On3 top-30 DB Wardell Mack soaks up first visit to Florida, sets official visit

On3 top-30 defensive back Wardell Mack continued his tour of firsts this spring making his way out to The Swamp over Easter Weekend with his family for the first time.

Florida been recruiting the No. 5-ranked cornerback in the On300 for more than a year, though Billy Napier and Corey Raymond elected to finally offer Mack a month ago.

After visiting Gainesville, the Gators have made a massive leap into the thick of Mack’s recruitment. Florida will get the elite cornerback’s first official visit — set for June 16-18 — ahead of what should be a late-summer decision.

“They are going to be my first official visit,” said Mack, the No. 26 overall player in the nation out of Marrero (La.) John Ehret High School.

“I already had high expectations for this visit and everything I saw and went through exceeded all of them,” he continued. “My biggest takeaway from the visit was that I could see myself being there and being developed into a first-rounder there.”

Mack has made visits to both Florida State and Florida State the past two weekends.

The Seminoles made a major leap with Mack last weekend. The Gators knocked their opportunity out of the park, too.

“I would say Florida and Florida State have both jumped up (in my recruitment,” he said.

Corey Raymond leading the charge with one of The Boot’s best

Raymond, the Gators’ defensive backs coach, made Mack a focal point of this weekend’s visit. That included time spent together on the field, around campus and inside the highly-respected assistant coach’s office.

Raymond isn’t a talker, but his message came through clearly to Mack.

“All of the knowledge I soaked up from just being in Corey Raymond’s presence,” he started. “I took a full page of notes. His message was here at Florida, it’s a good place full of good people that will for sure take care of me. I feel as if I saw that and felt that here.”

Raymond’s energy on the field was also an eye-catcher for the On300 defensive back.

“Just watching his philosophy and seeing his knowledge being transferred into the field by his players was the biggest thing for me,” Mack said of his time in Gainesville.

Mack visits Texas next

Mack’s busy April of visits will continue on April 15 when the top-30 cornerback heads to The Forty Acres for the first time.

Longhorns DB coach Terry Joseph, a New Orleans native, has maintained a steady presence in Mack’s recruitment along with head coach Steve Sarkisian, who has been heavily invested of late.

“I know Coach Joseph and I talk to Sark, too, and they’re always trying to get me up there as much as possible. It starts with this trip,” Mack said. “They’re showing constant love, keeping up with me, and asking me about my family and my overall well-being.”

The Longhorns are already trending for an official visit along with Florida and LSU with Mack, who aims to make a decision before his senior season. He is the No. 9 CB in the country, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies

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