Please Read: Welcome to the new-look Inside the Gators
- Florida players to keep an eye on as the Spring Portal Window opens
- Watch & Read: Napier talks O&B Game
- Despite commitment, will still officially visit Florida
- Lineman sees Florida for the second time in two months
- Florida rolls out the red carpet for four-star
- After ‘Shadow Day’ visit, Florida leads for four-star
- Anonymous Player Q&A II: Thoughts on the state of Florida football
- Parental Perspective – thoughts on Mullen, Napier, and more
The Orange and Blue game is a time for coaches to showcase the team to not only fans and boosters, but also to the recruits in attendance.
Perhaps the biggest name to visit Saturday was Ackerman (Ms.) Choctaw County five-star receiver Caleb Cunningham, the No. 20 rated prospect in the nation according to the On3 Industry Consensus.
“Coach [Billy] Gonzales, Coach [David] Doeker, and Coach [Billy] Napier… were glad I was there,” Cunningham said. “They always say I’m one of the top guys, that they love me, that they need me. And they need most guys like me out there. They keep it real with me like they really want me. Checking on me, seeing how everything is going, what I’ve been doing, and stuff like that.”
Watching the Orange and Blue game increased his interest in Florida. There wasn’t just one highlight of his visit. Cunningham loved the experience.
“I enjoyed the game, interacting with the coaches after,” he said. “Up there in the box, that was really fun.
The five-star receiver loves to make plays. He wants to have an opportunity to go out on the field and make something happen. Cunningham believes the Gators could potentially allow him to do that.
“They take a lot of shots,” he said. “They’re going to throw the ball in the air and that’s what I like. They take a lot of shots and let their playmakers make plays. That’s interesting for me.”
Cunningham said there’s one specific player he was most impressed with on Saturday. Quarterback DJ Lagway grabbed the five-star’s attention.
“Having a guy like DJ Lagway, he’s a humble guy,” he said. “He’s a great quarterback. He impressed me today like he made some good throws, pretty good throws. He’s going to be that guy, he that guy. He’s the real deal. Like him throwing it to me? Oh my god that’s crazy.
The Mississippi native said he has watched Florida’s new quarterback since he was in middle school. Cunningham would watch Lagway’s highlights on YouTube. The two have even had some conversations over the years.
“He texted me a couple of times on Instagram, he’s a great person,” Cunningham said. “He wants to get the ball to a person like me. He wants me to be there, he tells me to ‘come on home.’”
It takes more than just a great quarterback for a player to commit to a school. The five-star receiver says the Gators’ coaching staff has done a great job making him feel at home.
“They got a great coaching staff,” he said. “It’s a great place to be, you feel comfortable there. I would’ve felt comfortable if my parents dropped me off. I feel like I’ll get taken care of and that’s what I want to feel like.”
He enjoys the sense of brotherhood there is at Florida. From the coaches to the players, it is one big family.
Cunningham says he has had some great conversations with wide receivers coach Billy Gonzales. The receiver states that coach wouldn’t mind him staying up there for school.
“I told him ‘Go ahead and get me in there so I can start playing,’” the five-star laughed. “He really wants me badly. He told me every time we get off the phone, he feels fresh. He said he loves me so much like he’s gotta have me.”
Cunningham still has a long way to go before committing to a school. He will be officially visiting Florida in the summer on June 7. Then, he will visit Tennessee from June 14-16 and then Alabama from June 21-23.
The receiver also plans on visiting Auburn and Ole Miss.
After putting out a Top 12 back in
“I’ll drop a top six probably during the summer,” he said. “I’ll commit after the season, probably on national signing day in December. I have to be patient because people really want me. I have to see where I fit in and what schemes fit me.”
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