Recruiting Insider: 6-foot-8 OT Fletcher Westphal close to taking next step with Gators

Roughly 48 hours ago, On300 offensive tackle Fletcher Westphal released his top-five schools: Florida, Georgia, Clemson, Auburn and Arkansas. Other than the Gators, each of those finalists have received at least three visits, with Clemson, Georgia and Arkansas having played host four times.

However, as for Florida, both of Westphal’s visits to Gainesville lasted at least two days. There is a strong level of familiarity with Billy Napier’s program, and now, I’m told the Virginia native is ready for more.

If all goes as planned, Westphal will likely be taking his Florida official visit on June 16-18. The trip is not locked in just yet, but that is the date both parties are aiming for. This comes after I connected with sources both in Gainesville and Westphal’s camp.

According to his On3 profile, Westphal has yet to finalize any of his official visits. Also, I would not put a lot of energy into his On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine either. It lists Maryland, Virginia Tech and Virginia, respectively, as his top schools, so that will change once Westphal gets back on the road.

The Gators are putting on the full-court press with Westphal

I definitely like where the Gators stand, but this recruitment could go in any direction. Westphal says plenty of great things about each finalist and is fairly difficult to read, especially when considering the amount of visits he has taken. Each school has rolled out the red carpet and then some.

Don’t sleep on Florida though. The SEC program is really putting in the work and has Westphal near the very top of their board. I’ve came across more Florida buzz compared to Arkansas and Auburn, while Georgia and Clemson speak for themselves. I view the Gators as a top-three option right now.

“Florida has been all gas, no brakes since they offered me back in the fall. They visited twice in January and Tuesday (offensive line coach Rob Sale) was back,” Westphal recently told GO.

“On top of the visits, lots of mail comes to my house every couple of weeks and I get texts almost every day. I know I am a priority recruit based on all their actions.”

Another plus when assessing his interest is the Gators’ dedication to the offensive line. Like the aforementioned Sale, Darnell Stapleton is also an offensive line coach in Gainesville. Those two spearhead UF’s efforts along the offensive front.

“I like both coach Sale and Stapleton and their coaching style,” Westphal said to GO. “I got to see them in action at spring practice.”

According to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies, Westphal ranks as the No. 17 offensive tackle and No. 234 prospect overall. He is a top-five prospect in the state of Virginia as well.

Stay tuned to Gators Online.

The post Recruiting Insider: 6-foot-8 OT Fletcher Westphal close to taking next step with Gators appeared first on On3.