OL Knijeah Harris Commits to the Gators

On Saturday afternoon, 4 star O-lineman Knijeah Harris out of IMG Academy committed to the Gators.

UF beat out other finalists Miami, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, and Alabama.

Harris, a big 6’3” 335 pound guard is the first OL commitment for Billy Napier’s 2023 class. This commitment isn’t only significant for improving the Gators trenches. Harris is coming out of IMG, a school that hasn’t been kind to UF in recruiting for years.

Last year, Napier was able to land 5 star S Kamari Wilson out of IMG, breaking the “IMG Curse” that had previously plagued the Gators. And now that Harris has put on the orange and blue, there’s some real momentum for the staff to keep getting players out of Bradenton, FL.

Harris is a powerful guard who can put anyone on their backside if they’re in his way. His strength has been what’s set him apart from other guards in his class.

One thing that Harris will need to work on at the college level is his quickness and agility. Strength can only get you so far in the SEC, you’ve got to be able to move around and be quick in order to handle the pass rushers that teams will be throwing at you.

He’ll also want to drop a few pounds when he gets to Gainesville. Looking at Richard Gouraige, a senior guard for the Gators, he’s 6’5” and 312 pounds. This size has allowed him to be a consistent piece on the Gators OL for years.

If Harris is able to get his weight down to around the 310 range and continue to work on his quickness, I see him as key guy on the Gators OL throughout his career.

The pickup of Harris may be the first domino to fall for this Gators class, as it will open the door to IMG, as well as give Napier and his staff a great start to their lineman recruitment.

Keep up with Gators football and recruiting here.