Florida RB Jaylon Glover pulls a shocker, commits to Utah
If you follow the chatter, and even the visits in recruiting, you would have expected Lakeland (Fla.) Lake Gibson running back Jaylon Glover to be committed to Florida.
He’s not.
The 5-foot-7, 195-pound senior committed to Utah over Florida, Florida State, Georgia Tech and South Carolina.
The buzz was around Florida State earlier this summer, then it shifted to Florida in July for most of the summer, but Gibson has his mind on the program in Salt Lake City.
“Not many had any idea how I was feeling about Utah,” Gibson said. “Since the end of my junior season I have been vibing with the Utah coaches and things just progressed from there.”
Utah running backs coach Kiel McDonald got the news first. Then it got to head coach Kyle Whittingham and offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig.
“About two weeks ago I let coach McDonald know and he couldn’t believe it,” Glover said. “I gave him the silent commitment first. When I was on FaceTime with coach Whittingham about it, he started running around, screaming, and he even recorded the whole thing on the phone. He was so excited and it was a lot of fun.”
Utes got after it in 2021
When Utah first got involved, communication was good. That was in the fall last year. But over the next few months, communication was on and off. The Utes were not too high on Jaylon Glover’s list initially, but as the calendar rolled over to the new year, things changed.
“It was really toward the end of last year, then into the new year when I really started vibing with Utah,” Glover said. “The staff was great. They were not only consistent with me, but with my parents, too.
“And it was not just us talking ball. They wanted to know me. They wanted to know my family. Me and my parents have a great connection with the coaches and it is because of the consistency. They talked me a lot, they talked to my parents a lot and they really clicked with all of us.”
That consistent communication put Utah in a good spot late in the spring before the ban on visits was lifted. Everyone was talking about Florida State, Georgia Tech, South Carolina and even Tennessee at that time when you heard Glover’s name, but Utah was high on his list, too.
Visit pushed Utah to the top for Jaylon Glover
Once visits started, and Jaylon Glover took his official visit to Utah in June, it was almost game over. Florida offered in mid-June, and about a week after the hometown Gators offered, Glover tripped to Utah.
Even with more visits to come, that visit all but sealed the deal.
“Me being from Florida, the scenery really stood out as soon as I got to Utah,” Gibson said. “I really had that feeling on the visit. It felt like family, my parents felt comfortable, and I vibed with the staff in person.
“I spent time with the players, too, and they made me feel like part of the team. They talked to me about the coaches, how they play no favorites and how they want the best for each player. It really felt like a big family there. That visit all but locked me in.”
A family decision
Once he finished visits in June, Jaylon Glover talked in-depth with his parents about his options. The family had many discussions, but early in July, they sat down, hashed things out, and realized they were feeling the same way about the same school.
“We all loved Utah,” Gibson said. “I actually think they loved it first. I think I was a little in denial at first because of the distance, but the more I thought about it and talked it, I knew it was the right school for me.
“Everything clicked with me and the staff, my parents and the staff and it is the place for me. It was not an easy decision, and I had some great schools on my list, but Utah is the right school for me.”