Florida flips elite CB Aamaury Fountain from South Carolina: 'Florida is where I want to be'

Aamaury Fountain knew the feeling, and he trusted it.

The four-star cornerback out of Warner Robins (Ga.) Northside, ranked No. 25 in the Rivals300, committed to South Carolina in December after the Gamecocks built early momentum in his recruitment. But once Jon Sumrall and his staff made him a priority at Florida, things began to shift.

After four visits to Gainesville this year, Fountain has flipped his commitment to the Gators.

“This has been building,” Fountain told Rivals. “That feeling at Florida is real. From the start, it just felt right. You can feel the greatness there. It’s in the air. I don’t know how else to explain it. You can’t make that up.”

That feeling showed up immediately. He visited in January, just weeks after committing to the Gamecocks. That started it.

“I felt it the first time. It was different. I only went on that first visit because I told Coach Harris I would. It was me honoring my word and they took advantage of it.

“After that first visit, I kept going back. Every time, it felt stronger.”

The staff played a big role in Fountain’s flip

The relationship with defensive backs coach Brandon Harris proved pivotal.

“I love Coach Harris as a person,” Fountain said. “He understands the process, and he understands me. He sees the good in people. Coach Harris is real with me.

“He’s shown me he wants me, not just with words, but with actions. I’ve spent a lot of time with him, and he’s been teaching me. It is hard to describe our connection.”

The head coach also played a major role.

“Coach Sumrall has no fear,” Fountain said. “He’s not scared to go hard. He wins — and he backs it up. He’s been involved with me from the beginning. He calls me, FaceTimes me and told me I was his guy. We just clicked.”

This decision is different for Fountain

Florida is the top school, but the decision wasn’t easy.

“I talked to my mom a lot about it,” Fountain said. “She made me really think about everything. She asked me some tough questions. It was tough, but I just knew it.”

In the end, Florida separated itself in multiple areas.

“The environment stands out the most,” Fountain said. “If I don’t like the environment outside of football, I’m not going there.

“I love it down there. It’s a different feeling. You can’t fake how I feel at Florida.”

The culture also resonated.

“They want to win,” Fountain said. “They’ve got a chip on their shoulder, and I love that. My connection with the staff is crazy. It’s real. It’s close.”

Fountain is planning to spend a lot of time at the Swamp.

“This is it for me,” Fountain said. “I’m not going anywhere else. My recruitment is shut down — Florida is where I want to be.”