OT Monroe Freeling Senses 'Night and Day' Gators Culture Change on Visit

Top 2023 offensive tackle Monroe Freeling came away impressed with nearly every facet of the Florida Gators' new-and-improved football program and culture.

Photo: Monroe Freeling; Credit: Zach Goodall

At the Under Armour Atlanta camp in February, Oceanside Collegiate Academy (S.C.) offensive tackle Monroe Freeling shared that he could sense a culture turnaround was on its way to the Florida Gators football program under new head coach Billy Napier.

How Freeling knew of the culture change is hard to tell, as he had yet to be offered by UF at that time and didn't have a relationship with Napier or his staff. His offer status changed just days later, and following his unofficial visit to Florida over the last weekend, Freeling realized that his prediction was, indeed, correct.

"I think it's definitely changed," Freeling told AllGators about the culture of Florida football. 

"I go in there, and I just go through all the meetings. I mean, it's quiet in the morning, obviously. You get to the field, and everyone's out there going like, 'Man, this is hard practice!' After the practice, I go ahead and ask the players, 'What's the difference between coach Mullen and coach Napier?' And they're like, 'It's night and day.'

"I mean, the practice is way more intense, and just, everything's really getting a way better turn to it, to say."

Freeling, a 6-foot-7, 283-pound tackle who is considered among the best in the class of 2023, was able to bond with Florida's two offensive line coaches, Rob Sale and Darnell Stapleton, during his trip to UF.

Freeling came away impressed with both of the coaches' résumés, as Sale recently coached in the NFL while Stapleton won a Super Bowl as a starting lineman for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

"I like Coach Sale, he keeps it real," Freeling said. "I was talking to him in the office and he was just telling me how everything is. Like, the NFL and college is way different nowadays, it's becoming, like, college is harder than the NFL in a way. You've gotta balance not only just playing that top-tier talent every week, you've got school to worry about too.

"I talked to the coach Stapleton too at lunch, and just yeah, really grew our relationship. They know what it takes to be at the next level, and they know what it's like to coach at the next level. So, I think having that insight will probably help them develop me better."

Freeling was also able to spend some time with Napier. He realized that Napier had a long day by the time they met due to the first day of padded practice mixed with hosting a plethora of recruits, but Freeling appreciated the time they spent together and the way Napier runs his program.

In addition to developing as a football player, Freeling has put an emphasis on top-tier education as he searches for the college of his choice. Planning on majoring in something related to math and/or science, such as engineering, Freeling came away impressed with what Florida has to offer off the field as well.

Not to mention, Freeling's expectations of UF's campus itself were exceeded during his trip.

"I know that them being, what, like a top-five public institution? It is [appealing] because I've always told myself that there's no way I'm gonna try super hard in school just to not, like, have it pay off for me later down the road," Freeling said.

"This might be one of the prettiest campuses I've been to. When I first stepped on campus, I was like, 'Wow, this is not really what I was expecting.' I was kind of expecting a little swamp, but this is not a swamp!"

Having been nationally coveted for some time, Florida still has some ground to make up in Freeling's recruitment as he was only offered at the start of March. Freeling understands why that's the case, though, and respects UF enough after his visit to put the Gators firmly in contention as he continues the recruiting process.

As a result, he intends to visit the program again — probably over the summer — and isn't ruling Florida out for an official visit at some point should his relationship with UF's coaches continue to blossom.

"Florida is definitely there now [in his recruitment], just because the program's changing up a little bit," Freeling shared. "If I took [the visit] during the offseason I'm sure it would have been easier just to get it all around to me. But I think they did a great job for having a whole spring practice at the same time, and I appreciate the time they really gave to me to show me what Florida is about now."

Due to the craziness that was the 2021-22 coaching carousel, Freeling admitted that he's taken a step back with his recruitment and would like to see how programs under new coaching staffs operate within the season. Therefore, his college commitment isn't expected to become public until later this year.

Before then, however, Freeling intends to trim down his options.

"I'm looking to narrow really soon just so I can gauge my perspective on everything and cater towards my interests, really," Freeling said. "So there's a couple of schools [standing out], I'm sure you will find out eventually."

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