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National Signing Day 2016: Florida nabs JUCO CB Joseph Putu, former Arkansas commit

The Gators land a JUCO All-American.

By Andy Hutchins
Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

Former Arkansas commit Joseph Putu has flipped to Florida, committing to and signing with the Gators on National Signing Day, per 247Sports' Luke Stampini.

Putu, originally from Providence, Rhode Island, is a junior college recruit who has spent the last two years at the North Dakota State College of Science after his poor academics made him unrecruitable out of high school — "My parents and I talked and we figured, 'It's North Dakota: It's football and school and that's it,'" Putu told Scout in January.

That plan has apparently worked, as Putu was named a JUCO All-American and rated as a 247Sports Composite three-star player. He became a hot prospect late in the 2016 cycle, committing to Arkansas before Florida put on the press and flipped him.

At 6'2" and 195 points, Putu has excellent size for a corner. In his highlights, though, it's Putu's speed and hands that stand out, for how they allow him to recover and intercept passes.

Maybe there's a reason other than his presumably constant consumption of processed meat that Bret Bielema sounded salty earlier!

Putu played two seasons at NDSCS, and will have three years to play two seasons at Florida. He also brings the Gators to 25 commits in the 2016 class.