Just hours after the SEC Championship the coaching staff took off trying to get more members added to the Florida Gators recruiting class when they hit the road recruiting.

The first stop for defensive coordinator Geoff Collins was to see defensive end LaBryan Ray (6-4, 255, Madison, AL. James Clemons) at his home.

“Things went really well with Coach Collins,” Ray said. “We talked about everything, football, academics at Florida, we talked about the type of guys he coached in the past. He told me some stories about them and we just had a good time.”

Collins and the Gators have been sending a message to Ray that he’s needed in Gainesville and that was the same message on Sunday.

“He tells me that I have a chance to come in and compete for a starting job,” he said. “That’s something that plays a role and something I look at. It’s important to hear that I could play early at strong side defensive end.”

While in-home with Ray, Collins addressed why the Gators finished on a two game losing streak and it was something that the defensive end noticed.

“Coach told me that a bunch of players went down and by the end of the season a lot of starters were hurt so it hurt them,” Ray said of Collins message to him about the team. “He said that it affected them but that they’re a young and talented team. He said that things are going to continue getting better for Florida. I can tell that.”

Not only is Collins recruiting Ray but defensive line coach Chris Rumph also has a good relationship with the Alabama lineman.

“My relationship with those guys are really good, Coach Rumph is more of a jokester,” he said of his relationship with Rumph and Collins. “We joke around all the time but we also get serious and talk about football and life. The relationships are just great with both of them.”

Ray has been to Gainesville twice already and plans to return in January and he says that’s because of his major interest in Florida.

“My interest in Florida is very high interest in them, I can see myself playing for them,” Ray said. “There is a lot of opportunity to come in and play early from what I’ve noticed. I got to go down there and experience a game and they’re definitely a school that I’m thinking about.”

Now that football season is over with Ray is planning out his official visits and he says he knows the five schools that will get visits.

“I’m going to Ole Miss this weekend,” he said. “In January I’m going to Florida, Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi State. I know that Florida is going to be the last weekend of January.”

INSIDERS TAKE: It still remains to be a Florida/Alabama battle for Ray who is in instant impact guy on the defensive line. Ray already looks like a college football player and will likely contribute as a freshman.