Matt Elam, Ronald Powell, and Sharrif Floyd are all Florida Gators
The big news of the Army All-American Game was the recommitment of
Matt Elam
to the Gators. It may not have come of much of a surprise since it had been rumored since he decommitted from
FSU
, but that doesn’t make it any less important. If all works out as planned, Elam will be enrolled at
Florida
on Monday. At that point, fans can rest easy because he will then officially be a Gator.
Elam’s back and forth may have been frustrating at times, but put it all into perspective. He committed to Urban Meyer and Florida way back in October of 2008. Elam wanted to take some visits and see what was out there, but remained a commit to the Gators. At least verbally. He grew up knowing Meyer and became very close to the coach. Then one day Meyer resigns. The following day he announces he is instead taking a leave of absence. We can’t imagine what was going through Elam’s head at that point. So he got confused and decommitted. In a moment of weakness (we all have plenty of those) he chose FSU as his college destination, but after having a heart-to-heart with Meyer opened it back up. At that point, it seemed obvious he would come back to Florida and he did. Yes it was an interested road to say the least, but Elam is a special talent and one we will all enjoy watching in a Gator uniform.
The player the Gators have wanted for quite some time also came through on Saturday. Ronald Powell chose Florida over USC, which seemed almost given when Pete Carroll left the Trojans to head to the NFL. One of the top players in the nation (like the other two that became Gators), Powell is more than special. His performance during the Army game echoes that. Both a pass rush specialist and a talented tight end, it looks like Powell could really play on either side of the ball.
If you believe the recruiting services, Powell will end up at defensive end. His speed to the outside is impressive for a player at any level and his strength allows him to power through offensive linemen when necessary. If the Gators do go to a 3-4 defensive scheme as is being rumored, Powell could fit in nicely as a pass rushing outside linebacker. Either way, expect him to be getting to opposing quarterbacks a lot.
Perhaps the classiest announcement came from George Washington (Philadelphia, PA) defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd. Floyd had the hats on the table, which seems to be required at this point, but there were no theatrics. Instead of just picking Florida, Floyd took time to thank a couple of individuals for helping him get to where he is. He even let his high school coach pick up the hat. There was no grabbing one hat and then putting it back down. No shuffling them around. No drama. Just a classy announcement from a classy kid. This is an individual to cheer for.
On the field, Floyd is a load. 6’3”, 300 lbs. to be exact. His strength is probably his greatest…uh…strength. He is able to overpower offensive linemen and good luck trying to block him to the ground. Despite needing some time to develop technique – as many defensive tackles do – Floyd could see a good amount of playing time during his freshman year. It will only make him better in the long run and remember, in his own words, the long run is not just “the next four years, but 40 years.”
Similar to the Under Armour All-American Game just a week earlier, it was a great day for the Florida program. Those committed played well and those who announced were highly sought after. This is shaping up to easily be one of the best classes in the nation.