Please Read: Welcome to the new-look Inside the Gators
- Recruiting Quick Q&A: Florida is lineman’s dream school
- Recruiting Quick Hitter: Nugent sounds solid | Lineman offered
- Recruiting Quick Hitter: Top linemen talk Florida
- Recruit Reaction: Over 20 visitors share their Jr. Day thoughts
- Buy, Sell, Hold: 12 Jr. Day Visitors
- Five-star lineman left with a positive impression of Florida
- Take Five: Breaking down Florida’s Portal Activity
- Florida Football Class Breakdown
- Getting to Know: Davian Groce
Due mostly to the arrival of Phil Trautwein, Florida is in the running for some of the top offensive linemen in the nation.
A case in point is Middletown (DE) Appoquinimink four-star offensive tackle Layton von Brandt.
The 6-foot-6, 260-pounder had the Gators as one of his top options before ever setting foot on campus.
Now that he’s visited, it has only solidified Florida’s standing.
“Florida was a great visit,” said von Brandt. “The practice was high energy, and guys were getting after it. I was impressed with the focus on development to get guys to the next level. That was huge for me. Obviously, the main focus is winning football games on Saturdays, but everything in the building is done with the intention of getting players ready for the NFL as well.”
von Brandt also had the opportunity to watch Trautwein coach at the program where he once played.
“Coach Traut is my guy. I have the utmost faith and trust in him. It was great seeing him at his Alma mater and seeing him hungrier than ever, trying to reset the standard and culture of the OL room. He is a great coach and even better person, so it was awesome to be back with him again.”
Not only was von Brandt able to reconnect with Trautwein, but it was also his first chance to really get to know Jon Sumrall.
“Meeting coach Sumrall was probably the biggest part of this trip for me. I got to spend some time with him and talk to him about his vision and what he stands for and where he wants to take Florida football.
von Brandt on jon sumrall
“Meeting coach Sumrall was probably the biggest part of this trip for me,” said von Brandt. “I got to spend some time with him and talk to him about his vision and what he stands for and where he wants to take Florida football. He is a no-nonsense leader who sets the standard and pushes his guys to reach and exceed it. I love that for sure.”
Currently in the midst of a spring visit tour, which included stops at Auburn, Florida, and Tennessee, von Brandt will take a few more visits over the next three weeks before narrowing his list.
“I wanted to finish my spring visit trips before setting my official visits. I am just trying to go through this process with an open mind and learn as much as I can on my visits. After April 18th, and my last visit, I will sit down and pick a top two to four schools and set and announce my OVs, and then plan on committing to a school by July 1st, so I can focus on my senior year.”
Though it may be roughly three more weeks before von Brandt names his finalists, the Gators have put themselves in a great position.
“Florida as a whole is a major player in my recruitment and a top school on my list, especially with Coach Traut. There’s still a little bit of my process I have to finish up here in the next few weeks, but I am really liking a lot of things about Florida.”
Layton von Brandt is the No. 70 ranked prospect in the nation according to the Rivals Industry Composite.
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