Why Georgia for On300 WR Raymond Cottrell? He explains his flip
The Dawgs pulled off a big flip in the 2023 class on Thursday morning in four-star wideout Raymond Cottrell.
Cottrell had been a Florida commit since late July.
“It was more of Coach [Cortez] Hankton and Coach [Scott] Cochran. Those guys have been in my life for a while,” he said. “Even when I was committed, they still checked on me and made sure I was good and encouraged me. They told me, ‘Hey, we’ve gotta get you out here. We’ve got to get you to look at this.’”
The Gators, on the other hand, took a more impersonal approach.
“The reason I made that decision is because of the way Florida recruits. I don’t understand why, but for example, the wide receivers coach, Coach (Billy) Gonzales, I would rather him have a relationship with me. Still, we barely talked,” Cottrell said. “I’ve been talking to the linebackers coach, and that’s not even my position. For me, I take it like I have to have a relationship with my coach. If I’m sitting here fixing to play for you, I need to have a relationship. Coach Hankton built the relationship up from eighth grade when I got offered by them. I’ve got trust in those guys. I didn’t feel the trust or relationship with Florida.”
A stop last weekend in Athens helped to seal the deal, as well.
“Obviously, they need some receivers. They’re airing it out. They’re actually throwing the ball,” Cottrell said. “Florida is running for their life right now. Georgia is throwing it, making check downs, and hitting everything they need to do. The offensive line is great, so we’ve got time.”
He’s also confident in his fit with the Georgia offense after receiving some high praise from the staff.
“Literally everything. Route running, the way I go get the ball. All of that,” he said. “What people don’t understand is I’m quick like a slot, but I’m 6-foot-3, 200 pounds. I’m not a regular wide receiver. People don’t understand that.”
Raymond Cottrell, the recruiter
Moving ahead, he’s now switching to recruiter, as a close associate of Shemar James.
“Yeah, I love that guy. I think I can reel him in,” Cottrell said of James.
But outside of that, he’s content to let the program sell itself.
“If you want my honest opinion (on who I’m recruiting), it’s nobody. If you want to come be a Bulldog, then come be a Bulldog. I’m not going to twist anyone’s arm. At the end of the day, we’re trying to get the best players in every single area. If you want to be a part of that, come on,” Cottrell said.
Raymond Cottrell becomes the seventh commitment for Georgia’s Class of 2023. All seven commitments are four-star prospects.
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