The recruiting hot stove is scorching hot for Florida football as the Gators play their annual Orange and Blue game inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium — which is just as much a barometer for the coming season as it is a powerful recruiting tool.
On Thursday, 247Sports five-star safety [autotag]Xavier Filsaime[/autotag] out of McKinney (Texas) committed to the Orange and Blue, according to On3’s Hayes Fawcett. The 6-foot-1-inch, 180-pound defensive back chose the Orange and Blue over a handful of other suitors, including the Georgia Bulldogs and LSU Tigers.
“What really stood out is the vibe and chemistry I had with the coaches when I first met them in person,” Filsaime told Fawcett. “Also the fact that I’m from Florida and I’ll be back home. It’s only a two-hour flight from Texas, so it really worked out both ways.”
As far as his recruitment, a few members of staff have been working hard to bring him into the fold.
“Coach CJ, Joe Hamilton, and Coach Armstrong are the main guys I really talk to on a regular basis. But the way they plan on using me in their defense is not really much different from my high school coaches. Playing man, zone, and a lot more blitzing with me.”
Filsaime is rated at four stars and ranked No. 36 overall and No. 2 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking also has him at four stars and ranked at Nos. 29 and 2, respectively. Prior to his commitment Florida had three 247Sports crystal ball predictions and a 94.5% chance of landing him from On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine.
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