Wood tight end commits to Florida

When Urban Meyer was coaching at the University of Florida, the Gators showed no interest in Archbishop Wood standout Colin Thompson.

That changed when Will Muschamp replaced Meyer and brought in Charlie Weis, formerly the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs, to run a pro-style attack and hired others with NFL coaching experience.

"It was definitely a factor in my decision," said Thompson, a 6-foot-5, 225-pound tight end who committed to Florida on Thursday in a news conference at Wood. "Coach Muschamp did a great job of surrounding himself with the right people."

Thompson, ranked as the third-best junior tight end in the country by Scout.com, chose the Gators over Wisconsin, Boston College, and Penn State. He had 21 Division I scholarship offers.

"I just felt like it was the right place for me," said Thompson, flanked by his parents, Dave and Karen. "I was comfortable with every aspect of the school."

In February, Thompson, who doubles as a defensive end, visited Florida with his father and Wood coach Steve Devlin. He took a second unofficial visit, joined by his parents, to Gainesville before Easter.

"I know they're thin at tight end, so maybe I'll have a chance to come in and play early in my career," the 17-year-old said. "They didn't say anything about me redshirting my first year. Of course, that's up to the coaches."

On his first visit to Florida, Thompson met with former George Washington star Sharrif Floyd, a 6-3, 300-pound defensive tackle who notched 23 tackles, including 10 solos, last fall in his first season with the Gators.

"He's an overall great guy," Thompson said. "He told me one of the main reasons why he came to Florida was to prepare himself to play in the NFL. That hit home with me, because it's one of my goals. The schools has a strong track record of producing pro players."

Last season, Thompson helped the Vikings post a 13-1 record and advance to the PIAA Class AAA state semifinals. The Doylestown resident has been selected to play in the 2012 Under Armour All-America Game, set for January in Orlando, Fla.

Teammate Desmon Peoples, a quick tailback, committed to Rutgers last week. At least three other Wood juniors are expected to play at the Division I level: two-way linemen Frank Taylor and Brandon Arcidiacono and defensive back Nate Smith, a transfer from George Washington.

The 6-4, 285-pound Taylor has 16 offers, including from Rutgers, Boston College, and Pittsburgh; the 6-5, 250-pound Arcidiacono, whose brother Mark is a sophomore offensive lineman at Penn State, has eight; and Smith, also a wide receiver, has three.