Gators waste no time serving up offer to in-state 2022 power forward

It has been a life-changing year for one of the Sunshine State's up-and-coming big men in the class of 2022.

Taylor Hendricks, a 6-foot-8 forward from Fort Lauderdale University School, entered the year without a scholarship offer to consider, but is quickly emerging as a can't-miss target for multiple in-state programs.

Miami kicked things off in July with offer No. 1, and now the versatile sophomore could be on the verge of reaching double-digit opportunities by the end of this year.

"The recruiting process has been great," Hendricks told GatorsTerritory. "Receiving my first offer from the University of Miami really opened the door for other schools to notice me and I’m just humbled by it.

"Schools like my motor, rebounding, upside and my offensive skill set."

Not only has it been a life-changing year for Hendricks, but it's going to be difficult to surpass the level of excitement he experienced just over the past week.

Mike White's staff extended an offer last Friday, while USF followed suit just a day later. To top it off, Hendricks is roughly 24 hours removed for receiving the green light from Florida State as well, providing him with four offers overall.

"I love the academic program that the Gators have," Hendricks said when asked about his interest in UF. "I also know the athletics are known to develop players really well. I have also seen pictures of the Gators' facilities and they look very cool as well."

With three years of high school on his plate, Hendricks is still getting his feet wet with the ins and outs of the recruiting process. He continues to take the time to educate himself on each suitor, including UF, but is already starting to establish a rapport with a certain Gators coach as well.

"I don’t personally know the coaches and players, but I do know that the head coach is Mike White," Hendricks said. "I’ve had the chance to speak with Darris Nichols, the assistant coach. In regards to the players, I do have some players I’ve liked since they were in high school, like Keyontae Johnson and Tre Mann."

With a flurry of additional offers likely on the way, Hendricks is taking a wait-and-see approach with no visits scheduled at this time.

"I don’t have any planned at the moment, but I would love to get out to some schools," Hendricks said. "I just want to go to a college that would develop me the best."

Stay tuned to GatorsTerritory.