re: "Recruiting Season" 2023 Class

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida's decision to move its spring game from Saturday to Thursday appears to have been highly beneficial for at least one top prospect who was in the Swamp last night to take in the action.

Four-star running back Treyaun Webb from nearby Trinity Christian Academy in Jacksonville was in town for the game and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

"It was great," Webb told 247Sports' Blake Alderman. "Honestly, coach (Billy) Napier moving it to Thursday, I was able to go. Because if it was on Saturday like it originally was I wouldn't have went."

More than 300 high school prospects were on campus for the evening -- though certainly not all are Florida-caliber players -- and the atmosphere was good from start to finish. The team ran out onto the field to pyrotechnics, while recruits had some of the best seats in the house on the alumni side of the stadium, a change implemented by Napier and his staff.

Webb was recognized several times on his visit, something that seemed to appeal to the 6-foot-1, 205-pound prospect.

"The fans were amazing," he said. "I feel like Florida is the only place where I can really go -- either Florida or South Carolina, well I haven't been to South Carolina yet -- as far as I can go and walk around, feel comfortable like it's my home. I can walk around, basically do anything I want. It's basically home away from home. Fans, everything. The staff, they treat me like I'm one of their own.

"Anything I can look for in a school, I've got it in my back yard. It's that overall feeling, that home feeling, I can go there, feel comfortable just walking around, talking to fans. The fans is crazy. I've never felt love from any fans (like that). It feels good going to a place where fans know you, take picture with you. You've got little kids looking up to you and stuff like that, I like that."

UF sits in commanding position in Webb's recruitment, with South Carolina also standing out.

Webb plans to take official visits to Florida (June 3), Penn State (June 11), Tennessee (June 18) and South Carolina (June 24) before making a commitment sometime in July. He may also officially visit Baylor, but he hasn't ironed out plans on that one yet.

"Florida is probably my leader in my recruitment for a while now," Webb said. "That's kind of where it's at in my recruiting right now, Florida's always been my leader, really."

In addition to the atmosphere Webb was able to soak in on Thursday night, he also got a chance to watch the offense in person. He also took an unofficial visit to UF earlier this spring, so it wasn't his first time watching the unit.

It was his first time seeing it under the lights in a game setting, though.

"It was great, I kind of got a little taste of the atmosphere of how it's going to be with coach Napier and the fans," he said. "Just the overall game atmosphere, there was nothing like it. It was kind of my first time really being in that atmosphere. It was electric."

He was impressed by what he saw on the field, too.

"I like how the offense is," he said. "Kind of how it was at that 'Bama offense when they won a natty with DeVonta Smith and Najee Harris. They kind of base their offense off the run game. The use the run game to set up RPOs, quick shots, stuff like that."

Webb said UF's whole staff has been active in his recruitment, and he came away from the visit feeling like he's wanted by the Gators.

"Big takeaway, I would probably say that I'm a priority and they need me," he said. "They're trying to build a special national championship team and they're making great strides with that at Florida."

Webb is ranked as the No. 115 overall prospect in the country in the 247Composite, an industry-generated recruiting ranking. He checks in as the No. 5 running back in the nation and the No. 23 overall player in the state of Florida in the 2023 recruiting class.

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