Greg Gilmore commits to LSU over Florida

In an announcement on the ESPN family of networks, 2013 Hope Mills (NC) South View defensive tackle Greg Gilmore committed to the LSU Tigers on Thursday afternoon, choosing the Tigers over the Florida Gators

At 6-4 and 290 pounds, Gilmore projects as a three-technique defensive tackle in college capable of penetrating into backfields and causing havoc. A consensus four-star prospect, Gilmore is a borderline top-100 player in the country and one of the best in the state of North Carolina.

Saying that the recruiting process has bogged him down recently, Gilmore indicated on ESPNU that he was just ready to get the process over with. He choose the Tigers after visiting Baton Rouge last weekend for the Alabama game.

Though Oklahoma was considered to be in the mix, Gilmore tweeted out a picture on Instagram on Wednesday of LSU and Florida hats on the seat of his car, adding “This is the bottom line for me.”

Back in April, Gilmore named LSU his leader following a spring trip to Baton Rouge. In addition, the last trip that he took was to Death Valley to see Alabama take on LSU. His official visit to Florida came back in September, after which he declared the two teams even.

It seems that his parents were split on the decision, with his mother favoring Florida and his father favoring LSU. Though the saying goes that mother knows best, Gilmore opted to go against those wishes and commit to the Tigers, saying that the conversations between him and his parents were “fierce.”

In the end, though, LSU promised early playing time, which Florida head coach Will Muschamp does not. Both schools are losing one defensive tackle to graduation and possibly one to the NFL.

Gilmore was impressed by the environment in Death Valley:

The atmosphere was crazy. Everybody knows who you are when you’re a recruit. … That was the best game I can tell you I’ve been to. Electrifying is the word for it.

The defensive tackle known for his run-stopping abilities committed to the Tigers despite thoroughly enjoying his trip to Florida:

Out of my three official visits, the Florida visit was the one that wowed me. LSU didn’t really wow me that much because I know how it is there with the crowd. But I didn’t expect to get as much out of my Florida visit as I did, so that’s why it was the best.

Still, it wasn’t enough to put the Gators over the top.

The Tigers also picked up a commitment from another defensive tackle recently -- Lincoln (NE) Southwest’s Christian Lacouture, who decommitted from Nebraska the week before announcing for the Tigers.