4-star LB Coney talks top 2 of UF and ND
Four-star linebacker Tevon Coney of Palm Beach Gardens (Fla.) said his recruitment is coming down to two teams - Florida and Notre Dame.
Being the home-state school, Florida would presumably have the edge. The 6-foot, 221-pound Coney will be in Gainesville on an official visit when the Gators host LSU, per Rivals.com insider Blake Alderman.
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For the Gators, that game will be the fourth SEC conference game as it enters the thick of league play, which also includes Missouri, Georgia and South Carolina, not to mention an non-conference game against in-state rival Florida State.
With the recent decline of the Gators under Will Muschamp, how the program performs will determine the fate of his staff. Coney and other recruits are taking notice and Coney said a turnover would impact his decision.
"It would make me pull away from Florida," he said. "If that happens, I'll have to talk with my parents and we'd see from there."
The Fighting Irish could benefit from Florida's struggles. Coney has already been to Notre Dame twice, including Sept. 6 when he saw the Irish thump Michigan 31-0. The trip marked Coney's first official visit this season.
"It was a good atmosphere," Coney said. "It was a beautiful campus. And the weather was actually nice at the time. It's a good school. They have tradition and that means a lot."
Coney said the Fighting Irish staff has delivered a consistent message to him during their pursuit.
"The main message they've given me is I can play early," Coney said. "I've just got to come in and get the job done."
Should he choose Notre Dame he's not only be far from home but would have to adjust to much colder temperatures. He said that's not a problem at all.
"It's my dream to play college football and go to the NFL," he said. "Going to the NFL is going to most likely make me have to either live in cold weather, live outside of Florida or both."
Coney originally stated plans to announce in September, but it's not clear now as to when he'll make a decision.
Adam Krohn is a Southeast Region football recruiting analyst for Rivals.com. You can click here to follow him on Twitter.