Showers preps for Florida visit

This coming weekend Madison Heights (Mich) Madison three-star cornerback Valdez Showers will make his long anticipated official visit to Florida.

The 5-foot-11, 180-pounder has seen the visit date moved around a couple of times now, most recently because of the coaching change at UF that saw Urban Meyer step down and Will Muschamp take his place.

"I've been paying close attention to Florida, seeing how they've been rebuilding their coaching staff," replied Showers when asked what has been happening on the recruiting front. "I'm going to be taking my visit on Friday [1/14]."

Before setting foot on campus this weekend, UF made sure that Showers was already acquainted with his new position coach - Travaris Robinson.

"He came here last Thursday. He was at school and home," said Showers. "He's a wonderful guy. I have a real good connection with him and I'm looking forward to playing for him in the future."

At 29 years of age, Robinson is the youngest member of the Gator coaching staff - and one of the least experienced.

For his part, Showers believes that is more of a positive than a negative.

"It has its pros and cons," explained Showers. "A lot of people will look at it and say he doesn't have as much experience, but at the same time he has just been through what I'm going to be going through. He was a college and NFL player not that long ago. He can relate to what I'm going to be going through."

Not only was Florida able to pull Michigan's Gatorade Player-of-the-Year out of the state, UF was able to hold on to him throughout their own coaching change and will apparently retain him despite the home state Michigan Wolverines making a change.

When asked about the chances of the new Michigan regime making an appeal to him to stay home and play his ball, Showers replied, "Nah. They probably know that I'm committed to Florida. I'm not going to worry about them."

During his senior season Showers played both ways.

On offense he carried the ball 235 times for 2,034-yards and 29 touchdowns, while catching 18 passes for 257 yards and three touchdowns.

Defensively he recorded 19 tackles and three interceptions. As a junior, when teams would still throw to his side of the field, he recorded 12 pass breakups.

Despite his play making ability with the ball in his hands, Showers said that UF will start him out in the defensive secondary.