Top-15 TE Nick Elksnis says choosing Florida was a 'no-brainer.'
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Dan Mullen and the Florida Gators just reeled in their second tight end from the class of 2021, as former Penn State commit Nick Elksnis pulled the trigger while on campus for Saturday's junior day.
Elksnis, a product of Jacksonville (Fla.) Episcopal who checks in at roughly 6-foot-6, 220 pounds, had been heavily trending toward UF since reopening his recruitment a few weekends ago. The Gators have been prioritizing the position with plans to sign two prospects to the class, and view Elksnis as another perfect piece to the puzzle.
Gage Wilcox, a Rivals250 prospect hailing from Tampa (Fla.) Jefferson, is already teamed up with the University of Florida as well.
"When I de-committed from Penn State, I had been talking with Florida for a while and Florida was high on my list for sure," Elksnis told GatorsTerritory after committing.
"When I got back down here, I was walking around, looking at everything, talking with the coaches, talking with my grandmother who's been at Florida her whole life coming down to games and everything, it just seems like home. It seems like by far the best for me. When it got to that point, I was like, 'This is a no-brainer for me.'"
Was there one specific moment that made Elksnis pause and realize he just found his future home away from home?
"To be honest, watching my grandmother look around," Elksnis said. "We were walking down onto the field to go into the locker-room, and she knew exactly where her seats were and the rows. That's how it is with a lot of people at Florida; there's just such dedication from the fans, so one, I know I will have good fan support, and also just seeing how excited she was.
"I had everything lined up football-wise, but then just seeing the support that I'll be getting from family, that's when I decided this is where I want to go."
As expected, recruiting ace and newly-hired tight ends coach, Tim Brewster, played a significant role in recent weeks as well. Elksnis has been speaking with his future positional coach on a daily basis, but today's junior day marked the first time they had any face-to-face contact.
"I started off with coach (Larry) Scott," Elksnis said. "He kind of got the ball rolling a little bit, but when I got to meet coach Brewster and talk on the phone with him, I just liked the enthusiasm that he had. I like where he's going to meet me where I am; he's not going to try and change me. He wants me to be the best who I am and how I play the position, and I like his coaching philosophies. I like the kind of person he is, and when you look at his history, he knows what he's doing with tight ends."
Tabbed as the nation's 15th-ranked tight end, Elksnis is armed with additional offers from Florida State, Miami, Michigan, Ohio State, South Carolina and Tennessee among others.
"I've been talking to Gage Wilcox, the other tight end commit. He and I are pretty good friends and we might try to do our official together, but if not, I'll let you guys know. I'm not sure yet," Elksnis said of his OV with the Gators.
The Sunshine State native also added that he is locked in with Florida and doesn't plan to visit additional suitors.
As a junior, Elksnis hauled in 36 catches for 665 yards and seven touchdowns for the 10-2 Eagles. He also made a significant impact at defensive end, accounting for 38 tackles, 5.5 sacks, three pass deflections and two fumble recoveries.
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