OT Monroe Freeling Expects Florida Gators To Be Among Finalists

Offensive tackle Monroe Freeling recaps his official visit with the Florida Gators and details what will come next in his recruitment.

Oceanside Collegiate Academy (S.C.) 2023 offensive tackle Monroe Freeling isn't in a rush to wrap up his recruitment, but when that time comes, he believes the Florida Gators will have a hat on the proverbial table.

Freeling officially visited Florida over the weekend, marking his second trip to Gainesville this year to meet with Billy Napier and the new Gators coaching staff after previously stopping by for a spring practice in March.

"I think this time around I really got to get a feel of Florida's campus and more of the football program and where it's heading," Freeling told reporters after his visit. "I think that coach Napier really has a good outlook on where he wants the program to go. 

"And every single coach I talked to also said the same thing about coach Napier, he really knows where he wants to take this program."

Freeling caught a similar vibe before he was even offered by Florida, telling AllGators in February that he could sense a culture change at UF from afar days before a scholarship opportunity arrived in his inbox. 

His theory was confirmed during his first visit earlier this year, which led Freeling to include the Gators in his top seven schools released in May alongside Notre Dame, Clemson, Miami, Michigan, Ohio State and Georgia, as well as use one of his five official visits on a return trip to UF.

OT Monroe Freeling after his unofficial Florida visit in March.  / Zach Goodall

Freeling went on to compare the two visits and share what he was able to learn from each one.

"My first look out here was pretty quick, it was during the spring practice so everyone was doing stuff," Freeling explained. "I got to see practice but all of the players were really new, so it was really just seeing the players kind of adjust, and in a way, kind of struggle with the intensity of practice. I know I really liked the intensity of practice because if you have an intense practice, that means your games are gonna be easy. 

"But yeah, I got to talk to the coaches a lot more and see what their plan is for me and what the plan is for the program in the future."

Offensive line coaches Rob Sale and Darnell Stapleton, in particular, offered Freeling a glimpse of what the future would look like if he opted for the orange and blue. 

The two are sharing duties in Freeling's recruitment, much like they do on the field while developing linemen, and paired up to give Freeling the run-down on how a two offensive line coach system — five, in fact, including analysts and position-specific strength coaches — operates.

"They were telling me they have five, they're not [all] coaching offensive line specifically but they all work with the offensive line," Freeling recalled. 

"That just helps you get ready," he continued. "Efficiency-wise, I think that developing with just one coach would kind of be generic. But if you have two coaches, then that means you're getting two times the amount of coaching and you're also getting two different perspectives of coaching. I think that it helps."

Split offensive line coaching responsibilities is not only attractive to Freeling but also unique compared to the other schools in his recruitment. Freeling believes the duo is strong, considering Sale's background as an NFL coach and Stapleton's career as starting guard in the pros.

"It's kind of funny because now, it's like, I have relationships with two different coaches and they're both doing the same job, really," Freeling noted. "I really like coach Sale, he has a pretty good resume. And coach Stapleton too, I like him, he's a good guy. 

"I think that over the summer, I'm going to be able to grow my relationship with him a lot more because I really do like Florida."

But just how much does Freeling like Florida? Enough, he admitted, that he believes the Gators will be on his mind when it comes time to finalize his college of choice.

"I can say that I think Florida will be up there, and [will] probably be in some of my final decisions to make," Freeling stated.

It could be a while before the 6-foot-7, 302-pound tackle is ready to wrap things up, however.

Freeling previously officially visited Notre Dame from June 10-12 and has an official lined up with Miami from June 24-26. He plans to save his final two OVs for the season — choosing between Clemson, Michigan, Ohio State and Georgia —  and unofficially visit programs for games, specifically including Florida.

"Right now I'm just kind of taking a look at all of my top seven schools, a more in-depth look, more than just the initial outlook," Freeling said.

"I think I'm just gonna see it through the season," he continued. "I mean, if I know, I'll know. But as of right now, I think that all these coaching changes, I've been saying that for a while but it really is, just all these coaches are in whole different programs now. 

"So, I want to get down here for a game. I know that I'll probably get to some other schools for games, but I'm not really sure [where]. But after this visit, I know I want to come down for a game and at least see The Swamp for what it is." 

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