While Florida finished in the top 10 of the recruiting rankings for 2017, there are still some areas they'd like to shore up in the next recruiting cycle. One of them is along the offensive line and they got a good head start on that with a visit from in-state lineman William Barnes.
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The 6'4", 290-pound Barnes is ranked as a four-star recruit by 247Sports and the No. 10 offensive tackle in the class. The Apopka, Fla. native has 15 offers right now, but the Gators seem to be the highest on his list, at least according to what he told SEC Country about his visit to Gainesville and with offensive line coach Brad Davis.
"It was my first time talking to Brad Davis face-to-face. From the way he talked to me, I can see that he's a great coach and he's looking out for me. So it was just a great visit.
"After talking with Coach Davis, I definitely feel a bond with him coming on. I just feel great talking to him. So definitely Florida is still on top."
He also tweeted this to reaffirm that belief:
Barnes spent time with fellow Apopka native Martez Ivey, which probably helped the Gators' cause and he's said that North Carolina, Auburn, Florida State and Ohio State are his other top schools, with the Tar Heels being the biggest threat to UF.
[h/t SEC Country]
