UF commit Julian Humphrey recruiting priority targets to the Swamp
Florida hosted some of the nation’s top recruits on Saturday when the Gators fell to No. 1 Alabama, and among them was Julian “Julio” Humphrey.
“As everybody knows, this was a huge game for the Florida Gators against Alabama,” Humphrey told Gators Territory’s Conner Clarke.
“I mean, the whole atmosphere was crazy. I loved everything, everything about this trip. Ever since I stepped foot on campus, all the love, all the fans. We got to see everybody back. And then when you get in the stadium, the ground was shaking with all the fans around, the band. It was crazy. I loved it. It was crazy.”
One player who Humphrey paid utmost attention to was Florida cornerback, Kaiir Elam, who had a career day against the Crimson Tide.
“I like how Kaiir Elam followed their best receiver, and then once he locked him down and shut him out, Alabama was struggling because they could no longer throw it to that main target," Humphrey said. "When I get here, I believe that I could do the same thing Elam’s doing: follow the best receiver, the best, fastest receiver they have on the team. And I could just like guard him man to man."
Humphrey’s high school, Clear Lake High School, runs a very similar scheme in the secondary to the way Florida defensive coordinator Todd Grantham runs his secondary.
“There was one receiver all the way out by himself, and there was one DB, and that DB was on an island by himself, and that’s kind of the same thing we do: make that DB be on an island with no safety over top, so I liked that. And then the other side, it was a two-by-two, and they were just playing zone to zone with them. It’s pretty much the same thing I do in our defense, so I know I’ll fit in pretty good,” Humphrey said.
Compared to other visits, it’s safe to say this one caught Humphrey’s eye the most.
“This visit with all the games and everything going on, it’s the best visit I’ve had so far,” Humphrey said. With the game, the fans, with everybody in the stadium, it’s amazing.”
When it comes to the 2022 Florida recruiting class, the 6-foot, 175-pound cornerback is leading the way as a recruiter.
“We’re all trying to come together, and we’re all trying to come to Florida,” Humphrey said. “All top guys come to Florida (to) build this thing up and win a national championship. But at the same time, we’re trying to get Walter Nolen. We’re trying to get Evan Stewart. Once we get Evan Stewart, we’re going to be good on offense. We’re going to have a lot of weapons because we already have Isaiah Bond, Nicco (Evers) and of course we have that new receiver. And then on defense, I’m trying to get Azareyeh (Thomas) and Jaheim Singletary.”
Humphrey has built quite a relationship with fellow four-star cornerback prospect Azareyeh Thomas, and he’s certainly pushing Thomas to come to Gainesville.
“Me and Azareyeh, we want to play together,” Humphrey said. “We want to go to the same school. I’m on one side, he's on the other side, so we pretty much have a tight bond, and we want to play together.”
Looking ahead, Humphrey is taking his second official visit to Florida’s SEC East rival Georgia as he’s only experienced one this summer in Gainesville.
However, he said he’s looking to attend two to three more games in the Swamp this fall.
It’s unclear whether he’ll sign this December and enroll on campus in the spring, but he is leaning one way right now.
“Right now, I think I am going to try to be an early enrollee,” Humphrey said.
Stay tuned to Gators Territory.