IMG LB Gavin Nix Intrigued by 'Really Aggressive' Gators Defense

With a new play-caller at the helm, the Gators' "really aggressive" defense intrigued IMG Academy linebacker Gavin Nix during his latest visit to Florida.

Class of 2025 linebacker Gavin Nix, of Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy, has his priorities in order as a college football recruit.

Sure, fitting into a program's defense and a university's academic reputation will play a factor in Nix's eventual decision. But the rising junior in high school desires great hospitality from his hosts during his visits to colleges across the country, and so far, Florida is meeting that mark. 

"Anywhere I go, I want to be around a group of men that's gonna look out for us. Not just on the field, but off the field too," Nix explained to All Gators following his second trip to UF this year, this time for Florida's spring game on Thursday. 

"Every time I come up, the coaches always show great love."

One of the coaches Nix spent ample time with around the Orange and Blue Game was Jay Bateman, Florida's inside linebackers coach.

The assistant will primarily oversee Nix's recruitment once class of 2025 prospects become eligible to be contacted by on-field coaches in September, but the two have already begun to build a relationship during Nix's on-campus visits. 

Nix shared his intrigue in Bateman's track record of maturing talent, recently showcased by Shemar James' emergence in the linebacker rotation during Bateman's inaugural season in Gainesville. James appeared in 13 games with four starts in 2022, compiling 29 tackles, two sacks and Freshman All-SEC honors along the way.

"The development of their players is great. Coach Bateman is doing a great job, you know, his All-American linebacker Shemar. Seeing that coaching that he's putting into him, you know, that's how anybody would want to get coached," Nix said.

Bateman was one of two defensive play-callers during Florida's spring game, in charge of the Blue Team defense, while new defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong oversaw the Orange Team's unit.

Nix came away impressed by the scheme Armstrong put in place following his February hiring, noting its similarity to the defense IMG Academy deploys. 

"I liked it, it was really aggressive. The way they put the guys in position to fly around, you know, I love that," Nix stated. "The defense is real similar to what we run at IMG. So, you know, that's great information for me because if I were to come here, it'd be something that I'd be able to fit into easy, you know, my playing style and all that."

Nix began his high school career at Orlando (Fla.) Lake Highland Prep, compiling 79 tackles, five sacks and 13 tackles for loss before transferring to IMG Academy ahead of his sophomore campaign. He posted 14 tackles in four games during his debut season with the Ascenders. 

He's considered the No. 7 linebacker and No. 63 overall prospect in the class of 2025, per the 247Sports composite rankings.

Nix will be expected to step into a larger role as a junior with IMG after class of 2023 linebacker Jordan Hall, the team's leading tackler from last season, departed for Michigan State in January.

Scholarship offers will continue to stack up for Nix as a result of the incoming increase in snaps. He's already collected 19, with Alabama, Michigan, Florida State, Miami, Tennessee, North Carolina, Oregon and other notable programs alongside Florida in the mix for his services at this time. 

One can expect the Gators to remain in the race for some time after they sent an offer Nix's way in June 2022. 

"They're always gonna rank pretty high because, you know, they've been showing love to me since I was young," Nix admitted about Florida. "So, you know, I want to go somewhere where I feel wanted, where I feel love. So they'll always stack pretty high."

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