https://www.seccountry.com/florida/florida-recruiting-mycah-pittman-comfort-level
WR Mycah Pittman has strong bond with Florida staff
Top-100 overall recruit Mycah Pittman has become part of Dan Mullen’s daily routine.
Florida is one of more than two dozen schools recruiting the 4-star wide receiver from Calabasas, Calif. In an effort to separate himself from the pack, the first-year Gators coach has found a unique way to communicate regularly with Pittman.
“Every morning I wake up to a Coach Mullen text,” Pittman said. “He sends me quotes about hard work and all that. It’s awesome. I love getting them. He’s always telling me about dedication. Nothing is given to you easy. You have to go get it if you really want it.
“You’re born with genetics, but you have to do certain things to become a great player and make the big bucks. It takes a mentality and the heart of a lion. He’s just always constantly on me.”
That constant communication has helped Mullen form a strong bond with Pittman, who attended the Orange & Blue Game on Saturday. Having already visited Florida once this spring, his highlight over this weekend was spending time with Mullen and wide receivers coach Billy Gonzales.
“I talked to Coach Mullen and Gonzales for like an hour. We were just nonstop talking and it was awesome,” Pittman said. “Coach Gonzales just told me he really likes me and he wants me bad. I’m the No. 1 wide receiver on his board right now. He feels like he can move me around and get me the ball a lot, get me some direct snaps.”
Pittman last visited Florida in mid-March for the opening weekend of spring practices. The nation’s No. 8 wide receiver likes that Gainesville is a college town and enjoyed the atmosphere in The Swamp on Saturday.
“It was a lot of fun. The fan base was crazy,” Pittman said. “I talked to the coaches a little bit longer. Just getting to know them more and building that relationship. Coach Gonzales was telling me what he’s going to use me for. It was music to my ears and everything I wanted to hear. So hearing that from him just made me feel good about it and more comfortable.”
Gators QB commit recruiting Mycah Pittman
Mullen and Gonzales aren’t alone in their efforts to land Pittman.
He also has started hearing from Gators quarterback commit
Jalon Jones (Baltimore), who joined Florida’s 2019 class earlier this month. Mullen already has asked Jones to recruit Pittman, 5-star running back
Trey Sanders (Bradenton, Fla.) and 4-star defensive end
Nathan Pickering (Seminary, Miss.).
“That guy,” Pittman said with a smile when asked about Jones. “He’s fired up about Florida. He’s telling me the fans are really awesome, everyone is supportive of his decision and he’s ready to go. He sent me long paragraphs about how great Florida is. He’s just telling me to come join the family and it’s a great atmosphere.
“He’s just a cool guy. He told me, ‘I’ll give you the ball every single play.’ So he was just trying to hype it up and get me on board. It’s great to have him around. He said he would love to have me and we could break some records at Florida. Maybe that will happen, maybe not. It’s all God’s plan to see how it goes.”
Despite his relationship with the Florida coaches and the early impression of Jones, Pittman isn’t on the verge of committing to the Gators. He wants to take his recruitment the distance and has nine more schools under consideration.
That being said, his latest trip to Gainesville helped Florida’s chances.
“It strengthens things a lot,” Pittman said. “My mom loves the staff, but we’re still going to keep our options open obviously. I’m not just going to stay on one school like Florida. It’s a great school and there’s nothing bad about it. I just have to keep my options open, keep my recruiting process going and just have fun with it.
“It’s just about communication and making me feel at home. Florida doing very well at that. They’re definitely staying in contact and they’re probably the school that’s on me the hardest. Them, Nebraska and Alabama. They’re constantly hitting me up on the phone.”
Pittman plans to visit Georgia next weekend and will take future trips to Alabama, LSU and Nebraska. He hopes to make his decision on National Signing Day, but may commit sooner if a school sways him.
“Honestly, I’ll probably wait until Signing Day just because of my patience,” Pittman said. “I want to take in every school and take all my officials. If I get a change of heart, the school turns around and just makes me feel right at home, I’ll probably end up committing there.
“Nebraska, Florida, Alabama, Ohio State, LSU, those schools are all really on me. I’m just considering all of them and taking in what those coaches have to say to me. I just want to see where I feel most comfortable and where my family feels they can move and live comfortably.”