Katie Turner shares why signees picked Florida and didn't waver

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Recruiting is all about relationships. Prospective student-athletes not only communicate with coaches throughout the process but commits, current players and countless staff members.

The latter group — Billy Napier’s army — has been beefed up by a 55 percent increase in Florida’s recruiting budget, raising it to $2 million. The Gators’ recruiting department is led by director of player personnel Jacob LaFrance, who works with a full team of scouts and personnel analysts, and assistant athletic director of recruiting strategy Katie Turner, who oversees the whole on-campus recruiting operation.

For Turner, building relationships with prospects — along with their parents, siblings and family members — is her favorite part of the job.

“I think it’s at the core of what we do. I mean, that’s literally why I have the job that I have and I’m so passionate about it,” Turner said on the Gators Tales podcast. “Hopefully they recognize that and they know we really have their backs beyond just the football field or just beyond external factors. We really do care about them. And I think that is something that I love; I love getting to know them, I love getting to know their families and it’s just been a really cool process.

“But I think there’s something to be said for them, too. If they feel that, you hope that’s going to have them work harder for you. I think that’s just Coach Napier’s approach, that’s his leadership style. … He’s gonna love you hard and he’s gonna coach you hard and he’s going to care about you personally. And I hope they recognize that and they say, ‘I’m going to fight for this guy because I don’t want to disappoint him.’ So, I definitely think that relationships are at the core of what we want to build here and at the core of our culture.”

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Turner described how close-knit Florida’s 2023 class signees are amongst themselves, which she said is rare to have with a group of recruits. Those relationships, coupled with the bonds they built with Napier’s staff, helped keep the commits solid with the Gators.

Four-star defensive back Sharif Denson was one of a few UF pledges other programs continued to pursue, with schools such as Alabama and Miami trying to flip him after his decision. Denson explained why he stayed locked in with Florida and never wavered.

“Really just steady communication with the staff,” he said. “Just making sure I’m talking to PT [Patrick Toney], C-Ray [Corey Raymond] and other people on the staff like Katie. They put together a great staff, so they’re going to make sure they’re talking to you every week, even if you are committed.”

Down the stretch, the Gators also prevented Alabama, FSU and Michigan from poaching pledges Kelby Collins, Andy Jean and Aaron Gates, respectively. Despite those efforts and UF having another down year with a 6-7 season, Florida’s 2023 class remained intact without any major defections.

Turner was asked why she thinks the Gators won their highly contested recruiting battles and what factors ultimately put them over the top against other programs, particularly those with better W-L records in 2022.

“I would say it’s the genuine nature of the staff. First and foremost, I think a lot of it does go back to relationships,” Turner said. “I think that player development is huge. They know we have a great coaching staff. And then at the end of the day, you’re at a school like the University of Florida where you can come and compete in the SEC and compete for a national championship. And I think our class understands they can be the building blocks for that, and they take a lot of pride in that. So, it’s going to take time, but they all understand that.

“Like, that’s the other really cool part about these commits. They’re excited, they’re hungry, they’re eager. They are literally chomping at the bit to come here to help contribute. But they know too that it’s not going to be easy, it is going to be a lot of hard work. So, it’s been cool. They’re definitely bought in. So, I would say it’s relationships, it’s genuine nature of the staff, it’s player development, it’s that we will compete at a high level. So, it’s just all those factors.”