Isaiah Bond Discusses Commitment to Florida Gators

What went in to Isaiah Bond’s decision to commit to Florida and how does he envision himself operating within the Florida game plan come his time?

In the cycles of Dan Mullen-led recruiting efforts as Gators head coach, the summer has been heavily utilized to land the bulk of their classes.

However, in 2022, June and July are even more pivotal than ever before, presenting athletes with their first taste of the UF campus due to the 15 month-long dead period being lifted on June 1.

Prior to that circled date on the calendar, Florida holds five commitments to the class, including quarterback Nick Evers, tight end C.J. Hawkins, offensive tackle/tight end Tony Livingston, and defensive end Francois Nolton.

Most recently, UF made a huge acquisition in Buford (Ga.) High School wide receiver Isaiah Bond — who committed to Florida on May 9 in a Mother’s Day announcement. Spearheading a class that looks to brings speed and versatility to the offensive skill positions, Bond talked to AllGators about his decision to commit to Florida and how he envisions himself operating within the gamelan come time to step on the field.

“I felt Florida had the best opportunity for me,” both athletically and academically, Bond said. “It was a family decision.”

Excelling from a production standpoint in recent years at wide receiver — having six from the 2019 and 2020 rosters currently holding an NFL roster spot — the Gators have become an intriguing destination for prospective wideouts.

Therefore — despite the fact they were not included in his top list of school — Bond was drawn to what the Gators had to offer despite their offer late in his recruitment process.

Building a “great relationship” with the Florida coaching staff very quickly — namely receivers coach Billy Gonzales, head coach Dan Mullen and player personnel assistant Corey Bell — Bond would waste little time following his April 9 offer to commit to the Gators, seeing just a month of turnaround.

Standing at 6-foot, 175 pounds, Bond showcases big-play explosiveness and elite-level speed — showcased by his 10.48 100 meter time and Georgia 6A state championship victory in track — something that the Gators have coveted early in this years recruiting efforts.

As a result, the emerging weapon is set to assume a wide variety of roles in the Florida game plan.

“I see myself on offense. Being versatile, playing all over the field, setting up different mismatches and bringing that playmaking [ability] where we can just move me around.”

“Most likely” seeing time on special teams due to that track speed that he presents, Bond is slated to hold the role as Swiss army knife for the Gators to utilize at their whim, a defining characteristic of the skill position players they are looking to bring in.

While the talented deep threat kept a lot of details about the impact on recruiting he looks to have going forward close to the vest, he did mention that he looks to assume a role of bringing in other players alongside him, saying, “I have a couple people looking at [Florida] but I don’t want to speak on that right now.”

Set to travel to Gainesville on June 4th for a talent-stacked weekend of visits, Bond is excited to “see the campus and build a connection with the coaches face-to-face.”