Published Jan 24, 2018
UMD commit Noah Boykin after UF trip- "I pretty much know where I'm going"
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Adam Friedman  •  Rivals.com
Rankings Director and National Transfer Portal Analyst
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Maryland commit Noah Boykin was hesitant to sign with the Terps during the early signing period in December and has been taking his official visits. Florida hosted the Washington (D.C.) H.D. Woodson defensive back for his fourth official visit over the weekend and the Gators impressed him.

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IN HIS OWN WORDS…

“Everything at Florida went really well,” Boykin said. “The visit was really personal with all the coaches around. It wasn't like during the season when it was really hectic. All the coaches were around me and my family.

“The coaches and I were talking and having fun,” he said. “I talked with coach Warren a lot about how much I could play a big role in the defense this season if I worked hard. Wherever I go I’m going to have to work hard. If I come in and do my job I have a chance to be really successful.

Chauncey Gardner was my host,” said Boykin. “There are a lot of young players there right now and the program is in a state of flux. There are new coaches coming in and new players that just came in so I could definitely come in and work to start on their team.

“A lot of people been talking about how Florida has recruited the DMV, especially with defensive backs like Joe Haden and Jalen Tabor,” he said. “Those are great players but at the same time I'm not Joe Haden or Jalen Tabor and they aren’t me. It all depends on yourself, what you see yourself doing and where you see yourself for the next four years.

“Florida is on a pretty big scale being in the SEC,” Boykin said. “They were pretty much always competing for SEC Championships a couple years back. I feel like they aren’t that far off and they just need a couple more players come in to make their program good again.

“I’m still committed to Maryland,” he said. “They know that I’ve been taking visits and that I’ve been thinking about whether I should decommit and go to another school. They are still with me in the process and they’ve been there since day one. My relationship with coach Aazaar is pretty strong.

“I think I might do a couple more home visits with Notre Dame, Florida, and maybe another school,” said Boykin. “Coach Aazaar is always so close so I can always go up to Maryland on my own time. I don't think I'll visit Maryland this weekend but maybe next weekend. I pretty much know where I'm going and everybody will see on signing day.”

RIVALS’ REACTION…

Boykin isn’t one to tip his hand and these last two weeks will be tough for him whether he really knows where he is going or not. Florida did everything they could to impress him and his family but it’s always hard to pull a player away from his hometown school, especially if he has been committed for a long time and has a longstanding personal relationship with his position coach. It you’re a Gators fan, you have to like where you stand right now because you have all the momentum but be prepared to sweat it out until Signing Day. Things can change quickly and Maryland can snatch the momentum right back.