Good things come to those who wait, or so the saying goes. That adage couldn’t be truer when it comes to high school recruiting.
For example, cornerback Jalen Thompson quickly went from being virtually unnoticed to being on everyone’s radar.
“My recruiting process has blown up a lot. A year ago I had no offers, and now I have 25,” Thompson said. “I can say I’m very blessed and I hope they keep coming.”
UF offered Thompson, a student at Mobile (Ala.) St. Paul’s High, a scholarship in February. Coach Will Muschamp likes the 2015 recruit’s physicality at corner and playmaking ability on special teams.
“He says I have pretty good size, good speed and that I use my height to my advantage,” Thompson said. “And he just loves the way I make plays and return punts for touchdowns.”
Thompson has tentative plans to visit Florida this weekend depending on his high school baseball playoff schedule. His games last weekend forced him to reschedule last Saturday’s planned trip to Gainesville.
Thompson has thought about playing both baseball and football while in college. He said that most coaches have told him he can play both..
That could pan out well for him if he chooses the Gators, whose baseball team has the No. 1 RPI in the nation and checked in at sixth in the latest Baseball America poll following a sweep of UGA last weekend.
UF defensive backs coach Travaris Robinson, commonly known to his players as “Coach T-Rob,” has been heralded as the best recruiter on Florida’s staff. Thompson said his relationship with Robinson runs deeper than just football.
“He talks to me on an everyday basis,” Thompson said. “Not only about just coming to Florida, just asking how my schoolwork is going or baseball is going — everyday life.”
UF has a talented young secondary heading into 2014. Sophomore All-American corner Vernon Hargreaves III anchors the group, and early enrollees Jalen Tabor and Duke Dawson are looking to make an early impact. Thompson said although he likes the possibility of getting playing time early, it is an intimidating concept as well.
“It’s very exciting but also nerve-wracking at the same time,” he said. “But another year or so, they’ll all be playing on ESPN with that good of a secondary.”
Muschamp and his staff have molded several lockdown corners and shutdown safeties in their four years at Florida. Defensive backs Loucheiz Purifoy, Marcus Roberson and Jaylen Watkins are prospects in this year’s NFL Draft. Josh Evans started in 11 games with the Jacksonville Jaguars as a rookie last season, and Matt Elam started in 15 in his rookie season with the Baltimore Ravens.
Thompson, who is listed at 5-foot-11 and 170 pounds, returned two of his seven interceptions for touchdowns in 2013. He said defensive backs having professional success after UF serves as inspiration for him as a player.
“It’s very exciting, and it gives me motivation that one day I could be like them or be even better than them,” Thompson said.
Thompson plans to visit Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Louisville, Alabama and Auburn during the upcoming summer.
While UF’s 4-8 finish in 2013 might have been a reason the coaching staff missed on some top recruits in the 2014 class, Thompson said he plans to stick with whichever team he commits to before the season kicks off on Aug. 23 regardless of its record.
Most of Thompson’s family resides in Mobile, which means staying close to home is a factor in his recruiting process. But Thompson’s family is supportive enough to let him go to whichever school fits him best — however far from Alabama that may be.
“I plan not to go over 10 hours [away] because that’d be hard for my parents to go to my games,” Thompson said. “But if I really love the school my mom said she wouldn’t mind driving that far or even flying up there every Saturday.”
Follow Morgan Moriarty on Twitter @Morgan_Moriarty
