Florida is the 'Closest Thing' to Tyler Booker's Dream School

The latest update on 2022 offensive tackle Tyler Booker's recruitment.

Traditionally, top prospects in a given recruiting class will push their college decisions until the end of the cycle, typically in order to exhaust every resource available in deciding where to begin the next phase of their career.

The class of 2022 is different, though. Having sat through a 15-month moratorium that halted in-person recruiting, prospects are eager to get on-campus immediately this summer, and a good few of those players are looking forward to quickly making a pledge to the school of their choice once those visits conclude.

That includes IMG Academy offensive tackle Tyler Booker.

"I've been dreaming of this since I knew what official visits were," Booker told Sports Illustrated All-American. "Dreaming since I used to play the college football video games, inviting kids on official visits, that's how long I've been looking forward to this."

The 6-foot-5, 325-pound Connecticut product will take all five of his officials in June, alongside family, with a goal of committing "some time in July." After checking out each of the schools on his list, the Booker's will return home to contemplate and make a final decision.

The first stop will be at the University of Florida this weekend, beginning on June 4. Oregon is to follow (June 14), then Georgia (June 18), Ohio State (June 21) and Alabama (June 25).

"It's not so much what I want to see, it's what I want to feel," Booker explained regarding his visits. "I want to feel like I'm at home, I want to feel that love. Because I feel like whatever energy is being poured into me, I'm gonna give it right back. I want the same thing. 

"Whenever I get to a school, I want them to give it back to me. I'm looking for that family feel, to go somewhere where I feel like a priority."

RELATED: Booker previews UF official visit, talks with Dan Mullen "literally every day"

Florida, which has struggled to recruit offensive tackles in general - particularly the cream of the crop -, has as great a chance of landing Booker as each of his top five programs. Booker had guaranteed UF would make his final list of schools, which dropped in April, dating back to March 2020 after his first unofficial visit.

Although Booker hadn't been to Florida prior, the Gators established themselves as a favorite of Booker's long ago.

"It's the closest thing I had to a dream school," Booker said. "My uncle [Ulish Booker] went to Michigan State so it was between those two, but Michigan State wasn't good, so it was Florida. That's when [Tim] Tebow-mania was going on."

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