Gators enter picture for Palmetto LB/TE

Florence (S.C) Wilson linebacker Lawrence Timmons laughs when asked if he’s begun the process of narrowing his list of prospective schools.

“It’s kind of hard,” he said. “Every time I start thinking about it, someone else calls or offers. There’s a lot of good schoools talking to me. I’ve got nine offers now – North Carolina, South Carolina, Clemson, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, Michigan, Virginia and Maryland.

“Miami says they’re going to offer, but it’s not official yet. I think they want to wait until I go to their camp.”

Timmons also got calls from Georgia, N.C. State, Duke, Vanderbilt and Northwestern in recent weeks. He is considered one of the top linebacker prospects in the Palmetto State. He’s also being evaluated as a tight end. As a junior, he recorded 95 tackles and four sacks on defense. He had 42 receptions for 680 yards and 14 touchdowns as a tight end and slot receiver.

So where does he stand with favorites? In previous interviews, he has admitted to rooting for the Hurricanes growing up.

“I don’t really have one,” Timmons said. “But I’ve got five that I really like right now – Florida, Virginia, Michigan, Tennessee and Miami. That’s nothing final or anything. I’ve still got South Carolina and Clemson and some of the others in the picture. It kind of depends on some of the camps I go to and when I make my visits.

“I’m looking for a school with a winning tradition, most of all, and good academics. Those are the main things.”

He added that he’s developed a good relationship with coaches from a pair of SEC schools of late. “I like Florida’s coaching staff a lot. I relate real well to them. I like coach Brooks at Tennessee, too. He came down to see and has kept up with me on the phone. He seems like a real nice guy. They’ve also got a good program for my major, criminal justice or engineering.”

Timmons maintains a 3.4 GPA and scored an 870 on his first SAT attempt. He’ll take the test again this summer, and is expected to be a full-qualifier.

He hopes to attend one-day camps at Tennessee, Georgia, Clemson, South Carolina and Virginia this summer. He plans to attend Miami’s full camp June 21-23. He noted that he also wanted to attend Michigan’s camp, but won’t have time to do so