Sean Tatum on Florida recruitment: "(Sumrall) is really going to change the program."

I had the opportunity to speak this week with Sean Tatum of John Carroll Catholic High School and a recruit that On3 has high on their list of confident he could sign with Florida. He is currently ranked by On3 as the No. 132 recruit, the No. 8 interior offensive lineman, and the No. 14 recruit out of the state of Florida in the class of 2027.

I recently took a deep dive into his stats and his career through his junior year in a prospect profile piece, and this week we sat down and talked about what it has been like for Tatum going through the recruiting process and to be getting recruited so heavily by many of the top colleges in the nation, including Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and many others, and to have offers on the table already from most of them as well.

Hail Florida Hail: So talk to me a little bit about the recruiting process. What has it been like to go through it? What have you learned and what have you taken away from it so far?

Tatum: What I really learned from it is that you really gotta be patient. Some people start earlier than others, and I feel like you have to take every opportunity that you get even if you’re not financially stable to go to some of these colleges. I feel like if you're good, they are going to find you. So even if you know you're highly recruited, it is still a blessing when you get recruited.

Hail Florida Hail: When did it really hit you, or when did a coach tell you that they thought you had the chance to play collegiately for a top college program? When did things really shift from the sport being something we all play growing up as kids, and we do it for fun? When did that shift happen for you that it was like, okay, I can actually do this at a next level?

Tatum: Well, I’ve always been big. People would always tell me I’m going to college and all that. But really, for me, it was sophomore year I really changed. My body really changed, and I saw myself develop into a nice player. Coach Groody always says, you know, I'm not trying to make you just a good player. I'm trying to make you a better man. I saw myself mature enough to become a better man. Like, Hey, I just think I can be with these college players; you know, hang with them.

Hail Florida Hail: When did it really hit you, as far as athletically - You talked about your mental development, but as far as being a player, when did your skills start getting to a point where you're like, alright, next level it is?

Tatum: Last year. Last year, I really showed I was dominant. This year it was all run game. I want more. I was dominant. And when I'm dominant, it really shows that people can't mess with me. But I sometimes mess up here and there. But I like it a lot.

Hail Florida Hail: What does it mean to you to have, looking specifically at the University of Florida, What does it mean to you to have coach Sumrall and coach Trautwein hot on the trail to make you a Gator? What does it mean to you that they came down to little ol’ Fort Piece? You're kind of making John Carroll history with those types of names coming into here to pay you a personal visit. And did you know that they were going to come down prior to that?

Tatum: Well, I knew Coach Traut was coming down. Even when he came from Penn State, me and him always texted and stayed connected. But I did not know Coach Sumrall was coming until like two days before. So it was very definitely a surprise. I hadn't got to meet coach Sumrall yet. He's very energetic. I can tell that he really wants to build Florida back up to where it used to be.

Coach Traut, a Florida alumnus, did great things up there. I was up there the other day, he talked so fast, and I really understood the way his system works, and I really think I can play there.

Hail Florida Hail: What were some of the things they said to you while they were here?

Tatum: They want more personality. They hate people who are faking it and all that. They liked that I listen and learn from everywhere, they like the frame of my body, and they like how I develop.

Hail Florida Hail: What did you take away from that visit with them? And did it influence your decision to go to that Junior Day in Gainesville? Or did you already know you were going?

Tatum: It definitely influenced everything. I already knew I wanted to take an OV (official visit) there, but Coach Traut and all the coaches, new coaching staff, even the previous coaching staff, they may Florida such a welcoming place and the way that I see myself there is very welcoming. And people down there are very welcoming to me. And that's what I like about coaches.

Hail Florida Hail: What was your favorite part of that junior day when you went to UF, and what did you think of the university, the stadium, The Swamp?

Tatum: My favorite part was the meeting room. I love how he told me, like he showed me how he's doing things and how he’s running his program. We got the offensive coordinator from Georgia Tech. He showed how he was in the run game. I like his system. I like how our system works and all that.

I've already been to Gainesville multiple times. Of course. I love The Swamp, especially on game days. It's crazy. Game days. I can barely hear myself. You know, the campus alone is beautiful. You know, you get the pool pull. That's, that's my favorite part is the pool, and the court right there. But everything else was nice.

Hail Florida Hail: What were some other takeaways from the junior day? What did you get out of it? And what were your thoughts leaving Gainesville and coming back home to John Carroll after that, or coming back home, you have to, like, process your thoughts of, okay, man, that just happened. What were some other takeaways outside of your favorite moments?

Tatum: One of my other favorite moments was the GMs and everybody else, players, directors, and all that. They also took the time out and learned about my body or work. And they actually took the time out and like, really studied about me from freshman year, sophomore year, and junior year, they really just studied about me. And it shows how dedicated they are to try to get me there, and I loved it a lot.

I went to see a basketball game, my first college basketball game ever seen. That was pretty cool. It was super fun, you know. And when I went back home, I was like, dang, this is a place I could actually play for.

Hail Florida Hail: So you can see yourself possibly playing in Gainesville one day?

Tatum: Yes ma’am.

Hail Florida Hail: So, kind of coming back to John Carroll a little bit - Since being here at John Carroll, over the course of the last few years, what are some things you've improved on the most, and what did it take to improve in those areas of the game?

Tatum:  It really was my mentality. I'll say, my first freshman year, sophomore year, it was really just getting - I got put in the fire real quick. I started as a freshman as soon as possible. My mental growth of it all, my IQ of the game, and because a lot of people don't stand, like for you to be dominant in anything that you do, you have to be mentally okay in the head. And I think that really shows last year how I was more dominant.

Hail Florida Hail: Are there any other players in the area that are also collegiate prospects that you train with outside of school practices? Have you guys talked about the recruiting process together, and what have you learned from them and their journeys?

Tatum:  I play with this kid here, named Charlie Pisani. He's a year younger than me. He is going to be really, really fast. His process is starting up. He's a big-time recruit around here, too.

I have Jaydien Pittman, he just got his first offer from FIU. So me and him have been friends since I was 10 years old. So it was very nice to see him get a chance.

Kevin Davis, same thing with him. He got his first offer from FIU too.

Those two are electric man, they, I'm trying to help them with their recruiting process, like, hey, like, these are blessings, but don't, don't count them out, once you get the opportunity, don't sell yourself short. And even with Charlie Pisani, that he was been talking to recruiters from Ohio State, Miami, Florida, all the rest of them, too. And me and him was just talking about how he has to step up too,

And everyone's different; people recruiting people differently, all that. So I was asking him, who’s recruiting you hard, I find like I might not get recruited hard by them and he'll record hard by them too. So I’m putting in perspective from all my players here.

Hail Florida Hail: Are there any former Rams now playing collegiately that you've talked to that have given you advice over the last couple years, as far as moving into preparing to play collegiately?

Tatum: Yeah, I talked to Wilki Denaud. He went to Auburn, then Mississippi for a short time. Now at FAU. I talked about the early enrollment system and all that, how it works, especially time already given to you. He really started this early enrollment process for John Carroll. He really led the way for people to be able to graduate early, because graduating early really helps students become more developed in college and all that.

Hail Florida Hail: Have any other players from Florida reached out to you, any current Gators on the roster?

Tatum: Yes. So I knew three O-linemen down there. I knew this kid, he's from, like, Lakewood. He's up there right now. He's like a 6’7” kid from Lakewood. I knew these kids from Seminole Ridge. I know those two kids, and I talked to them about the recruiting process too, and why they wanted to go to Florida, like, even before the new coaching change, they thought this is a place for you to come here, actually develop and stuff like that. I went with the Junior Day upcoming freshman. I asked him, like, Hey, is it really different? Like, some of the players think that Coach Traut is nicer, and they like him a lot , they like the strength and conditioning coach a lot more too, things like that.

Hail Florida Hail: You talked about the coaching change; We know that Billy Napier was outgoing, and Coach Sumrall is incoming. Did that impact your decision at all, or your thoughts about the Gators during the recruitment?

Tatum: It really did. Because I think Coach Sumrall is more personal, you know, I think more energetic, shows more emotion. From my experience, Billy Napier really didn’t show enough emotion.. And Coach Sale, great coach. But I think that Coach Traut and Coach Sumrall being here, they are really going to change the program.

Hail Florida Hail: What would you say is the strongest part of your game, or your stronger skill on the field? What makes you stand out? I know you talked about your run game being dominant for you. Is that the strongest part of your game? Or what else do you think really stands out for you?

Tatum: That, and my athleticism. You know, coaches since freshman year, they told me that my athleticism was pretty, really good, especially for a person my size. People don't think I weigh 325(lbs), they said my frame was really nice. And they think, really, the best part about my game is development. No matter where I go, I will listen to you. I’m gonna look you eye to eye and listen no matter what. So coaches really understand the development part about me.

Hail Florida Hail: What do you attribute to your success so far that has allowed you to get to this point where colleges like Florida, Georgia, Tennessee. They're all on the hunt to make you theirs?

Tatum: I'll say God man above, you know, he gave me opportunities like this to be able to go through this recruitment process, this little hassle everyone, everyone likes to cut this part short, they don’t understand this blessing they have. A lot of people don't get this opportunity to be able to even be in the situation. No matter what school you go to, it's an opportunity for free college, not a lot of people get that, and people don’t understand; they take advantage of it. So I give it all to man above.

Also give it all to my mom, my dad. They paved the way for me. My mom, she works hard. My dad's in the Navy, so he really works hard too. So I really do give it to both of them too.

Hail Florida Hail: You kind of talked about your parents. Who are some of the most influential people in your growth as a player? I know you just mentioned your parents.

Tatum: Oh, my mom. My mom is a single mother, but my dad always in my life. But my mom. You want to know where I get my hustle from? That's my mom, no one else. My biggest influence will always be my mom and my brothers. They're here with me, 24/7, always have my back no matter what. They always push me to be better, even if I don’t want to do it, they make sure that I do it. You know, my mama is a real hustler. She's a real person. She's a kind-hearted soul too, that’s why I want to be just like her.

Hail Florida Hail: What are some of the key factors you'll be looking for from the school when it comes to making your decision of where you're going to play next after you graduate?

Tatum: Development. Development and education. You know, I heard from a coach that from NFL. NFL stints are not for long, even if I make it to NFL, most people only stay for three, four years, but I want to have a good education that I can like, hey, NFL is not just my goal, but I’m taking civil engineering, so I have a plan after football that can really make myself be financially stable in the future.

Hail Florida Hail: So is that kind of like something that you’re looking into as well, whatever school has your program that you're looking for?

Tatum: Yes.

Hail Florida Hail: What's the best piece of advice you've received from a coach your career?

Tatum: Moving my stance. My stance was very awkward, my freshman, sophomore year. That's why I went to a lot of camps. I went to a lot of camps to see how coaches, you know, coach and all that. But also want to work on myself, because, you know, high school, you can do so much in high school, but when you have college coaches telling you what to fix, and every college coach is different, so that's why you always learn from different perspectives and all that. So I'm very happy to, like, learn different moves and techniques that I'm able to use now getting to where I am today.

Hail Florida Hail: Do you have a game day ritual or routine that you go through on a typical game day?

Tatum: Not gonna lie, I used to have one in middle school. It was listening to music, pray. I still pray to this day. That's really my ritual, listening to nice, calm music. I don't listen to any of that rapper stuff. I listen to nice music. I pray, and I just really talk my O-lineman and I really make sure that they’re Okay. And we go on from there.

Hail Florida Hail: As far as what you're most looking forward to most about your senior year coming up here?

Tatum: Honestly, what I'm always happy about, is looking forward to the summer camps. I'm not doing it this year because I have official visits, of course, but I always want to go on road trips with my friends and all my players, because it's always fun and it builds bonding with the team.

I’m looking forward to this competitive schedule we have, you know, we don't have no light schedule, they think that John Carroll plays easy teams, but we really don't, you know, we played American Heritage last year. That was a good game until the fourth quarter. So I just can't wait to get to get ready with my friends.

Hail Florida Hail: What kind of advice would you give to young players? You talked about your freshmen, your sophomores coming up behind you. What advice would you give to them, as far as their hopes to play collegiately?

Tatum: School. A lot of people don’t understand how school is important. You know, John Carroll is a very academic school, so they care a lot about, you know, school, but if you don't stay in school, you won't have opportunity. No one will look at you because of your GPA. You could be the best athlete in the world. But if you not smart enough to stay in school, you have no hopes to go to the collegiate level for football.

Hail Florida Hail: Last but not least, who’s your pick to win the Super Bowl? Gotta end it with that.

Tatum: Seahawks.

Hail Florida Hail: Sean, thank you for your time. I appreciate it. Best of luck in your recruitment.

Tatum: Thank you. Of course.

Tatum has an official visit to Florida scheduled for June 4-6.