EDGE Jordan Ross Values Honesty During Florida Official Visit
Birmingham (Ala.) Vestavia Hills 2024 edge rusher Jordan Ross came away impressed by several aspects of his official visit to Florida this past weekend.
Whether it was trying new Gatorade flavors in the home of the popular sports beverage, learning about the program's academics, hanging out by the pool or sampling food trucks, Ross' three-day stay in Gainesville was filled with "great" activities.
What stood out the most to Ross, though, was the transparency of the Gators' coaching staff, something he suggested several times while speaking with reporters following the visit.
"They were pretty much brutally honest with me," Ross described. "They told me, like, if I'm gonna play or not like and like, who is behind me or who is in front of me."
Position coach Mike Peterson broke down the two EDGE roles in Florida's defensive scheme to Ross, suggesting he would primarily fit into the Gators' undermanned JACK position.
However, similar to many defensive prospects the Gators covet, Peterson shared his admiration of Ross' positional versatility and would move him around the defensive front based on personnel groupings and matchups should he team up with Florida at the next level.
"I think I fit pretty great in their scheme," Ross stated. "They're gonna want me to move around and be versatile in their whole defensive scheme. I like it because at my school, I move around a lot just like they do."
Ross, 6-foot-5, 215 pounds, is considered the No. 5 edge rusher and No. 38 overall prospect in the class of 2024 by the 247Sports composite rankings. He was credited with 49 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 16.5 tackles for loss, "several" forced fumbles and two defensive touchdowns during his junior season by AL.com.
He is a nationally coveted recruit as a result. Ross has plans to officially visit Georgia, Texas and Tennessee over the summer and LSU, USC and Oregon during the 2023 season.
Considering the honest dialogue that prevailed during Ross' three-day stay in Gainesville, Florida set the bar high ahead of those trips.
Head coach Billy Napier solidified Ross' impression of the staff by spending quality time with the prospective student-athletes.
"Coach Napier, he was a great guy. He played with us in ping pong and everything, with [fellow recruits] DJ [Lagway] and Jeremiah [Smith]. So he was just all around the guys. He told us about his family, everything."
Players, too, helped provide Ross with insight regarding the program. Ross' host during the trip was freshman defensive end Kelby Collins, one of the numerous players he interacted with.
"[Kelby] showed me a great time around Gainesville, and it was great," Ross said.
"I was talking to the players mostly, the whole time. I asked what the real truth is. Like, 'How do you feel about Florida? Why did you pick Florida?' And they were like, 'The players are great, we're all like family. The coaches are brutally honest about this stuff and everything ... We have everything we need in Gainesville.'"
All in all, how would Ross rate the visit on a scale of 1-to-10?
"I'd say," Ross pondered, "a 10."
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