The Florida Gators have continually bolstered their recruiting class this year. Adding four-star running back/wide receiver Charles Montgomery to the growing list of players who will call Gainesville home next fall looked to be their move. Maybe not anymore.
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Montgomery plays for Seffner Armwood High School in Seffner, Fla, a suburb of Tampa. He is from nearby Valrico and has been exceptional when given the ball, accounting for 1,029 yards and 15 touchdowns after just 72 touches in 2019. The Hawks reached the semifinals of the playoffs in 2018, largely due to Montgomery's performances. He even filled in admirably at quarterback during the postseason.
His senior season was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, but he has been just as productive as any other year in a limited sample. The 247Sports Composite is high on Montgomery, calling him a four-star NCAA prospect who can one day carve out a role in the NFL.
Charles Montgomery Commits to Florida
LongLiveEddyT🖤 pic.twitter.com/ICWdcqFnjk
— Chuck Montgomery (@iam_CharlesM3) July 2, 2020
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The University of Florida Gators were not the only team actively pursuing four-star athlete Charles Montgomery. He also received offers from programs such as Alabama, Arkansas, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, LSU, Maryland, Miami, Ohio State, and South Carolina. The Terrapins were the runners-up for Montgomery, which was a great showing for a school whose football recruiting has been lackluster recently.
4-star WR Charles Montgomery grew up a fan of #FSU, but is committed to #Florida.
With offers from 20+ Division-1 programs he says, "during the recruiting process, you realize your favorite schools aren't your favorite schools."
@ArmwoodHawksfb @iam_CharlesM3 pic.twitter.com/2QLy1DexPc
— Kyle Burger (@kyle_burger) September 7, 2020
Florida wide receivers coach Billy Gonzales was integral to the recruiting process.
ATH Charles Montgomery Highlights
Looking at these highlights, it is clear that Montgomery deserves a chance at the collegiate level. He has the potential to be an exceptional playmaker for Gators football. He may have to commit to the role of "gadget player" early on, as he does not perfectly match the running back or wide receiver position descriptions.
Florida football has hit a rough patch in years past, but they look great with Heisman candidate Kyle Trask at the helm. Montgomery will not get the chance to play with the graduating senior, but head coach Dan Mullen has proven that he can make things happen with this offense, so the ceiling has to be quite high.
The Gators have been at the peak of the college football mountain before, and recruits like Charles Montgomery may expedite their wait time to reach those heights again.
Charles Montgomery Decommits From Florida
https://twitter.com/iam_CharlesM3/status/1340086843149312006?s=20
UPDATE (January 7, 2021): Montgomery officially decommitted from the Florida Gators on December 18, 2020. He stated on January 4 that his recruitment was "open."
"After a long talk with my family I've decided that I will be de-committing from the University of Florida...I'm sorry Gator family...Please respect and understand my decision," he wrote on Twitter.
Montgomery could still end up with the Gators, but a destination somewhere else in the SEC seems more likely.
