Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas four-star safety Zayden Gamble will soon come off the board.
Gamble tells 247Sports that he will decide this Saturday at 6:30 p.m. between four finalists: Florida, Miami, Notre Dame and Ohio State. He is set to announce his decision live on the CBS Sports College Football Youtube Channel.
All four programs have gotten Gamble to campus this spring and have summer official visits set up with him. However, Gamble is ready to make the call on his college of choice before taking those visits.
The Hurricanes are trying to keep the South Florida native come for college.
“They’ve done everything,” Gamble said of the Hurricanes. “I never thought that I would be the guy they’re recruiting this hard. The staff is just great people, nothing but amazing people in the building. From the recruiting interns to [head] coach [Mario] Cristobal, the people in that building are nothing but amazing. It intrigues me to continue to come back. I see there is an opportunity to play early which is a big thing for me. The brotherhood there, I know almost half the team already just from coming from South Florida. It’s definitely a place I can see myself at.”
The Gators are another in-state option for Gamble
“The energy at Florida is unmatched,” Gamble said. “I think I was coach [Jon] Sumrall’s earliest offers as he came to Florida and one of his biggest targets and he definitely let that be known. He’s just done a great job recruiting me. Him, his coaching staff: [safeties] coach Chris Collins, [nickels] coach Dae’one [Wilkins], [defensive coordinator] coach [Brad] White — they’re definitely competitors. I can see myself growing in that organization, in that program.”
Notre Dame has made a big impression as of late. They lead on the 247Sports Crystal Ball at the moment for Gamble.
“Notre Dame, it’s kind of like the St. Thomas Aquinas blueprint,” Gamble said. “The standard, the structure in it all — it just reminds me of the place I grew up and started, which is here. The brotherhood in that locker room is just a place where you want to be invested in. The coaches are just great people as well.”
Ohio State had had plenty of success recruiting and developing players from Gamble’s high school. The Buckeyes are a top contender.
“Ohio State speaks for itself. Development and the stats and numbers they’ve put up, it’s nowhere close to anybody else. They’re the blueprint. It’s kind of a hard place to compete with when you’re at the top for so long. Ohio State, and they’re also great people in the building. [Co-defensive coordinator] coach [Tim] Walton, [defensive coordinator] coach [Matt] Patricia, [safeties] coach [Matt] Guerrieri, those are guys that have done it all — been there and done it. So definitely learning from those guys would improve me as a person and a player.”
The 5-foot-11, 190-pounder checks in as the No. 174 overall prospect and No. 16 safety in the country by 247Sports. He is also ranked as the No. 19 player in the state of Florida.
Gamble totaled 65 tackles, three tackles for loss, three interceptions , five pass breakups and a forced fumble as a junior.
