Gators expected to visit high-priority 4-star California athlete on Thursday

Arlis Boardingham, who largely projects as a tight end at the next level, officially visited the Gators last weekend.

The Gators may have only offered four-star athlete Arlis Boardingham last month on Dec. 22, but they’re making a hard push to land the Van Nuys, California, prospect, who largely projects as a tight end in UF’s offensive scheme.

Boardingham was on campus in Gainesville this past weekend for an official visit, but Florida is reportedly sending tight ends coach William Peagler to the west coast for another visit with Boardingham on Thursday, according to 247Sports’ Blake Alderman.

The 6-foot-4-inch, 220-pound player said the coaches told him they see a versatile role for him in the offense. He could play as a standard Y tight end or an H-back, and the coaches apparently also told him they see a role for him at receiver, both in the slot and lined up on the outside as a 1 or 2. Overall, it sounds like it was a productive visit for the Gators.

“I think it was great,” Boardingham said of his official visit. “Coach (Billy) Napier made to show me everything I needed to see. The whole staff was just on pace with each other and really let me know what was going on over there. I would just say (the highlight) was either eating with the coaches or probably the living arrangements. Me doing my research on Twitter, I know what the dorms are going to be like and what they used to be. I see where it’s going with the new arrangements and see what that was about. Coach didn’t think they would benefit the team, so I can see how he pushing the program.”

Boardingham is also a top target for the Oregon Ducks, and he’s set to take an official visit to Eugene this weekend. He also has an offer from the in-state USC Trojans. Stealing a player from the west coast that Oregon and USC covet is hardly an easy task, but the Gators seemed to be well-positioned for Boardingham, who is the No. 30 athlete and No. 481 overall player in the 2022 class.

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