it all going into their Junior year, was rather different for the folks around Buford.
2015 - 2018 all came and went with the Wolves falling short of their usual adding of another trophy to the case. In 2019 that drought came to an end and Gabe Ervin was a big reason why. Bulldog Maven caught up with Ervin to discuss what the title run was like and how the momentum has carried into the offseason with offers from the Georgia Bulldogs and several other Power 5 programs having come his way recently.
Q: Coming off a championship run and now getting the offers lately from Georgia, Arizona State, Boston College, USC and more, what has life been like lately?
"It's been really good lately. I'm extremely blessed to have the opportunity to play at all these great schools. I just thank God every day for what he's given me."
Q: Growing up in Buford, what was it like being part of the group that brought the State Championship back after what many around the program would consider a "drought"?
"It was great! A lot of blood sweat and tears went into that. It all started when Coach App (Bryant Appling, long time Buford Assistant that got named Head Coach after 16 years with the program) got the job. We had a plan and we executed the player, every day. We would come in the weight room and would fight hard and it paid off."
Q: Buford High School is known for a great weight room and strength & conditioning program. How much do you enjoy that part of football?
"Very much. It's the start of your day! You have to come in, every day, and attack the day. (At Buford) Us attacking the day is attacking the weight room."
Gaber Ervin - 2021 RB Buford High School (GA)
Q: At Buford, you share the backfield with other talented running backs. Do you feel that prepares you mentally for how running backs are used in the college game today? Especially, at a place like Georgia.
"Yes. It just keeps you humble and hungry and gives me a good perspective for the future. Because, when you get to college it's not always going to be all sunshine and starting right away. Sometimes you have to wait and work behind some guys. You just have to stay humble and work. When you get your turn, your carries, you just have to go at it like it's your only play."
Q: Recruiting sites right now have you rated as a 3-Star. What does the rating of a 3-Star mean to you right now?
"A 3-Star just means to me that I still have more work to do. There is always more room for improvement and I definitely have more that I can achieve."
Q: Having lived in Georgia most of your life, what did it mean to you when the biggest program in the state made you that offer?
"It was awesome! I've always dreamed of playing big-time, playing at the Georgias the Alabamas, you know? So, getting the opportunity to play at a great school like Georgia has just encouraged me to work even harder."
Q: You recently visited UGA. What was it like meeting Kirby Smart and getting to talk with him?
"It went great! He was talking about how he has a great relationship with Coach App (Bryant Appling, Buford HC) and how they go way back, they're both defensive guys."
Q: Do you feel that, as a running back, playing for a defensive coach makes you have a tougher mindset in your approach to the game?
"It does, it typically just means that you're going to work a little bit harder. With Coach Appling being a former defensive coordinator and at Georgia with Coach Smart, it would be very similar."
Q: What did you like about Athens, the campus, and just the overall program?
"Athens was great. The visit was just a great experience and I would love to be a part of that type of culture. It feels like a family there. They brought me in and honestly I felt like I was home. As soon I got there, all the way up until I left, I felt very comfortable and like the way they treated me."
Q: You have more and more offers coming with each passing day. What is your plan in how you are going to approach the remainder of your recruitment, specifically throughout the spring and summer?
"To be honest with you, I just have to stay patient. There are always things that come up and I just have to take things day by day. I think it would be good to get some more visits lined up. I definitely want to look at all the different schools and all the different opportunities, but no visits set right now."
Q: Are you in a position to enroll early wherever you choose?
"That's something that is in consideration. My family and I are just talking about that and are trying to make the best decision for me when it comes to that."
Q: Do you have a favorite or a group of favorites yet at this point in your recruitment?
"Georgia is definitely a school that I'm looking in terms of learning more and more about them as a school... Nebraska too, they're a school that shows me a lot of love. I definitely want to get up there one day to visit Nebraska."
Ervin went on to say that he hopes to line up some more visits and explore more of the offers that he is receiving at this point. However, he would like to narrow down the list in the springtime but that he is not in a rush to make a commitment.
You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the top righthand corner of the page. Also, be sure to like us on Facebook @BulldogMaven & follow us on Twitter at @BulldogsSI.
