Four-star offensive tackle Payton Kirkland was at the University of Florida on March 5, and the new Gators coaching staff has the Orlando recruit and his family raving about the program, according to 247Sports.
Kirkland is looking to join a football with coaches that are interested in him as a person and not just as a player. Many recruits have mentioned that Billy Napier and his staff are a bit more family-oriented than others, and Kirkland couldn’t help but notice the major changes made since they took over.
“It was a complete 180 turnaround from what I expected,” Kirkland said. “It was really different for me, and my mom felt the same way especially. I feel like they did a great job today of emphasizing that’s it’s bigger than football. They said it’s a deeper meaning to it and God has called us here for different reasons. At the end of the day, I am going to go home and talk it over with my mom, make some decision.”
Although he’s spoken with coaches on the phone, meeting them in person allowed Kirkland to see their true character. Both offensive line coaches, Rob Sale and Darnell Stapleton, fit the role that Kirkland wants his coaches to play — “a coach, a mentor, an uncle, a father.” The two-coach approach on the offensive line is also a plus for him. Kirkland believes that the two will work together as a team and provide players a great opportunity to learn from the best of both worlds.
With his Florida trip in the books, Kirkland says he’s not taking any more visits for the rest of the month. What’s even sweeter for Gator Nation is that he says he’s canceled his April 16 trip to Georgia.
Alabama, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and Oklahoma are all schools that Kirkland is looking at still, but this trip has the Gators firmly in the mix. He’ll make his decision on July 23, the same day as two other high-profile Central Florida recruits.
Kirkland is ranked No. 203 overall on the 247Sports composite rankings. He’s also the No. 18 offensive tackle in the class of 2023 and the No. 38 recruit out of Florida.
[lawrence-related id=79385,79359,79352,79246,79242]
[listicle id=77787]
Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.