Offensive tackle Gunner Givens is one of the most coveted prospects in the 2022 class but to make the recruiting process more manageable the Daleville (Va.) Lord Botetourt star narrowed his long list of contenders down to six. Even though a commitment might not be imminent, Givens still has some very strong feelings about these schools.
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CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
COVERAGE: Rivals Transfer Tracker | Rivals Camp Series
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IN HIS OWN WORDS...
Alabama- "They have a great 2021 class coming in and they constantly compete for national championships," Givens said. "I've got a great relationship with coach Sunseri and the whole coaching staff. The fact that they compete for championships year in and year out and that I have great relationships there made me want to put them in my top six."
Clemson- "It's kind of the same thing with Alabama," he said. "It's a great school academically and they play national championships year in and year out. That's one of the schools that I have the best relationships with. Coach Caldwell is a great guy. Coach Swinney is one of, if not the best coach in the country. They are a great all around school. I have some friends that have offers from Clemson and they like it there too so we could all go to Clemson but we'll see how it plays out."
North Carolina- "It's the amount of effort they've shown recruiting me is why they made my top six," said Givens. "They always in touch letting me know they're thinking about me. I've done a virtual visit with them and coach Searls and coach Lilly have been amazing with me as far as staying in touch with me to make sure I'm doing fine and so is my family. They're consistent and seem like really good people. North Carolina has two really good classes coming up in the 2020 and 2021 classes. If they continue to build they'll be playing in the National Championship soon. I've talked to Tony (Grimes) once or twice but he's definitely helped them bring in some really good dudes."
Ohio State- "They made the cut for the same reasons Clemson and Alabama did," he said. "They play for national championships and it's a good school. They have a bunch of really good 2022 players coming in and they've done a good job with the previous classes so they should be playing for another National Championship soon. Coach Stud isn't the type of coach that's going to BS you. He's going to keep in real and not lie to you. He can put you in the NFL because he does it every year. That's another huge thing for me."
Penn State- "That's another coaching staff that's done really well with me," Givens said. "They keep up with my family well and make sure that we're all ok. They're putting a lot of effort recruiting me and that's a huge deal for me because it shows they care a lot about me. They're on the come up as a football program. They play really good competition and they do pretty well. I talk to coach Trautwein and coach Howle a good bit and I talk to coach Franklin here and there."
Virginia Tech- "Being in my backyard, 30 minutes down the road, everybody around me loves Virginia Tech," he said. "They're the hometown school and they're definitely getting better. They've been playing pretty good recently and playing good competition in the ACC. Their coaching staff is amazing. They've shown my love since my freshman year, which is probably earlier than any other school. That's a huge deal for me."
On what position he’ll play at the next level- "Pretty much every school I've talked to has said that, even though I'm listed as an offensive tackle, however much I weigh when I graduate and however athletic I am will determine whether I play offensive tackle or defensive end," said Givens. "If I graduate around 270-pounds or 275-pounds I'll get a chance to play defensive end and defensive tackle or I could put the weight on and play offensive tackle. I don't really have a preference. I want to play in the NFL so I'll play whatever gets me there.
On when he’ll commit- "From here I'll probably just commit," he said. "There isn't any sort of order to these schools. I need get out and see some places so it'll probably be after January when the dead period ends. I'll probably take a bunch of unofficial visits because I wanted to visit a bunch of schools for the Coronavirus hit. I'll end up hitting all my schools again and make a decision from there."
On what he’s looking for- "I would say being in touch with the coaching staff is a huge factor for me," Givens said. "Family atmosphere, playing really good competition, and sending playings to the NFL are some other huge things for me."
On the visits he’s taken: "I’ve been to Clemson and Virginia Tech out of my top six," he said. "I have virtual visits with Alabama and North Carolina. The visits were kind of just showing me around the facilities and they were crazy nice. North Carolina let me talk to all the coaches, trainers, and strength staff. That was big for me to meet everybody and put a name with the face."
RIVALS' REACTION...
Givens didn’t really tip his hand and was very honest when he said he’ll need to take more visits before being comfortable with making a commitment. Clemson is drawing a lot of the headlines because it’s the only out of state school he’s visited so far. Yes, the Tigers are serious contenders but Givens brings a lot of versatility to the table so he wants to get a much closer look at all six programs so he can see which one will get him as prepared as possible for the NFL, regardless of what position he plays. Alabama and North Carolina both did a good job with their virtual visits but there is still plenty to learn about each.
