Highly Rated 2021 RB Names Florida as his Leader: 'I Love the Coaching Staff'

The IMG Academy standout is focusing on the SEC in his recruitment, and the Florida Gators currently lead the pack.

2021 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) running back Lovesea Carroll is reshaping his recruitment to revolve around the SEC.

And he already has a leader in mind: The Florida Gators.

Carroll, 6-0, 190 lbs. is considered the consensus No. 7 running back in the class of 2021 (by the 247Sports Composite). In 18 varsity games, Carroll has rushed 200 times for 2017 yards (10.1 yards per carry) and 27 touchdowns.

The Gators sent an offer Carroll's way last October, and he visited the campus for February's Junior Day. Carroll spoke exclusively with Sports Illustrated All-American's John Garcia at IMG Academy to discuss his recruitment, and made an early note that the Gators were leading the pack.

"Florida right now is leading," Carroll told Garcia on Wednesday. "It would be a big opportunity for me to go and start early, because you know they haven't gotten a 2020 [running] back yet, so it's a great opportunity for me to come in and start as a true freshman." 

Carroll is prioritizing a shot to compete for early playing time, paired with a good engineering program and playing close to home so his family can attend every game. Carroll believes that the ideal school is in the SEC, and right now, he believes that school is Florida.

"Once they offered me, and I visited there, we started building a relationship and communicating more, Carroll continued. "It was a big opportunity for me to come in when I visited, and Dan Mullen was talking about school, how there is a high academics level and football is high too, so that's probably the best for me to fit in."

Florida is currently a top school for highly-rated 2020 running back Zachary Evans, who was released from his letter of intent at Georgia in January. Though, Carroll hopes that Florida will be able to land Evans and it won't be a negative factor in his recruitment.

"They've still got, I think three senior running backs," Carroll said of a potential Evans enrollment. "The depth chart still would be slim, so I have a chance to move up the depth chart."

By the time Carroll would enroll, current projected starter Dameon Pierce would be a senior, Malik Davis would be a redshirt senior, Lorenzo Lingard - who just transferred from Miami - a redshirt junior, and Iverson Clement - a redshirt junior. Nayquan Wright would be a redshirt sophomore, the team's youngest projected back barring Evans selecting Florida.

After a dud of a 2020 haul at the running back position, at least as of now, Carroll certainly would have an opportunity to quickly rise up the depth chart should he elect to sign with the Gators. And after visiting Florida last month - and planning to again this spring or summer - they're in the driver's seat.

"I love the coaching staff," Carroll said. "Like ever since I got the offer, the coaching staff is texting me every day, showing me love, that I'm a big priority to them, and like, it means a lot to me."

Carroll will commit on August 6th, on his mother's birthday. While he's still in the process of setting up official visits to Florida and Georgia, Carroll will officially visit South Carolina and Auburn in April, and Tennessee in June.