Nicholas Spikes entered his senior year at Paint Branch High School this past fall without any recruiting interest from major Division I programs.
It didn't take long for that to change. His performances in the sprints this winter led to multiple Southeastern Conference schools reaching out.
After taking official visits to three SEC schools since January, Spikes recently committed to the University of Florida, which is a perennial national title contender that finished third at this month's NCAA Indoor Championships.
Spikes also had Kentucky and Tennessee among his final choices. Still, he said he felt a connection with longtime Florida head coach Mike Holloway, assistant Yanick Hart and the rest of the team.
"The atmosphere and the coaching," Spikes said of what inspired him most at Florida. "I felt t...
