Five days after decommitting from Florida, A.C. Leonard made his college decision late Monday.
And for the third time in less than a year, the four-star Jacksonville University Christian School tight end is a Gator.
But this time the nation’s fourth-rated tight end, according to Rivals.com, said he’s sticking with his choice.
“Lately people have been coming into my life for the wrong reasons,” Leonard told Scout.com. “They have been giving me bad advice, but now I have had time to sit down and think things through. I am a Gator and I am shutting the whole process down.”
Leonard decommitted from Florida last week in the wake of UF’s loss to LSU on Oct. 9 — the team’s second in a row.
The tight end attended the game and reportedly left The Swamp disappointed with the Gators’ offense, saying the 33-29 loss was difficult to watch.
It wasn’t the first time Leonard backed off his oral commitment to the Gators, though.
After initially deciding on UF last November, Leonard decommitted following Urban Meyer’s decision to step down as head coach, only to recommit shortly thereafter.
When Leonard reopened the recruiting process last week, he was also considering offers from Nebraska, Alabama and Miami. The tight end already took official visits to Nebraska on Sept. 24 and to Alabama on Oct. 1, and University Christian School coach Heath Nivens said last week that Leonard planned to take his remaining three official visits, including one to Miami.
But with the four-star prospect closing the recruiting process and planning to enroll at UF in January, it is doubtful Leonard will take the remaining visits.
While Leonard will probably be donning a Florida jersey when spring practice begins, it is uncertain if he will suit up again this season for University Christian School.
Reports surfaced Tuesday afternoon that Leonard had been ruled ineligible for the remainder of his senior season by the FHSAA due to an on-field incident that took place when University Christian played Jacksonville Episcopal High on Friday.
However, calls to Nivens and the FHSAA seeking confirmation were not returned Tuesday.
Players unhappy?: According to a report on the website MrSEC.com, Ellenwood (Ga.) Cedar Grove High athlete Vincent Dallas, who took his official visit to Florida for the LSU game, asked current players on the UF roster if they were happy with their decisions to become Gators.
Dallas, who committed to Tennessee on Friday, reportedly said some of the players weren’t happy and didn’t “think Florida is the right place for them.” The three-star athlete refuted the report on his Facebook page and said he wouldn’t be giving any interviews until January.
“To the Florida people that was not a true statement about Florida,” Dallas posted on his Facebook. “I really really didn’t like how the reporter did me today.”
Oral commitments are non-binding until a national letter of intent is signed on or after National Signing Day on Feb. 2.
