Alex McCalister capped a whirlwind period of his recruitment by committing to play football at Florida, according to coach Adrian Snow of West Forsyth.
McCalister, a 6-6, 220-pound senior who played defensive end and outside linebacker last fall, was also considering Georgia Tech and North Carolina among his 20 Division I offers, Snow said.
But after taking an official visit to Florida over the weekend, he made his decision.
"He has always enjoyed the people," Snow said. "Once he got down there and his mom also saw it — she went with him this weekend — that did it. The coach who recruited him, D.J. Durkin, does a great job. Dan Quinn, the defensive coordinator at Florida, I will give him the best compliment I can give a college football coach.
"When he talks to you, he does not make you feel like you are not the defensive coordinator at Florida. He coached (former NFL star) Jason Taylor, and Jason said that Quinn was the best coach he ever had. That resonated with Alex a lot."
McCalister, who also plays basketball, attended Reynolds for most of his first three years of high school before transferring to West Forsyth in the spring of 2011. Shortly after his transfer, he attended a Shrine Bowl combine, and his results attracted college recruiters.
And while McCalister was selected to the Journal's All-Northwest Team and was picked all-state by The Associated Press, his best days are ahead of him, Snow said.
"He is all about the unbelievable potential," Snow said. "You don't run 4.06 in pro shuttle at his size. You don't broad jump over 10 feet, or vertical jump 34.5 without his shoes. (Florida) understands that he has done this with what God has given him. He hasn't worked himself into those times or measurements. He has spent five or six months in the weight room.
"Once he is down there getting fed five or six times a day, in the weight room every day … there is no telling what he will do. It's amazing."
McCalister can sign a binding letter of intent on Feb. 1, the first day of the NCAA's football signing period.
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